WHERE YOU LOOK AFFECTS
HOW YOU FEEL
Brainspotting Therapy in California & Colorado
There is a person who has done the work. Who has talked about it, read the books, maybe spent years in talk therapy, and still feels stuck in the same places. The mind understands, but the body has not caught up. If that sounds familiar, this page is for the person who is ready for something that reaches deeper than words. Brainspotting is a brain-based approach that works below the level of conscious thought, where the stuck places actually live. It is quieter than talk therapy, gentler than reliving the past, and sometimes faster at getting to the root.
THE WEIGHT BEING CARRIED
Some things have less words
They live in the body, in the nervous system, in the reflexes that fire before thought has a chance to catch up. The flinch, the tight chest, the shame that shows up out of nowhere. Talk therapy can help someone understand where these patterns came from. It cannot always reach the place where they are stored.
ARE ANY OF THESE SPOT ON?
You may have found me if any of these sound familiar
You have been in talk therapy for years and still feel stuck.
You know exactly what happened, you have processed it, and the body still will not let it go.
You have heard that Brainspotting can go deeper than talk therapy and want to know what that actually means.
You have been looking for a Brainspotting therapist near you and want someone who knows how to use the modality well.
You are tired of reliving the worst moments in order to heal from them.
You want a way in that does not require having the right words.
You have tried other modalities and want to explore something different.
You are curious about a quieter, more internal approach to therapy.
You feel like your body is holding onto something your mind has already moved past.
That is not the story told here.
WHAT CHANGES HERE
A new chapter starts with small shifts
Feeling stuck in the same patterns no matter how much work has been done
→ To finally reaching the place where the patterns live
Needing to relive the worst moments to heal from them
→ To a gentler way that does not require retelling
Talk therapy that has helped you understand but not release
→ To work that reaches the body and nervous system
Searching for the right words to describe what is happening
→ To trusting the brain to heal without them
Feeling like the body will never let go
→ To watching it finally start to release
MEET YOUR BRAINSPOTTING THERAPIST
Stephanie Hardison, LCSW
Hi, I am Stephanie, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and I specialize in Brainspotting for adults who are tired of being stuck in talk therapy and ready for something that reaches deeper.
I know what it is like to do all the right things and still feel like something is missing. To understand the patterns intellectually, to know where they came from, and to still feel them running in the body. Brainspotting was developed to reach exactly those places. It uses eye positioning to access and process trauma, emotion, and memory stored below the level of conscious thought, in the parts of the brain that words alone cannot reach.
The work itself is quiet, internal, and often surprisingly gentle. It does not require reliving the worst moments or finding the right words. It trusts the brain's natural ability to heal, given the right conditions, and it lets the body set the pace.
If talk therapy has taken you as far as it can and something still feels unfinished, Brainspotting might be the next step. It would be an honor to walk through it with you.
FIND ANSWERS TO FAQ HERE
What is Brainspotting, and how is it different from talk therapy?
Brainspotting is a brain based therapy developed by David Grand in 2003. The core idea is simple. Where you look affects how you feel. Certain eye positions connect to specific areas of the brain where trauma, emotion, and memory are stored. By finding and holding those positions, we can access and process material that talk therapy often cannot reach. Talk therapy works from the top down, using language, insight, and understanding. Brainspotting works from the bottom up, using the brain's natural processing ability to release what has been stored in the body. Many clients find that it reaches places years of talk therapy could not, and that it does so in a way that feels quieter and less intense than retelling the story.
What does a Brainspotting session actually look like?
It is probably not what comes to mind when you think of therapy. A session can be very quiet, very internal, and you may not talk much at all. We start by tuning into something you want to work on, whether that is a feeling, a memory, a sensation, or a pattern. You notice where it lives in the body. I use a pointer to slowly guide your eyes through your visual field while you track what is happening internally. When the eyes land on a spot that activates something, that is the brainspot. From there, we hold that position. You process. Sometimes there is yawning, deep breaths, or shifts in body sensation. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is profound. Bilateral sound, delivered through headphones, is often used alongside the eye positioning to support deeper processing. You are always in control of the pace.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No, and this is one of the reasons Brainspotting works so well for people who have tried other approaches and felt retraumatized by them. You do not need to describe what happened to process it. We can work with the body's responses, the nervous system patterns, and the places where the trauma lives without asking you to relive the worst moments in words. If and when you do choose to share, it will be because it feels right for you, not because the process demands it. The brain does the work and the body sets the pace. You do not have to narrate anything you are not ready to narrate.
What can Brainspotting help with?
Brainspotting is used for a wide range of concerns, and it is particularly effective for anything that lives in the body. That includes trauma and PTSD, complex trauma and C-PTSD, anxiety and panic, depression, grief, chronic pain, performance issues, and the feeling of being stuck in talk therapy. It is also used for sports and creative performance, creative blocks, and any pattern that feels like it lives below the level of conscious thought. If you are not sure whether Brainspotting is a good fit for what you are bringing in, that is exactly the kind of thing we can talk about during a free consultation.
What are the fees, and do you accept insurance?
Individual therapy session (50 min) — $200
Extended therapy session (120 min) — $400
Therapy intensive (4+ hours) — starting at $1,200 (ages 18+ only)
Payment is due at the time of service.
I accept self-pay, out-of-network (OON). If you have an insurance plan, you may still be able to get partial reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits.
I can provide you with a superbill (an itemized receipt) to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. I also work with Thrizer to help make this process easier for clients. You’re welcome to ask about this during our consultation.
Priority for the reduced fee tiers goes to those who are financially struggling and identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+. These slots are limited, and there is no guarantee that any will be available at the time you call. Please let me know if you need a reduced fee during our call. If I cannot accommodate, I am happy to point you in a direction to meet your financial needs.
READY TO START BRAINSPOTTING THERAPY?
Let's do it!
You have spent a long time doing the work and still feeling like something is missing. There is another way in, one that reaches the places words alone cannot. Reach out to schedule a free consultation, and let's talk about whether this is the right fit for where you are right now.
