Brainspotting Therapy for Complex Trauma and PTSD -
Delivered Online Washington State
Shoreview Psychotherapy provides Brainspotting therapy via secure telehealth to adults throughout Washington State — including Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, and everywhere in between. Brainspotting is a body-based approach that uses eye position to help access and process trauma and emotional pain that talk therapy alone doesn't always reach — and it works well over video, from wherever you are.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a therapy developed by Dr. David Grand that works from the idea that "where you look affects how you feel." A trained therapist helps you find a specific eye position — a "brainspot" — connected to where a difficult memory, emotion, or body sensation is being held. Holding attention there, with the therapist's attunement and support, allows your brain and nervous system to process what's stuck, often below the level of conscious talking or analysis.
The theory behind Brainspotting: The eyes connect through the optic nerve directly into subcortical structures — the amygdala, superior colliculus, limbic cortex — the parts of the brain that encode threat, survival responses, and emotional memory, often below the level of conscious thought or language. This is different from the neocortex, the "thinking brain" responsible for language, analysis, and narrative, which most talk therapy engages most directly.
The idea is that a particular eye position can correspond to where a specific piece of unprocessed trauma or activation is being held in these deeper, subcortical networks that cannot be accessed through talk therapy alone. By holding attention on that spot — while a trained therapist tracks subtle physical cues like a shift in breath, a blink, or a small change in posture — the nervous system gets direct access to material it may have never been able to put into words in the first place, because it was never encoded as a story to begin with. It was encoded as bracing, activation, or a survival response.
The relationship between EMDR and Brainspotting:
Brainspotting was actually discovered during an EMDR session. Its founder, Dr. David Grand, was working with a client whose processing seemed to be looping and stuck — but he noticed the client's eyes kept sticking in one particular spot. In that moment, he guided them to hold their gaze there instead of continuing the usual eye movement, and their processing opened back up. That observation became the basis for Brainspotting: both approaches work with the brain's natural capacity to process and heal — but it uses a fixed eye position rather than side-to-side eye movement, and it tends to lean more heavily on body awareness and the felt sense of what's happening internally, moment to moment.
A Note on the Evidence:
NOT FIRST LINE. STILL FRONT LINE TO THOSE WHO USE IT
Brainspotting is newer, so it doesn't yet carry the clinical trial volume that EMDR does, and it isn't on major guidelines' first-line PTSD list. What exists is a small but growing body of research, alongside a large and expanding base of clinician and client-reported experience.
Part of why it's hard to study: Brainspotting is built on David Grand's Neuroexperiential Model, where the therapist follows each client's own nervous system as it processes — through dual attunement — rather than a fixed script. No two sessions look alike. That's exactly what makes it clinically responsive, but hard to standardize in a controlled trial, which usually depends on everyone following the same steps. Guideline lists tend to favor therapies with decades of large trials behind them — that's often more about time and volume of study than a ceiling on how well an approach can work for you
Brainspotting can help with:
PTSD & Complex PTSD
Chronic Stress
Depression & Shame
Phobias or Fears
Dissociation & Dissociative Disorders (DID)
Abuse Recovery
Somatic Symptoms
Performance Anxiety
Emotional Regulation
Anxiety and Panic
Grief & Loss
Religious Trauma & Religious Deconstruction
Does Brainspotting Work Over Telehealth?
Yes! Brainspotting adapts well to video sessions — your therapist guides you to a brainspot using your screen as a reference point, while staying closely attuned to your responses throughout. Many clients find that doing this work from a private, familiar space actually supports the sense of safety Brainspotting relies on.
At Shoreview, sessions are conducted over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. For the best experience, we recommend:
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A private, well-lit room with a stable internet connection and a webcam, so your therapist can clearly see you throughout the session
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Ideally, access to a computer monitor rather than a phone, since a larger screen gives your therapist more options for finding and working with a brainspot — though we can adapt if that's not available to you
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A quiet space where you won't be interrupted
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Headphones or earbuds, along with access to Brainspotting music — see our Resource Library for a some options
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No need to drive before or after your session — Brainspotting work can bring up a lot, and many clients appreciate being able to settle into a familiar routine at home afterward rather than navigating traffic right after a session
Who Provides Brainspotting at Shoreview?
Samantha Gibb, LICSW
Trained to Phase 3 and currently in the certification process — working in active consultation with a Brainspotting expert toward full certification.
Shayne Jones, MSW
Trained to Phase 2, the standard level considered fully trained to practice Brainspotting.
What to Expect
At Shoreview Psychotherapy, we're relationship-based therapists at our core — Brainspotting is one tool we draw on, not a standalone program we run you through. It's often integrated into a broader course of therapy grounded first in the therapeutic relationship, rather than used as a stand-alone protocol.
Getting started: If you'd like to talk through fit before committing, we offer a free consultation. Many clients choose this route, but it isn't required — you're also welcome to go straight to an intake session if you already know you'd like to begin.
Preparation: Before diving into a brainspot, we spend time building safety and understanding what you're hoping to work on.
Sessions: Brainspotting can be structured in a few different ways, depending on what fits your needs:
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Weekly sessions — standard 50–60 minute sessions, woven into ongoing therapy at a pace that works for you.
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Daily intensives — about 1 hour of processing several times a week over the course of several weeks.
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Weekend intensives — a concentrated format done over 2–3 consecutive days, with roughly 6 hours of processing daily. (Note: insurance does not cover weekend intensives.)
Integration: We connect what comes up during sessions back to your daily life and current relationships.
The right pace and format varies by person — some clients notice something shift after a single session, while others find it's a slower, more gradual process. We'll talk openly with you about what to expect during your consultation or intake.
Insurance & Fees
Insurance: We are in-network with:
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Regence
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Premera
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LifeWise
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Anthem
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Kaiser
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Most BCBS plans
Self-pay rates: Rates vary by therapist:
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Samantha Gibb, LICSW — $215/hour
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Shayne Jones, MSW — $160/hour
A limited number of sliding-scale spots may be available — ask about current availability during your consultation or intake.
Most insurance plans will cover multiple standard-length (50–55 minute) sessions per week, so daily intensives can be billed to insurance in most cases. Weekend intensives — or any session that runs longer than the standard 50–55 minutes — are not covered by insurance and are an out-of-pocket cost. Every plan is different, so we'll always double-check your specific benefits before getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brainspotting evidence-based? Brainspotting is best described as an emerging, promising approach rather than a fully established, first-line treatment. It has a smaller research base than approaches like EMDR or CBT, but a growing number of studies and a large base of clinical experience support its use, particularly for trauma and emotional processing. We're happy to talk through how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
How is Brainspotting different from EMDR? Both work with the brain's natural capacity to process and heal, and both were influenced by similar underlying ideas about trauma and the nervous system. The key difference is technique: EMDR uses side-to-side eye movements, while Brainspotting uses a fixed eye position and leans more heavily on body awareness and felt sense throughout the process.
Can Brainspotting really be done online? Yes — Brainspotting adapts well to secure video sessions, with your therapist guiding you to a brainspot and staying attuned to your responses throughout, the same as they would in person.
Do you see clients in person? Shoreview Psychotherapy is a telehealth-only practice, serving clients throughout Washington State via secure video sessions. We do not offer in-person appointments.
Does insurance cover Brainspotting? We're in-network with Regence, Premera, LifeWise, Anthem, Kaiser, and most BCBS plans, and standard Brainspotting sessions are typically covered the same as other therapy sessions under these plans. Self-pay rates are also available and vary by therapist; a limited number of sliding-scale spots may be available as well.
How many sessions will I need? This varies by person and what you're working on. Some people notice something shift after a single session, while others find it's a more gradual process over time. We'll talk through a realistic expectation together during your consultation or intake.
Do you serve my city? Because we provide care via telehealth, we're able to work with adults anywhere in Washington State — including Spokane, Walla Walla, Tri-Cities, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Vancouver, Bellingham, and beyond.
