Healing from trauma or emotional pain can be incredibly challenging, but that has nothing to do with being “weak” or “broken.” Each person is unique and copes with trauma in a distinct way. While some people are able to process troubling situations and move forward, others may feel stuck in emotional pain for months or even years. For those exploring different healing approaches, understanding Brainspotting vs EMDR can be helpful in finding the right path toward recovery.
As we know, trauma involves more than feeling stressed. It affects the entire mind-body system, often leaving deep imprints that don’t resolve over time. The good news is that healing is possible with the right support, time, and tools, all of which Wolf Creek Recovery is prepared to give. If you’re ready to reconnect with your body, rewire your mind, and rebuild your life, we are here for you and ready to provide compassionate, personalized care.
Let’s learn more about trauma-focused therapy, specifically brainspotting vs EMDR, and how they can benefit your overall recovery.
Overview of Trauma-Focused Therapy
Trauma therapy is a focused form of therapy that helps people make sense of trauma and find healthier ways to cope and move forward. Unlike general talk therapy, trauma-focused therapy is structured around understanding how trauma affects the brain, body, and behavior, as well as offering specific tools to safely address and integrate those experiences.
No matter where trauma comes from—abuse, neglect, a serious accident, or a profound loss—it can lead to overwhelming feelings of fear, shame, anxiety, or emotional numbness. Many people turn to substances as a way to self-medicate those painful emotions or memories. While drugs and alcohol may offer relief, it’s short-lived, and the substances often lead to dependency.
If you are experiencing substance use on top of unresolved trauma, it’s important to know that trauma-focused therapy can help you make a full recovery. This is why trauma therapy matters in addiction tremtent—it looks beyond the symptoms of substance use and explores the root causes. While there are many approaches to treating trauma, brainspotting and EMDR are two popular modalities.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an evidence-based therapy used to help individuals heal from trauma and other distressing life experiences. It involves bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones, while the client focuses on a distressing memory.
Even though the client thinks about this memory, they are not required to explain their trauma in detail or “live through it.” This makes EMDR a more comfortable and practical approach to treating unprocessed trauma. The brain is able to reprocess painful memories in a safe and controlled way, while reducing emotional intensity, physical distress, and negative beliefs. Think of it as helping the brain “unstick” a memory and file it away properly.
There are eight phases of EMDR:
- Phase 1: History Taking involves understanding your background and identifying target memories.
- Phase 2: In Preparation, the therapist explains what EMDR is and how it works. This phase also involves building trust with the therapist.
- Phase 3: For Assessment, a specific memory is chosen to work on.
- Phase 4: The Desensitization phase starts with bilateral stimulation (tapping, side eye movements, sounds) while focusing on the traumatic event.
- Phase 5: After desensitization, Installation begins. This involves replacing the negative belief with a positive one.
- Phase 6: During the Body Scan, any physical tension or discomfort is taken note of and then processed.
- Phase 7: Closure is when the session ends in a calming, grounded state.
- Phase 8: For Reevaluation, progress is checked and new targets are identified.
While EMDR is most known for treating trauma and PTSD, it can also be effective for anxiety and panic attacks, grief and loss, addiction and relapse triggers, and phobias. Most individuals see improvement in 6 to 12 sessions, though those with complex or chronic trauma may require 20+ sessions over several months.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting uses how your brain and eyes connect to help you heal from deep emotional pain and trauma, especially things that talking alone can’t always reach. This brain-based therapy is especially effective for individuals recovering from trauma, addiction, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
So how does brainspotting work, exactly? This therapy involves identifying specific eye positions called “brainspots” that correlate with areas holding unprocessed trauma or emotional pain. It’s based on the concept of “where you look affects how you feel.”
Here’s what happens during a session:
- The therapist finds a brainspot by observing where your eyes focus when you experience a physical or emotional reaction.
- Once identified, you maintain focus on the spot while allowing your body and mind to process what comes up without trying to analyze or explain it.
- The therapist offers attunement, support, and presence while the brain releases and integrates the stored material.
What makes brainspotting powerful is that it taps into the deeper parts of the brain where trauma lives, without relying on your thinking mind to make sense of it. By allowing the body to lead the process, brainspotting can reach and release emotional wounds that might be hard to access with words alone. After a session, many clients report feeling lighter, calmer, and more emotionally integrated, even if they can’t fully understand why.
How Does Each Therapy Work?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds, to help the brain reprocess painful memories and reduce their emotional intensity. This rhythmic left-right stimulation supports the brain’s natural healing mechanisms. In contrast, Brainspotting focuses on a specific eye position that activates deeper, subcortical areas of the brain where trauma is often stored. By holding this gaze point, clients can access and process unresolved emotional material more directly.
Key Differences Between Brainspotting and EMDR
Brainspotting and EMDR are two powerful, trauma-focused therapies that help individuals process unresolved emotional pain. When comparing Brainspotting vs EMDR, it becomes clear that they approach healing in very different ways. Brainspotting finds a “brainspot” that you focus on while your brain and body process the trauma beneath conscious awareness. EMDR, on the other hand, requires you to focus on a traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation and installing healthier beliefs. The key difference between Brainspotting and EMDR lies in how each method accesses and processes traumatic experiences to promote healing.
Let’s break down some of the key differences between these two therapies:
- Founded. Brainspotting was founded in 2003 by Dr. David Grand. EMDR has a longer history, being founded in the late 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro.
- Core concept. The idea behind brainspotting is “where you look affects how you feel.” EMDR relies heavily on bilateral stimulation to reprocess trauma.
- Primary tool. “Brain spots” or eye positions are used in brainspotting, while guided eye movements or tapping are used in EMDR.
- Goal. The goal of brainspotting is to access deep brain processing for emotional release, while EMDR desensitizes traumatic memories and reframes beliefs.
- Structure. Brainspotting is more open-ended compared to EMDR, which follows an 8-phase structured protocol.
- Therapist role. During brainspotting sessions, the therapist is attuned and has a supportive presence. In EMDR sessions, the therapist has a more directive and process-guiding role.
- Client experience. For clients, brainspotting feels body-based, somatic, and internal, whereas EMDR tends to feel more cognitive and memory-focused.
Which One Should You Choose?
While both brainspotting and EMDR are effective for treating PTSD, addiction, anxiety, and complex trauma, both approach healing in different ways.
Brainpotting is often recommended for individuals who are experiencing complex trauma, are emotionally sensitive or easily overwhelmed, or struggle to verbalize their experiences. It’s also ideal for those who prefer a slower, body-centered approach to healing.
EMDR is recommended for individuals with specific, identifiable trauma memories, such as an accident or assault. It also does well for individuals who prefer a structured approach with more rapid symptom relief.
If you’re not sure which therapy will work best for you, you can do both! Many clients benefit from both therapies at different stages of the healing process. For example, someone may begin with brainspotting to access and deploy rooted trauma and then use EMDR to reprocess specific memories.
How These Therapies Fit Into Addiction Recovery
Addiction isn’t just about substances; it’s often about what lies underneath. That’s why lasting recovery requires more than detox or behavioral change. It calls for deeper healing of the mind and nervous system.
Trauma-focused therapy like brainspotting and EMDR should be integrated into intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) and residential programs to help individuals recognize where the need to use substances comes from. As they unlock this emotional pain, they’re able to regulate their nervous systems and reduce the urge to use substances.
These therapies also offer something unique compared to talk therapy, which typically focuses on cognitive strategies. Trauma-focused therapies access the root cause of addictive behaviors, rewire unhelpful responses and beliefs, promote emotional release, and empower clients to build resilience. When used alongside 12-step support, relapse prevention, and holistic care, these therapies create a more complete foundation for lifelong recovery.
Pros and Cons of Brainspotting and EMDR
EMDR:
Pros:
- Highly structured and evidence-based
- Effective for trauma, PTSD, and anxiety
- Uses bilateral stimulation to support efficient processing
Cons:
- Can feel intense or emotionally overwhelming
- Requires following a specific protocol that may not suit everyone
Brainspotting:
Pros:
- Flexible, personalized, and deeply body-focused
- Can feel gentler and less directive
- Helps access subcortical areas where trauma is stored
Cons:
- Less long-term research compared to EMDR
- Progress may vary depending on client sensitivity and readiness
Seek Help for Trauma and Substance Use
Now that you know more about brainspotting vs EMDR, you can make informed decisions for yourself or a loved one. Wolf Creek Recovery offers mental health and addiction treatment support for individuals from all walks of life. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
FAQs
Is brainspotting more effective than EMDR?
Brainspotting isn’t necessarily more effective than EMDR, but it may be a better fit for certain individuals. For instance, brainspotting is often preferred for people with complex trauma, dissociation, or difficulty verbalizing their experiences, while EMDR is highly structured and effective for processing specific traumatic memories.
Can I do both therapies?
Yes, absolutely—you can do both brainspotting and EMDR. In fact, many people benefit from using both therapies at different stages of their healing journey. For example, you might start with brainspotting to gently access and release deep, body-based trauma, and then use EMDR to reprocess specific memories or beliefs once you’re more emotionally regulated.
Is EMDR evidence-based?
Yes, EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that is widely recognized as effective for treating trauma and PTSD. It has been endorsed by major organizations such as the APA, WHO, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Numerous studies have shown that EMDR can significantly reduce symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress, often more quickly than traditional talk therapy.
How many sessions are required?
Everyone’s healing journey is different, so the number of EMDR sessions can vary from person to person. For a single traumatic event, some individuals may experience significant relief in as few as 6 to 12 sessions. However, those with complex trauma, multiple traumatic experiences, or co-occurring conditions like addiction or anxiety may need 20 or more sessions, sometimes over the course of several months.
What are the main differences between brainspotting and EMDR?
Brainspotting uses a specific eye position to access deeper brain regions, while EMDR relies on structured bilateral stimulation to reprocess memories.
Can brainspotting help if EMDR hasn’t worked for me?
Yes, many people who don’t respond fully to EMDR find Brainspotting helpful because it offers a more flexible and body-based approach.
How long does brainspotting therapy typically take?
The timeframe varies, but many clients notice progress within a few sessions, while deeper work may take several months.
Is brainspotting safe for complex trauma and dissociative disorders?
Yes, when provided by a trained clinician, Brainspotting is considered safe and can be adapted for individuals with complex trauma or dissociation.
Is EMDR covered by insurance?
EMDR is widely recognized, and many insurance plans cover it, but coverage depends on your specific provider and policy.
