This week, Brookhaven Retreat’s therapist Carrie Fair returned from training to bring brainspotting skills to its residential program.
When a woman does not process a traumatic event, it can impede her life. Attempting to ward off negative emotions can wreak havoc on a woman’s mental health, causing isolation and worsening anxiety and depression. Some women may turn to alcohol and substance abuse for relief.
Brainspotting is a type of psychotherapy similar to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. It was designed to retrain emotional reactions stemming from negative events. It works by identifying, processing and releasing the neurophysiological sources of trauma, dissociation, emotional suffering and other complex mental health issues.
Brainspots are eye positions that activate a specific traumatic memory or difficult emotion. These positions identify the area of the mind where an emotional response is held. The brainspot is then accessed and stimulated in later therapy while a patient focuses on the experience. This stimulates the healing process within the brain that deconditions maladaptive responses.
Brookhaven Retreat helps women suffering from grief, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and other complex mental health issues. It is excited to be able to offer effective new techniques to the women in its program. Women suffering from complex issues will more easily be able to replace negative thinking patterns with positive behaviors. With time, women will be able to manage the emotions that contribute to their mental health.
