Brainspotting: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Form of psychotherapy}} |
{{Short description|Form of psychotherapy}} |
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{{for|the 1996 television series|Ken Campbell#Television, radio and film}} |
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'''Brainspotting''' is a [[psychotherapy]] technique that attempts to help people process [[psychological trauma]] or other problems via [[ |
'''Brainspotting''' is a [[psychotherapy]] technique that attempts to help people process [[psychological trauma]] or other problems via [[eye movement]]s.<ref name="WhatIsBrainspotting">{{cite web |last1=Brainspoting Trainings, LLC |title=What is Brainspotting? |url=https://brainspotting.com/about-bsp/ |website=Brainspotting |access-date=25 May 2023}}</ref><ref name="Grand2013">{{cite book |last1=Grand |first1=David |title=Grand, 2013: Brainspotting: the revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change |date=2013 |publisher=Sounds True |location=Boulder, CO |isbn=978-1604078909}}</ref> Practitioners of this technique use a pointer to direct a client’s eye gaze in order to send signals to the [[human brain|brain]] to resolve psychological or physical concerns.<ref name="Grand2013" /> Brainspotting has not been rigorously studied and has frequently been characterized as a [[pseudoscience]] or [[Alternative medicine|fringe medicine]].<ref name="Gurda2015">{{cite journal |last1=Gurda |first1=Kjerstin |title=Emerging Trauma Therapies: Critical Analysis and Discussion of Three Novel Approaches |journal=Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma |date=2015 |volume=24 |issue=7 |pages=773–793 |doi=10.1080/10926771.2015.1062445|s2cid=70963502 }}</ref><ref name="Lynn2015">{{cite journal |last1=Lynn |first1=Steven Jay |last2=Evans |first2=James |last3=Laurence |first3=Jean-Roch |last4=Lilienfeld |first4=Scott O |title=What Do People Believe about Memory? Implications for the Science and Pseudoscience of Clinical Practice |journal=The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry |date=2015 |volume=60 |issue=12 |pages=541–547 |doi=10.1177/070674371506001204|pmid=26720822 |pmc=4679162 }}</ref><ref name="Lynn2023">{{cite book |last1=Lynn |first1=Steven Jay |last2=Sleight |first2=Fiona |last3=Polizzi |first3=Craig P |last4=Aksen |first4=Damla |last5=Patihis |first5=Lawrence |last6=Otgaar |first6=Henry |last7=Dodier |first7=Olivier |title=Pseudoscience in Therapy: A Skeptical Field Guide |date=2023 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |isbn=9781009000611 |pages=94–110 |chapter=7 - Dissociation}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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Therapist David Grand indicates he developed brainspotting in 2003 after working with [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] survivors and other patients.<ref name="Grand2013" /> David Grand was previously trained in [[psychoanalysis]] in the 1980s and [[eye movement desensitization and reprocessing|EMDR]] in 1993. He combined EMDR, psychoanalysis, and [[somatic experiencing]] into a modality he titled “Natural Flow EMDR,” which became the precursor for brainspotting.<ref name="Grand2013" /> |
Therapist David Grand indicates he developed brainspotting in 2003 after working with [[September 11 attacks|9/11]] survivors and other patients.<ref name="Grand2013" /> David Grand was previously trained in [[psychoanalysis]] in the 1980s and [[eye movement desensitization and reprocessing|EMDR]] in 1993. He combined EMDR, psychoanalysis, and [[somatic experiencing]] into a modality he titled “Natural Flow EMDR,” which became the precursor for brainspotting.<ref name="Grand2013" /> |
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== Theories and Techniques == |
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== Technique == |
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Grand states that the motto of brainspotting is, “Where you look affects how you feel”.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grand |first1=David |title=Brainspotting: the revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change |date=2013 |publisher=Sounds True |location=Boulder, CO |isbn= |
Grand states that the motto of brainspotting is, “Where you look affects how you feel”.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grand |first1=David |title=Brainspotting: the revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change |date=2013 |publisher=Sounds True |location=Boulder, CO |isbn=978-1604078909 |page=3}}</ref> He has hypothesized that allowing one’s gaze to be focused on a specific external location will maintain the brain’s focus on an internal location where traumatic memories are stored, which would promote processing of these memories.<ref name="Grand2013" /> Grand believes that influencing the [[visual]] field will influence neurological and psychological processes.<ref name="Grand2013" /> Currently, no such evidence exists to support this [[hypothesis]], though Grand and his colleague believe that the [[midbrain]] is involved.<ref name="Corrigan2013">{{cite journal |last1=Corrigan |first1=Frank |last2=Grand |first2=David |title=Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation |journal=Medical Hypotheses |date=2013 |volume=80 |issue=6 |pages=759–766 |doi=10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.005|pmid=23570648 }}</ref> Other researchers argue that such conceptualizations do not accurately reflect how [[memory]] functions in the brain.<ref name="Lynn2015" /> |
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Brainspotting sessions involve focusing on a presenting problem, rating feelings of distress, focusing on bodily sensations, following guided eye gazes, and practicing focused [[mindfulness]].<ref name="Grand2013" /> |
Brainspotting sessions involve focusing on a presenting problem, rating feelings of distress, focusing on bodily sensations, following guided eye gazes, and practicing focused [[mindfulness]].<ref name="Grand2013" /> |
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== Effects and efficacy == |
== Effects and efficacy == |
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There is very little quality evidence of [[efficacy]] or [[effectiveness]] of brainspotting. Although originally designed to treat [[post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], Grand claims that it can also be used to treat [[generalized anxiety disorder|anxiety]], [[major depressive disorder|depression]], [[chronic fatigue syndrome]], [[fibromyalgia]], and [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]].<ref name="Grand2013" /> However, no evidence is cited for these claims. One single-subject [[case study]] reported that a patient with PTSD experienced lower levels of PTSD and depression symptoms after brainspotting sessions compared to before the session.<ref name="Talbot2022">{{cite journal |last1=Talbot |first1=Jeanne |last2=de la Salle |first2=Sara |last3=Jaworska |first3=Natalia |title=A Paradigm Shift in Trauma Treatment: Converging Evidence for a Novel Adaptation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) |journal=The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry |date=2022 |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages= |
There is very little quality evidence of [[efficacy]] or [[effectiveness]] of brainspotting. Although originally designed to treat [[post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], Grand claims that it can also be used to treat [[generalized anxiety disorder|anxiety]], [[major depressive disorder|depression]], [[chronic fatigue syndrome]], [[fibromyalgia]], and [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]].<ref name="Grand2013" /> However, no evidence is cited for these claims. One single-subject [[case study]] reported that a patient with PTSD experienced lower levels of PTSD and depression symptoms after brainspotting sessions compared to before the session.<ref name="Talbot2022">{{cite journal |last1=Talbot |first1=Jeanne |last2=de la Salle |first2=Sara |last3=Jaworska |first3=Natalia |title=A Paradigm Shift in Trauma Treatment: Converging Evidence for a Novel Adaptation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) |journal=The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry |date=2022 |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=283–285 |doi=10.1177/07067437221142283|pmid=36437585 |pmc=10037741 }}</ref> Another study compared, via within-subjects design, the effects of effects of a single 40-min session of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting (BSP), Body Scan Meditation (BSM), and [[placebo]] reading condition in the processing of distressing memories reported by a non-clinical sample of adult participants (psychologists and medical doctors attending a four-year specialization in Systemic Psychotherapy at an Italian Institute of Family Therapy). The authors of the study wrote "As far as the specific experimental design employed in the current study is concerned, EMDR and BSP thus appeared to be comparable in terms of efficacy in reducing healthy participants’ subjective disturbance connected with distressing memories."<ref name="DAntoni2022">{{cite journal |last1=D'Antoni |first1=Fabio |last2=Matiz |first2=Alessio |last3=Fabbro |first3=Franco |last4=Crescentini |first4=Cristiano |title=Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative Study between EMDR, Brainspotting, and Body Scan Meditation |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |date=2022 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=1142 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19031142 |pmid=35162166 |pmc=8835026 |doi-access=free }}</ref> |
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Although at least 6000 clinicians have been trained in brainspotting, there is no quality evidence of its efficacy and it instead relies on [[anecdotal evidence|anecdotal]] claims.<ref name="Grand2013" /><ref name="Gurda2015" /> Existing studies have been critiqued due to being solely authored by brainspotting’s originators and collaborators, indicating potential [[bias]].<ref name="Gurda2015" /> Published articles that indicate or hypothesize its efficacy have small [[Sampling (statistics)|sample]] sizes, utilize non-clinical populations, or are published in journals that are not [[peer review|peer-reviewed]]. |
Although at least 6000 clinicians have been trained in brainspotting, there is no quality evidence of its efficacy and it instead relies on [[anecdotal evidence|anecdotal]] claims.<ref name="Grand2013" /><ref name="Gurda2015" /> Existing studies have been critiqued due to being solely authored by brainspotting’s originators and collaborators, indicating potential [[bias]].<ref name="Gurda2015" /> Published articles that indicate or hypothesize its efficacy have small [[Sampling (statistics)|sample]] sizes, utilize non-clinical populations, or are published in journals that are not [[peer review|peer-reviewed]].<ref name="Talbot2022" /><ref name="DAntoni2022" /><ref name="Corrigan2013"/><ref name="Enserink2010">{{cite news |last1=Enserink |first1=Martin |title=New Medical Hypotheses Editor Promises Not to Stir Up Controversy |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/new-medical-hypotheses-editor-promises-not-stir-controversy |access-date=25 May 2023 |agency=Science |date=25 June 2010}}</ref> The [[American Psychological Association]] does not list brainspotting as a [[Treatments for PTSD|recommended intervention for PTSD]] under its clinical practice guidelines for mental health professionals.<ref name="APA2020">{{cite web |title=Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder |url=https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments |publisher=American Psychological Association |access-date=25 May 2023 |date=June 2020}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{pseudoscience}} |
{{pseudoscience}} |
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[[Category:Mind–body interventions]] |
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[[Category:Post-traumatic stress disorder]] |
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[[Category:Counseling]] |
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[[Category:Psychotherapy by type]] |
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[[Category:Pseudoscience]] |
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Latest revision as of 00:56, 9 November 2024
Brainspotting is a psychotherapy technique that attempts to help people process psychological trauma or other problems via eye movements.[1][2] Practitioners of this technique use a pointer to direct a client’s eye gaze in order to send signals to the brain to resolve psychological or physical concerns.[2] Brainspotting has not been rigorously studied and has frequently been characterized as a pseudoscience or fringe medicine.[3][4][5]
History
[edit]Therapist David Grand indicates he developed brainspotting in 2003 after working with 9/11 survivors and other patients.[2] David Grand was previously trained in psychoanalysis in the 1980s and EMDR in 1993. He combined EMDR, psychoanalysis, and somatic experiencing into a modality he titled “Natural Flow EMDR,” which became the precursor for brainspotting.[2]
Technique
[edit]Grand states that the motto of brainspotting is, “Where you look affects how you feel”.[6] He has hypothesized that allowing one’s gaze to be focused on a specific external location will maintain the brain’s focus on an internal location where traumatic memories are stored, which would promote processing of these memories.[2] Grand believes that influencing the visual field will influence neurological and psychological processes.[2] Currently, no such evidence exists to support this hypothesis, though Grand and his colleague believe that the midbrain is involved.[7] Other researchers argue that such conceptualizations do not accurately reflect how memory functions in the brain.[4]
Brainspotting sessions involve focusing on a presenting problem, rating feelings of distress, focusing on bodily sensations, following guided eye gazes, and practicing focused mindfulness.[2] There are several variations of brainspotting that may include bilateral stimulation via audio recordings called “BioLateral”, wearing goggles that block vision in one eye, or allowing clients to guide therapists on how to direct their gaze.[2]
Effects and efficacy
[edit]There is very little quality evidence of efficacy or effectiveness of brainspotting. Although originally designed to treat PTSD, Grand claims that it can also be used to treat anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and ADHD.[2] However, no evidence is cited for these claims. One single-subject case study reported that a patient with PTSD experienced lower levels of PTSD and depression symptoms after brainspotting sessions compared to before the session.[8] Another study compared, via within-subjects design, the effects of effects of a single 40-min session of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting (BSP), Body Scan Meditation (BSM), and placebo reading condition in the processing of distressing memories reported by a non-clinical sample of adult participants (psychologists and medical doctors attending a four-year specialization in Systemic Psychotherapy at an Italian Institute of Family Therapy). The authors of the study wrote "As far as the specific experimental design employed in the current study is concerned, EMDR and BSP thus appeared to be comparable in terms of efficacy in reducing healthy participants’ subjective disturbance connected with distressing memories."[9]
Although at least 6000 clinicians have been trained in brainspotting, there is no quality evidence of its efficacy and it instead relies on anecdotal claims.[2][3] Existing studies have been critiqued due to being solely authored by brainspotting’s originators and collaborators, indicating potential bias.[3] Published articles that indicate or hypothesize its efficacy have small sample sizes, utilize non-clinical populations, or are published in journals that are not peer-reviewed.[8][9][7][10] The American Psychological Association does not list brainspotting as a recommended intervention for PTSD under its clinical practice guidelines for mental health professionals.[11]
See also
[edit]- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
- Treatments for PTSD
- List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
References
[edit]- ^ Brainspoting Trainings, LLC. "What is Brainspotting?". Brainspotting. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Grand, David (2013). Grand, 2013: Brainspotting: the revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change. Boulder, CO: Sounds True. ISBN 978-1604078909.
- ^ a b c Gurda, Kjerstin (2015). "Emerging Trauma Therapies: Critical Analysis and Discussion of Three Novel Approaches". Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. 24 (7): 773–793. doi:10.1080/10926771.2015.1062445. S2CID 70963502.
- ^ a b Lynn, Steven Jay; Evans, James; Laurence, Jean-Roch; Lilienfeld, Scott O (2015). "What Do People Believe about Memory? Implications for the Science and Pseudoscience of Clinical Practice". The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 60 (12): 541–547. doi:10.1177/070674371506001204. PMC 4679162. PMID 26720822.
- ^ Lynn, Steven Jay; Sleight, Fiona; Polizzi, Craig P; Aksen, Damla; Patihis, Lawrence; Otgaar, Henry; Dodier, Olivier (2023). "7 - Dissociation". Pseudoscience in Therapy: A Skeptical Field Guide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 94–110. ISBN 9781009000611.
- ^ Grand, David (2013). Brainspotting: the revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change. Boulder, CO: Sounds True. p. 3. ISBN 978-1604078909.
- ^ a b Corrigan, Frank; Grand, David (2013). "Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation". Medical Hypotheses. 80 (6): 759–766. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.005. PMID 23570648.
- ^ a b Talbot, Jeanne; de la Salle, Sara; Jaworska, Natalia (2022). "A Paradigm Shift in Trauma Treatment: Converging Evidence for a Novel Adaptation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)". The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 68 (4): 283–285. doi:10.1177/07067437221142283. PMC 10037741. PMID 36437585.
- ^ a b D'Antoni, Fabio; Matiz, Alessio; Fabbro, Franco; Crescentini, Cristiano (2022). "Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative Study between EMDR, Brainspotting, and Body Scan Meditation". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19 (3): 1142. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031142. PMC 8835026. PMID 35162166.
- ^ Enserink, Martin (25 June 2010). "New Medical Hypotheses Editor Promises Not to Stir Up Controversy". Science. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder". American Psychological Association. June 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2023.