Brainspotting

Brainspotting therapy offers a different path to healing for women who've been trying to manage anxiety, heal from trauma, or cope with the overwhelming demands of career and motherhood—especially when traditional talk therapy hasn't created the shifts you need.

Brainspotting helps women access and heal the deeper parts of their experience that words alone can't reach. I'm Jessica Foley, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in women's mental health, and in my online practice serving New London, CT, I work with high-achieving women who are exhausted from trying to do it all perfectly.

Brainspotting is a brain-based therapy that helps you access, process, and release trauma, emotional pain, and challenging experiences stored in your nervous system. Unlike traditional talk therapy that works primarily through conversation, Brainspotting reaches the subcortical regions of your brain where trauma and emotional experiences live—often outside your conscious awareness.

The approach recognizes that where you look affects how you feel. By identifying specific eye positions that connect to your emotional or physical experiences, I help your brain process and release what's been stuck, sometimes for years.

I work specifically with women facing challenges that traditional approaches often struggle to address effectively. You might be the right fit for Brainspotting if you're experiencing:

Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms

The hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause don't just affect your body—they can bring up unprocessed emotions and challenge your sense of self. Many women describe feeling like they're "losing it" or no longer recognize themselves. Brainspotting addresses the anxiety that seems to come from nowhere, the depression that doesn't match your circumstances, and the emotional intensity of this life transition.

Perinatal and Postpartum Challenges

Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum can bring traumatic experiences that need more than traditional talk therapy. Birth trauma, unexpected complications, difficult breastfeeding experiences, and the profound identity shift of motherhood—Brainspotting helps process these experiences without requiring you to recount them in painful detail.

Trauma

Trauma isn't always a single dramatic event. For many women I work with, it's the accumulation of experiences: dismissive healthcare providers, invalidation of your symptoms, relationship ruptures, or the daily weight of managing everything alone. Brainspotting is particularly effective because it works directly with how trauma is stored in your nervous system.

Anxiety and Depression

If you've dealt with anxiety or depression for years, you've probably tried various approaches. Brainspotting can be transformative because it addresses the root causes held in your nervous system, not just the conscious symptoms. For perfectionistic, high-achieving women, anxiety often stems from years of hypervigilance and pressure to perform—Brainspotting helps your nervous system release these deeply held patterns.

Burnout and Overwhelm

When you're constantly operating in survival mode, your nervous system gets stuck in overdrive. You might know intellectually that you need to slow down, but your body won't let you. Brainspotting helps reset your nervous system, releasing the physiological patterns that keep you exhausted and over-functioning.

Binge Eating and Body Image

For women struggling with binge eating or complicated relationships with food and body, Brainspotting addresses the underlying emotional experiences driving these behaviors. Rather than focusing solely on changing behaviors, we work with what your symptoms are protecting you from or communicating.

Relationship Difficulties

The strain on your partnership isn't happening in isolation—it's connected to unprocessed stress, trauma, and unmet needs. Brainspotting helps you process your own emotional experiences so you can show up differently in your relationships.

I know trying a new therapy approach can feel uncertain. Let me walk you through what Brainspotting looks like in my practice.

Before we begin, I offer a 15-minute free consultation—I call it a "fit check"—so you can get a sense of whether we're a good match. If we decide to work together, my assistant Liz will help you get set up where you'll complete intake forms and can schedule your own sessions online.

During our first session, we get to know each other and discuss how I might be helpful. In the second session, we develop a concrete action plan together. From there, we use Brainspotting as we work through what you're experiencing.

In a typical Brainspotting session, we start by identifying what you want to work on—a specific situation causing distress, a persistent feeling, or a pattern you're ready to change. I'll ask you to notice where you feel this in your body. Your body holds important information about your emotional experiences.

Using a pointer, I help you find the "brainspot"—the eye position that connects to this experience. Once we've located it, you maintain your gaze while staying present to whatever emerges: emotions, memories, sensations, thoughts, or images. You're not trying to make anything happen or control the process. My role is to create a safe space for your brain to do its natural healing work.

Some people process quietly, while others need to talk through what they're experiencing. Both are completely fine—I follow your lead and attune to what you need.

Processing often continues after sessions end. I try to make myself available to clients outside of sessions if needed, and we regularly assess progress collaboratively to ensure the work we're doing serves you.

I came to Brainspotting after recognizing that many intelligent, insightful women weren't experiencing the healing they deserved from traditional approaches alone. They understood their patterns and had done extensive personal work—yet still felt stuck.

Brainspotting offered what was missing: a way to access and heal experiences stored in the body and deeper brain. For the high-achieving women I work with, this approach is particularly powerful because it doesn't require you to figure it out, analyze it correctly, or do it perfectly. You simply show up, and your brain does what it's naturally designed to do.

I integrate Brainspotting with Relational Cultural Therapy, which emphasizes the importance of connection and relationship in healing. This combination creates both the tool for processing and the healing relationship that makes that processing safe and effective. You're not just a brain being treated—you're a whole person in relationship with someone who sees you, values you, and believes in your capacity to heal.

My approach is real and authentic, blended with evidence-based practices. There's no protocol I follow rigidly or steps you need to complete in order. We work with what emerges for you, at your pace, in your way.

The women I see are typically between 35 and 50, often mothers balancing careers and parenting, usually high earners with advanced education. They're dealing with the physical and emotional shifts of perimenopause, relationship strain, and the exhaustion of trying to manage it all. They've been functioning at a high level while slowly burning out.

They're done with surface-level solutions and ready for an approach that creates lasting transformation. They're willing to show up and do the inner work necessary for real change.

I provide online sessions only, which means you can do this important work from the comfort and privacy of your own space. For busy women juggling multiple responsibilities, online therapy removes the barriers of commute time and scheduling complications.

If you've been pushing through for too long, if what you've tried hasn't created the shifts you need, if you're carrying trauma or stress that talk therapy hasn't fully resolved—Brainspotting might be exactly what you need.

You don't have to have all the answers or know exactly what's wrong. You just have to be willing to show up and let your brain do what it knows how to do—heal.

I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit. We'll talk about where you are, where you want to be, and how Brainspotting might help you get there.

For information about scheduling and session details, visit my website at https://www.jessicafoley.com/ or reach out today. You've spent enough time pushing through. It's time to heal.

Located in:
New London, CT

How is Brainspotting different from regular talk therapy?

Talk therapy works primarily through conversation and conscious thought, engaging the cortical brain where reasoning happens. Brainspotting accesses the subcortical brain where trauma and emotional experiences are actually stored, often outside your conscious awareness. This means we can work with feelings and experiences you might not even have words for. Many women find that while talk therapy helped them understand their struggles, Brainspotting helps them actually heal from them.

Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail during Brainspotting?

No. One of the most powerful aspects of Brainspotting is that you don't need to verbally recount traumatic experiences in detail. Your brain knows what happened, and through Brainspotting, we give it the space to process without requiring you to relive events through storytelling. You can share as much or as little as feels comfortable, and the healing happens either way.

Will Brainspotting make me relive traumatic memories?

Brainspotting is designed to help you process trauma without retraumatization. While emotions and memories may surface during sessions, you remain in control and grounded in the present. The process allows your brain to work through material at its own pace, and I'm fully present with you to ensure you feel safe throughout. Processing trauma through Brainspotting is gentler than reliving it.

How long does Brainspotting therapy take to work?

This varies significantly from person to person because healing is not linear and everyone's experiences are unique. Some women notice shifts after just a few sessions, while others need more time to work through layered or complex trauma. We'll regularly check in about your progress and adjust our approach as needed. The goal is sustainable healing, not quick fixes that don't last.

What's the difference between Brainspotting and EMDR?

While both are brain-based trauma therapies, they work differently. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation with eye movements going back and forth, while Brainspotting uses fixed eye positions. Many people find Brainspotting gentler because we stay with one spot, allowing your brain to fully process what needs attention rather than moving. Both can be effective, but Brainspotting often allows for deeper, more complete processing.

Can Brainspotting help with perimenopause and menopause symptoms?

Yes. The hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause often bring up unprocessed emotions and can intensify anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity. Brainspotting addresses the emotional and psychological aspects of this transition. We work with the anxiety, the grief, the anger, and the identity shifts that accompany this life stage. While Brainspotting doesn't change your hormones, it helps your nervous system process what you're experiencing.

Is Brainspotting safe?

Yes, Brainspotting is a safe, proven therapeutic approach when practiced by a trained therapist. The process works with your brain's natural healing capacity and doesn't push you beyond what you can handle. You remain in control throughout sessions, and processing happens at a pace that feels manageable for you. I create a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship where healing can unfold naturally.

Do I need to prepare anything before a Brainspotting session?

No special preparation is needed. Just show up as you are. Some women find it helpful to wear comfortable clothing and ensure they're in a private, quiet space for online sessions. After scheduling through my system, you'll complete intake paperwork that helps me understand your needs. From there, we'll work together to create the right approach for you.

How do I know if Brainspotting is right for me?

Brainspotting tends to be particularly helpful if you've tried talk therapy without getting the results you wanted, if you experience symptoms but can't identify the cause, if you have trauma you don't want to recount in detail, or if you notice your body holding tension and stress. The best way to know is to schedule a free 15-minute consultation where we can discuss your specific situation and whether this approach fits your needs.

Is online Brainspotting as effective as in-person sessions?

Yes. Brainspotting works beautifully in an online format because the core elements of the therapy translate seamlessly to video sessions. You can find your brainspot, maintain your gaze, and process deeply from the comfort and privacy of your own space. Many women actually find online sessions more effective because they can settle into a familiar environment where they feel safest. The therapeutic relationship and attunement that make Brainspotting work happen just as powerfully through the screen.