Brainspotting pre & post care

Brainspotting is often an intense, moving process. Therefor, it is essential for clients to engage in preliminary care as well as post-session care.

pre-brainspotting session self care:

Just as you would prepare your mind for a big presentation at work, or your body for running a marathon, it is important to prepare yourself for your brainspotting session.

First, be sure to take the time to ensure your schedule is cleared for the remainder of the day, following your BSP session. Although it may not seem like sitting in an office for 90 minutes would make you feel tired, however, processing trauma through brainspotting can be an exhausting process. It is best to schedule your BSP session at the end of your day, to ensure you do not have obligations to tend to after the session. Additionally, if possible, it is best to have someone drive you and pick you up from your BSP session, so that you do not need to drive right away.

It is important to try to have a restful sleep on the evening before your session. Dr. Daniel Amen recommends “eliminating anything that might interfere with sleep, such as caffeine or alcohol. Additionally, natural supplements such as melatonin, valerian, or 5-HTP can be helpful”.

In addition, it is best to drink plenty of water leading up to your session to ensure that you are fully hydrated. Did you know that your brain is 85% water? Therefor, anything that causes you to become dehydrated, such as alcohol, salt, or caffeine, has a negative impact on your brain and therefor should be avoided prior to your BSP session.

Your physical health also impacts your mental health. According to Dr. Daniel Amen, “physical activity is literally the fountain of youth because it boosts blood flow to the brain, plus it increases chemicals that are important for learning and memory and stimulating the growth of new brain cells.” Therefor, it is recommended that you engage in your regular physical activity routines in the days leading up to your BSP session. This does not mean that you need to begin rigorous exercise to prepare for your session if that is not in your usual routine. Simple and quick exercise, such as brisk walk, will increase blood flow and brain cell growth.

Post-Brainspotting Self Care

Finally, it is important to have a restful night’s sleep on the evening after your BSP session. According to the American Psychological Association, “Sleep can be wonderfully restorative. After a long day of work you drag yourself to bed-and then you wake up seven or eight hours later, alert and recharged. Now, researchers are finding that one reason we sleep may be that our brains, as well as our bodies, need time to rest and repair themselves. Recent studies have suggested that the brain, so active during the day, may use the downtime of sleep to repair damage caused by our busy metabolism, replenish dwindling energy stores and even grow new neurons.”

Remember, every body - and in effect - every brain is different, so your experiences following your brainspotting session are subject to individual differences. Immediately following your session you may experience:

• Mental and Physical Exhaustion

• Lightheadedness

• Excess yawning

• Crying spells

• Increased Emotionality

The vast majority of the BSP processing occurs after you leave the office, so it is important to allow yourself both the time and space to process.