Brainspotting Works Where Talk Therapy Can't Reach
If you've spent time understanding why you do what you do — and it still hasn't changed — there's a reason. The patterns that are hardest to shift aren't stored in the thinking part of your brain. They live in the nervous system, deeper than conscious thought, running automatically before you've made a single decision.
WHAT IS BRAINSPOTTING?
A precise method that accesses the brain's own capacity to heal.
Brainspotting was developed by Dr. David Grand and is based on a powerful observation: where you look affects how you feel. Specific eye positions — called brainspots — correspond to stored experiences and activation in the subcortical brain and nervous system.
By holding attention on those positions while staying present with what arises internally, the brain and body can process and release what's been held there. You don't have to relive what happened. You don't have to find the right words for it.
Sessions are calm and focused — less talking than most people expect. Most describe it as unlike any therapy they've experienced before.
Not just trained in Brainspotting.
Qualified to consult and train on it.
BRAINSPOTTING CONSULTANT
Dan VerBout holds Brainspotting Consultant status — a distinction that goes beyond standard Brainspotting training. Consultants have advanced expertise in the method and are qualified to consult with other therapists, provide training overviews, and support clinicians through their Brainspotting certification process.
When you work with a Brainspotting Consultant, you're working with someone operating at the highest level of training and experience this method offers.
Dan VerBout, MBA, MA, LPCC
Brainspotting Consultant
Consultation, training overviews & certification support for clinicians
In-person · New Hope, MN · Telehealth across Minnesota
WHAT BRAINSPOTTING CAN HELP WITH
The nervous system is at the root of all of it.
Brainspotting is particularly effective for experiences and patterns that haven't responded fully to talk-based approaches:
Trauma and PTSD — when understanding what happened hasn't stopped the body's reactions
Performance blocks — the yips, throwing blocks, shooting hesitation
Compulsive patterns — alcohol, porn, behavioral loops driven by nervous system activation
Burnout and chronic stress — dysregulation that standard rest hasn't resolved
Anxiety and hypervigilance — the chronic sense of being on edge
Emotional reactivity — responses that feel bigger than the situation warrants
If you've already tried making sense of these through conversation without lasting change — Brainspotting may be the missing piece.
Quieter than most people expect.
More impactful than they anticipate.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A Brainspotting session involves less back-and-forth conversation than traditional therapy. You'll be guided to a specific eye position and invited to stay with whatever arises — sensations, emotions, memories, or simply a sense of stillness. I stay present and attuned throughout, providing the relational support that allows the processing to happen.
Some people notice shifts within a session — a sense of release, clarity, or calm they didn't arrive with. For others change unfolds more gradually, showing up as reduced reactivity or a different relationship with situations that used to feel overwhelming.
Everyone's process is different. What's consistent is that the work happens at a level that insight and willpower can't access on their own.
Available in-person in New Hope, MN and via telehealth throughout Minnesota — equally effective in both formats.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Is Brainspotting evidence-based?
Growing research supports the effectiveness of Brainspotting for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and performance issues. Research is documented at brainspotting.com. Many clients notice meaningful shifts within the first few sessions.
Can Brainspotting be done via telehealth?
Yes — and it's equally effective remotely as in person. Many clients prefer telehealth for the convenience and privacy it offers.
Can I do Brainspotting alongside my current therapy?
Yes. Some clients use Brainspotting as a focused complement to ongoing work with another therapist. Mention it when you reach out and we can discuss how to structure the work.
Is Brainspotting available in an intensive format?
Yes — and for many people this is the most efficient way to engage with the work. Learn more on the Intensives page.
If what you've been trying hasn't been enough — this might be.
Brainspotting is available now, in-person and via telehealth. Sign up and we'll figure out together whether it's the right fit for where you are.
In-person · New Hope, MN · Telehealth · Minnesota-wide · Insurance & private pay