Dr. David Grand, the developer of brainspotting, often emphasizes, 'where you look affects how you feel.' Brainspotting is a brain and body-based therapy approach that helps athletes identify, reprocess, and release various types of traumas or difficult experiences. I incorporate brainspotting into my mental skills training because athletes often hold onto these adversities in their brain and body more than they realize. Clearing our 'trauma reservoir' can significantly enhance consistent high-level performance. Witnessing the healing and relief athletes experience through brainspotting therapy is truly remarkable.

Animals easily move forward from traumatic events, activating their fight/flight or freeze response. Human beings, however, are more complex. Athletes may struggle to 'shake off' traumatic experiences, leading to psychological and emotional challenges that affect performance. In therapy sessions, we identify brainspots related to these experiences and engage in visual field and deep processing to fully reprocess and release frozen traumas. Once released, brainspotting can further aid athletes in training for peak performance and entering flow states.

For more information on brainspotting and its benefits for healing and performance improvement, click the link below to view a video resource featuring David Grand, PhD, discussing brainspotting and its applications.