Choosing between them
EMDR and Brainspotting, and why I use both.
Most people find me searching for EMDR, because that is the name that has reached the public. Brainspotting is the one I use most. They are relatives, and the difference is worth understanding before you choose.
What they have in common
Both work through the eyes and the body rather than through explanation. Both rest on the same observation, that where you look changes what you can access. Both are for material that talking has not shifted. Neither requires you to narrate the event in detail.
How they differ in the room
EMDR is more structured. It moves through defined phases with deliberate side to side eye movement and a clear sequence. Brainspotting is quieter and more led by you. We find a fixed point in your visual field where the thing you are holding gets noticeably stronger, and then we stay there while your own system does the processing. There is often very little talking.
Which one I start people on
Frequently EMDR, because it is the name people arrive with and it gives structure to someone who is nervous. Then, where it suits them, we move to Brainspotting, which in my hands goes deeper. As I have put it to my own clients, EMDR is the door and Brainspotting is the room.
One thing I want to be straight about
My eye movement integration certificate is from Hypnosis Clearing House. I am not EMDRIA certified and I do not describe myself as such. I have been doing this work for a very long time and I would rather you had the accurate version than an impressive one.
Questions people ask about this
- Does it work online?
- Yes. Both can be done well over video, and a good deal of my practice is online.
- Is it uncomfortable?
- It can be briefly intense, in the way that opening a door onto something is. It is not a re-run of the event, and we do not leave you in it.
- How will I know it worked?
- You will go looking for the feeling and find it flat. People often test it on the drive home and are surprised.
How I would work with this
If you came here for EMDR, start there. I will tell you if the other suits you better.
Start with a free 15 minute call
We talk, you ask questions, and you decide if this is right for you. No pressure either way.