Brainspotting with Asian American Clients: Common Challenges and How to Address Them
As a Chinese therapist, I understand how it can be difficult to share our emotions with our family or to be emotionally vulnerable with our therapist. When we start therapy, we talk about what has been going on in life, what we have experienced, and ways to manage our feelings. When I introduce Brainspotting to my Asian American clients, many seem interested in the modality. However when these individuals try to utilize the technique, many find it hard to connect with their own body or to feel their emotions.
Brainspotting is a technique that encourages us to notice how we feel emotionally and how our body feels towards certain situations and events. With brainspotting, our brain processes information differently than by simply talking about it. By identifying and focusing on a brainspot, our brain processes thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and memories in a different way, without the need to talk about it or make sense of it.
When we do Brainspotting, the therapist helps the client identify a brainspot, often using a pointer. From there, the client will focus silently on the pointer or location of the Brainspot. The client is encouraged to notice the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that arise and to let the therapist know what they are noticing (if they want).
When I introduce Brainspotting to my Asian American clients, there are a few common patterns or challenges that I notice. Here are some of them.
1. Not necessarily knowing where they feel their emotions in their body
A lot of times, people have learned to express their emotions through words but do not have the ability to recognize the feeling and notice the connection between their emotions and their body. If you experience this challenge, your therapist can help you to recognize your emotions and how they feel in your body. Being in tune with your body is important as our bodies are regularly giving us helpful information about how we are feeling.
2. Finding it awkward to be silent and stare at a pointer
Some people find silence in general awkward, and Brainspotting is a treatment modality in which the client and therapist are often quiet. For this reason, people who are uncomfortable with silence can find this mindful approach a little awkward. The Brainspotting therapist, while still actively engaged and attentive, will also be fairly quiet during a brainspotting session. This is very different from the talkative engagement we see from therapists in talk therapy. For many clients, the therapist’s silence and their own, can make them feel awkward and uncomfortable. In turn, they may revert back to talking to make them feel more comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable with silence, let your therapist know. It’s probably a very good topic to talk about.
3. It’s difficult to identify emotions
It’s not uncommon for therapists to incorporate emotion wheels in therapy sessions to help clients identify their emotions. When we have difficulty recognizing our emotions, it can also be difficult to scan our body and notice any strong physical sensations. Paying attention to our emotions and physical sensations is a regular part of Brainspotting. If you have difficulty identifying your emotions, you and your therapist can do some work in this area. Being able to recognize your emotions and communicate about them is a really helpful skill for yourself and also your relationships.
4. Fear of judgment
This may happen if we believe in the perspective of right or wrong. A lot of times, I hear clients ask “if I am doing this right or wrong.” They often say, “I don’t want to waste the time because I am afraid that I did it wrong.” This fear of judgment can be part of the natural process of Brainspotting. When Brainspotting, we like to remind people that there’s no right or wrong, that it’s what comes organically to you in the process. Through Brainspotting, we learn to trust our bodies and trust the process.
If you are interested in Brainspotting but have encountered some of these challenges, be sure to let your therapist know. You and your therapist can talk about some of the challenges or concerns you are experiencing, and your therapist can introduce helpful tools for being more aware of your emotions and physical sensations. At the end of the day, Brainspotting allows us to be more aware of our emotions and our bodies. It allows us to be more in tune with ourselves, even outside of session.
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Interested in Online Brainspotting for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Grief or Loss?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Online Brainspotting for anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief & loss aren’t the only services offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written by: Alice (XiaoRan) Zhao, LCPC
Photo Credit: MART Production, Karolina Grabowska, & Yan Krukov on Pexels
Date of Download: 5/3/2022
