A brainspotting practitioner uses brainspotting, an approach developed by David Grand that grew directly out of EMDR practice. It works from the observation that particular eye positions appear to correspond to where distressing material is held in the nervous system, and the therapist helps a client find and hold that specific point while the material processes, with comparatively little talking required during the process itself.
A quieter kind of processing
This makes brainspotting quite different in feel from most talking therapies. Sessions can involve extended periods of stillness while the client simply holds a gaze position, rather than the back-and-forth conversation typical of other approaches, which some people find allows difficult material to shift without having to narrate it in detail.
Where it is used, and what to check
It is used for trauma, performance anxiety, and material that is genuinely difficult to put into words, situations where a more conversational approach can feel like it keeps circling without landing anywhere. The evidence base for brainspotting is considerably smaller than for EMDR or trauma-focused CBT, both more established approaches to trauma, so it is worth asking a practitioner what else they are trained in alongside brainspotting.