Brainspotting is a brain-body trauma therapy built on a simple observation: where you look affects how you feel. By finding the eye position linked to what you're carrying and holding it with focused attention, the brain processes trauma that talk therapy and even structured protocols can't reach. Seven Brainspotting-trained therapists offer it at our Hoover office, minutes from Birmingham and Vestavia Hills, and by secure video anywhere in Alabama.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand, an EMDR trainer who noticed that when a client's eyes stopped at a particular spot, deep processing happened on its own. A brainspot is an eye position that correlates with activation in the midbrain, below the parts of the brain that use language. Holding it, usually while listening to slow bilateral sound, lets the nervous system release what it has been holding without the client having to explain it.
Who is Brainspotting for?
It's our go-to for complex and developmental trauma, for clients who intellectually understand their history but still react as if it's happening, and for people whom EMDR protocols overwhelm. It also works for anxiety, dissociation, cravings in addiction recovery, performance blocks in athletes and musicians, and grief that hasn't moved in years.
What happens in a Brainspotting session at Taproot?
You and your therapist name what you want to work on and notice where you feel it in your body. The therapist then moves a pointer slowly across your field of vision until you both notice the spot where the activation is strongest, and you hold your gaze there. The therapist stays quiet and attuned while you process; you can talk as much or as little as you want. Sessions run 50 to 80 minutes. Somatic trauma mapping helps us track what changes from session to session.
How long does Brainspotting take?
A single incident may shift in a handful of sessions. Complex trauma is measured in months. We tell you which you're looking at after the intake, and we check progress every few sessions.
How it works at Taproot
- 1Free 15-minute intake call
You're matched with one of seven Brainspotting-trained therapists.
- 2Set-up session
History, what you want to work on, and where you feel it in your body.
- 3Brainspotting sessions
Find the spot, hold the gaze, process, 50 to 80 minutes each, with somatic mapping to track change.
- 4Review
Every few sessions we re-map and decide whether to go deeper or close.
How Brainspotting compares to the other trauma methods at Taproot
| Brainspotting | EMDR | Somatic Experiencing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Complex and developmental trauma, performance blocks, grief that hasn't moved | Single-incident trauma with a clear start | Shock trauma, freeze, anxiety held in the body |
| How it works | Fixed eye position, bilateral sound, focused mindfulness | Eight-phase protocol with moving eyes, taps or tones | Tracking sensation, titration, pendulation |
| Session feel | Quiet and client-led | Structured and therapist-led | Slow and body-focused |
| Online? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Typical length | 3 to 5 sessions per specific issue; months for complex trauma | 6 to 12 sessions for one event | 8 to 15 sessions for one event |
Is brainspotting right for me? A 30-second check
Brainspotting therapists in Hoover
Brainspotting Phase 2 trained; complex trauma, religious deconstruction, depth work.
Brainspotting Phase 1 and 2 trained; attachment wounds and addiction recovery.
Brainspotting with Lifespan Integration for severe PTSD and traumatic grief.
Brainspotting for military sexual trauma, brain injury and burnout.
Brainspotting with Somatic Experiencing for religious and interpersonal trauma.
Brainspotting with dissociative disorders and spiritual crisis.
Brainspotting for birth trauma and perinatal anxiety.
Cost, insurance and teletherapy
We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama for most clinicians. Private-pay and out-of-network sessions are $250, with an income-based sliding scale, and we send a monthly superbill with the codes your insurer needs for out-of-network reimbursement. Secure video sessions are available anywhere in Alabama on the same sliding scale.
A look inside Taproot
Frequently asked questions
How is Brainspotting different from EMDR?
EMDR follows a fixed eight-phase protocol and moves the eyes; Brainspotting holds the eyes still on one spot and lets the brain lead. EMDR is faster for single-incident trauma. Brainspotting is gentler and deeper for developmental and complex trauma, and for clients EMDR overwhelms.
Does Brainspotting work over video?
Yes. Your therapist guides you to the brainspot on screen and you hold the gaze with a fixed point in your room. We use headphones for bilateral sound. It is one of the most video-friendly trauma therapies we offer.
What does a Brainspotting session feel like?
Quiet. You spend most of the session gazing at one point while sensations, images and emotions move through. Some sessions bring tears or shaking as the body discharges; many bring a settled, tired calm afterward.
How many sessions will I need?
Some clients feel a clear shift in three to five sessions on a specific issue. Complex trauma is longer work. We review progress every few sessions rather than promising a number.
Start Brainspotting in Hoover or online
Your first call is a free 15-minute conversation with our intake coordinator, who matches you with the right clinician. Our office is off I-65 at the Riverchase exit in Hoover, about ten minutes from Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Mountain Brook and fifteen from downtown Birmingham, with free parking at the door.
Book onlineCall (205) 598-6471