Brainspotting Therapy: About a Bataclan Victim

Abstract

Brainspotting psychotherapy (BSP), elaborated by Grand in 2003, aims at managing patients suffering from psycho-traumatic syndromes: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, emotional dysregulation, anxiety and/or depressive syndromes.This original approach combines features of hypnotherapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and is based on the concept of eye positions capable of soliciting the psychological assimilation processes of traumatic memories. We briefly present this therapeutic tool (framework, protocol, expected effects) and propose certain hypotheses which may explain its efficacy. For this, we draw on research into the practice of Mindfulness and the theory of mnesic malleability. Finally, the follow-up of a victim of the 2015 attack on the Bataclan in Paris supports the discussions developed here.

Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative Study between EMDR, Brainspotting, and Body Scan Meditation

“…Overall, despite the increasing amount of research in clinical and non-clinical samples, the current understanding of the mechanisms of action of EMDR is still limited [31]. Even more, although BSP is increasing in popularity among therapists, and some interesting neurobiological hypotheses on its underlying mechanisms have been recently proposed [32,33], there is still a paucity of literature evaluating the effectiveness of this therapeutic tool [34,35]. Moreover, the attempts to directly compare BSP with EMDR are very limited [36].…”