Brainspotting in Maryland

Brainspotting for Stress & Stressful Situations throughout Maryland

We all experience stress from time to time, and there are even times when stress can be advantageous. When stress is intense, chronic and impacts our ability to function or get along well with other people, however, it’s time to do something. Stress can impact our physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being, and left untreated, it can have a number of detrimental impacts on us. Brainspotting is one of many treatment approaches that are available to help people address their stress.

Common Concerns Related to Stress

  • Feeling Overwhelmed

  • Difficulty Concentrating or Focusing

  • Difficulty Sleeping

  • Fatigue & Exhaustion

  • Workaholism or Work Performance Concerns

  • Physical Tension in Your Body

  • Dread

  • Physical Health Impacts (Upset Stomach, High Blood Pressure)

  • Low Motivation, Difficulty Getting Things Done

  • Family Stress Due to Busy Schedule and/or Irritability

LifeSpring’s Approach to Brainspotting Services for Stress & Stressful Situations

Brainspotting can help you process stressful situations, and it can help you address symptoms of stress. Sometimes there is a particular situation that is creating our stress, and other times we experience stress as a result of our work or lifestyle. Brainspotting is able to help in both situations.  Brainspotting can help us process stressful situations to gain insight and understanding about the situation and how we’re responding to it. Brainspotting can also help us calm our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, all of which can be heightened as a result of stress.

At LifeSpring, the first thing we will do is meet with you for an intake appointment, so we can gather a wide range of information about you including your family history, treatment history, work, lifestyle, symptoms, health status, reason for seeking Brainspotting services, and hopes for treatment. When we meet for a Brainspotting session, we will ask you to come prepared with the topic or concern that you would like to work on in that meeting.  From there, your therapist will help guide you through the Brainspotting process, so that you can work on that specific concern.  Many people feel calmer at the end of their brainspotting sessions and have increased insight and understanding about their situation or response to it. Brainspotting can help quiet the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that can feel so intense when we’re stressed.

What is Holding You Back from Starting Brainspotting for Stress & Stressful Situations?

If you’ve been experiencing stress, it’s likely that a busy schedule, loads of responsibility, fatigue, and a commitment to everything and everyone else are factors that prevent you from prioritizing yourself and your own needs. Whether it’s Brainspotting or some other treatment modality, the important thing is that you get the help that you need. Stress can have detrimental effects for your overall health, and stressed-out individuals often need to be reminded that it’s crucial that you make yourself a priority. If you don’t, nobody else will. Setting time aside for yourself is not selfish. It’s necessary.

See What a Brainspotting Session Looks Like

Our Brainspotters

  • Headshot of Liza Krohn, LCSW-C

    Liza Krohn, LCSW-C

    Completed Phase 1 Training

    I use Brainspotting with clients in areas where developing insight & skills doesn't feel like enough. Whether in response to trauma or core beliefs about self, it’s a tool we can utilize to create movement or change where they have been feeling stuck.

    “Brainspotting is a wonderful tool to achieve that next level of healing, to integrate the cognitive and emotional pieces, and allow clients to move forward when they have felt trapped.”

    Read Bio
  • Headshot of Irene Burks, LGPC

    Irene Burks, LGPC

    Completed Phase 1 & 2 Training

    I use Brainspotting with clients who find they’re stuck with an issue they can’t seem to resolve on their own, and small business owners working through fears, anxiety, and imposter syndrome hampering their desires to reach their full potential.

    “Brainspotting is an amazing mental health tool that can improve a person’s mental health faster than through traditional talk therapy or other forms of therapy. It is extremely satisfying when a client’s face lights up with an ah-ha moment that brings them closer to mental wellness.”

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  • Headshot of Alice Zhao, LCPC

    Alice Zhao, LCPC

    Completed Phase 1, 2, & 3 Training
    Certified Brainspotter

    I use Brainspotting with clients to heal from trauma, to lessen anxious feelings, and to help those feeling stuck or trapped inside themselves.

    “I love using Brainspotting with clients, it is such a unique tool that can help the client get a deeper connection with themselves. I'm so glad to see the progress made with my clients from using Brainspotting.”

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  • A headshot of Rebecca Lencz, LCPC

    Rebecca Lencz, LCPC

    Completed Phase 1 & 2 Training

    I use Brainspotting to help address relationship issues, aid clients who are dealing with stressful situations, and process traumas and experiences.

    “I'm so excited to start using this modality of therapy; as I see it, Brainspotting is a holistic and flexible therapeutic modality...and it provides powerful opportunities towards self-growth and healing.”

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  • Headshot of Lindsay Fortier, LGPC

    Lindsay Fortier, LGPC

    Completed Phase 1 Training

    I look forward to using Brainspotting in future work with athletes and other clients who are looking to better identify their thoughts and feelings.

    “I thought the training was very interesting and informative! I hope to use it to help a variety of my clients better identify and process feelings and experiences.”

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  • Headshot of Sara Secada-Lovio, LCPC

    Sara Secada-Lovio, LCPC

    Completed Phase 1 & 2 Training

    I use Brainspotting to help clients escape the grit of anxiety, be free of trauma, and get rid of depression fog.

    “I was deeply impressed by the Brainspotting training and the feeling it brings. I'm excited to have learned that such a versatile tool can help so many people in so many ways.”

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  • Headshot of Mickayla Waldhauser, LGPC

    Mickayla Waldhauser, LGPC

    Completed Phase 1 Training

    I use Brainspotting with clients to further enhance the work we do and help them uncover more healing and growth.

    “Learning the concepts behind Brainspotting and getting to experience it myself was a priceless experience, and I'm happy to be able to now offer it to my clients!”

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Brainspotting with Melissa Wesner, Brainspotting Consultant

Melissa Wesner, LCPC, is a Certified Brainspotting Practitioner. She has completed Brainspotting Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4. Melissa believes that Brainspotting helps access our ability to heal and find solutions. Brainspotting allows us to notice our own inner wisdom with the quiet, reflective nature of this treatment.

Melissa completed Phase I and II trainings alongside well-known Brainspotting clinicians Dr. Pie Frey and Christine Ranck. She completed Phases III and IV with Brainspotting Founder, David Grand. Melissa offers Brainspotting to clients enrolled in psychotherapy.

As a founding member of the Baltimore Brainspotting Collective, Melissa is dedicated to providing both clients and clinicians alike with education about Brainspotting, the symptoms it can treat and the positive benefits that BSP yields for clients in Baltimore & beyond.

  • • Individuals who have experienced traumatic events in adulthood

    • Individuals who have or are currently experiencing grief & loss

    • Active duty service members, veterans, and their families with deployment related concerns

    • Professionals exposed to trauma due to their jobs.
    This may include government employees, news reporters, civil servants, and funeral home directors.

    • First responders such as paramedics, police, and firefighters

    • Spanish or English speaking immigrants, refugees & asylees

    • Individuals who cannot disclose information due to job confidentiality.
    Yet, they still wish to process information and emotions related to such information.

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Meet Our Therapists

Other Mental Health Services at LifeSpring

Counseling for children and teens isn’t the only counseling service offered at our office. Our Greater Baltimore mental health counseling office also offers individual counseling services for adults and college students dealing with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, interpersonal violence, and trauma. We also offer specialized counseling services including online therapy, Brainspotting, faith-based counseling, mindfulness-based counseling, and counseling in Chinese.