BRAINSPOTTING THERAPY IN CINCINNATI
A brain-based approach to healing the life experiences that talk therapy hasn't been able to touch.
You've done the work. You understand your patterns. So why does it still feel so stuck?
Maybe you've been in therapy before. Maybe you have real insight into where your anxiety comes from, or why certain people or situations trigger you. Maybe you can explain it all perfectly—and still feel like something won't shift.
That's not a failure of effort or understanding. It's just that some experiences get stored in the body and nervous system in ways that thinking and talking alone can't always reach.
(This is one of the most frustrating things to discover after years of doing the work. And it's also, genuinely, one of the most hopeful.)
Because it means there's a different way in.
So, what is Brainspotting?
A brain-based approach to healing the life experiences that talk therapy hasn't been able to touch.
Brainspotting is a powerful, evidence-informed therapy that works by locating specific eye positions—called "brainspots"—that correspond to where trauma, distress, and difficult emotional experiences are held in the brain and body.
It was developed in 2003 by therapist David Grand, who noticed while working with EMDR that where a client's eyes landed during processing seemed to be connected to what they were working through emotionally. From there, he developed a whole approach around that discovery.
Here's the simple version: where you look affects how you feel. And Brainspotting uses that connection intentionally, to help your brain and nervous system process and release what's been keeping you stuck.
Rather than talking through your experiences in a traditional back-and-forth, Brainspotting creates space for your inner brain—the part that actually stores memories and emotions—to do the processing. Your therapist stays present and attuned throughout, but the goal is to keep you connected to your inner experience, not to pull you out of it into conversation.
Brainspotting can help with more than you might think.
People often seek out Brainspotting to help process trauma or PTSD—and it's excellent for that. But it can also be really effective for:
Anxiety and persistent worry that won't quiet down, even when nothing's "wrong"
Depression that feels stuck or flat, no matter what you try
Grief and loss
Relationship triggers and patterns you can't explain or shake
Big life transitions that have left you feeling unmoored
Performance anxiety (yes, athletes and creatives use this too)
Phobias and fears
Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected
You don't have to have experienced a major, capital-T Trauma to benefit. If something in your life feels like it's getting in the way of how you want to feel and function—and talking through it hasn't been enough—Brainspotting might be worth exploring.
What does a Brainspotting session actually look like?
Fair question—it probably sounds a little mysterious. Here's what to expect.
To start, you and your therapist will identify something you want to work on: a memory, an emotion, a physical sensation, or a pattern that keeps showing up for you. You'll bring your attention to it and notice where you feel it in your body.
From there, your therapist will help you locate a "brainspot"—a specific position in your visual field that seems to activate or resonate with what you're working on. This might happen with a pointer, or your therapist might simply notice where your eyes naturally settle as you talk about the issue.
Once you've found the spot, you hold your gaze there while staying connected to your inner experience—the sensations, memories, emotions, or images that arise. Your therapist stays quietly present and attuned, but doesn't guide or prompt too much. The goal is to let your nervous system do what it naturally wants to do: process, integrate, and release.
It's normal to feel a little spacey or tired afterward. (We recommend keeping your schedule lighter for the rest of the day, if you can.) Some people notice shifts fairly quickly; for others, it unfolds more gradually. There's no right timeline—healing moves at the pace it needs to.
How is this different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy is valuable. For a lot of people, it's an important part of the journey—and we offer that too.
But talk therapy primarily works through the cerebral cortex, the part of your brain that handles language, logic, and conscious thought. That's great for building insight, learning coping skills, and understanding your patterns.
The challenge is that trauma and deeply held emotional experiences are often stored in the limbic system—the older, deeper part of your brain that processes emotions, memory, and automatic responses like fight, flight, and freeze. And that part of the brain doesn't respond as well to reasoning and conversation.
Brainspotting bypasses the need for words and accesses the limbic system more directly, helping you process and release experiences at the level where they're actually stored. That's why people sometimes describe it as getting unstuck from something they've understood for years but couldn't seem to move past.
Want to go deeper, faster? Consider a Brainspotting Intensive.
If you're looking for more concentrated healing, we also offer Brainspotting + EMDR Intensives: extended 3-hour sessions that give you real space to process without watching the clock.
Rather than the slow build of weekly 50-minute sessions, Intensives let you build momentum and often experience meaningful shifts in a shorter timeframe. Think of it as finally having the time and space to tend to your inner garden properly—not just keeping up with weekly maintenance, but actually digging deep and clearing what's no longer serving you.
Brainspotting therapy in Cincinnati with Jenny Liu, LPCC-S
Brainspotting is a specialized modality—not every therapist is trained in it, and it matters that yours is.
At Conscious Roots Counseling, Brainspotting sessions are offered by Jenny Liu, our founder and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor-Supervisor (LPCC-S). Jenny is trained in Brainspotting and has trained extensively in trauma-focused therapies, including EMDR. She works best with adults who are ready to understand and process past experiences that have been difficult or traumatic, and has a particular interest in helping parents who want to end cycles of intergenerational trauma.
Jenny approaches Brainspotting with the same warmth and groundedness she brings to all her work: steady, attuned, and genuinely invested in helping you feel better.
→ Jenny is currently accepting new clients for Brainspotting therapy.
Questions about Brainspotting? We've got answers.
You might be wondering about…
GETTING STARTED
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Brainspotting is a relatively newer modality compared to something like EMDR, so the research base is still growing—but what exists is promising. It's gaining recognition among trauma-informed therapists and is increasingly used alongside more established approaches. If you're curious whether it might be a good fit for you, it's absolutely worth a conversation.
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Not at all. Some people come in with a specific memory or experience in mind; others just know that something feels stuck and they're not sure what. That's okay. Your therapist will work with you to identify a focus, even if it takes a little exploration to find it.
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That's actually one of the most common reasons people seek out Brainspotting. If you've done talk therapy, built real insight, and still feel like something won't budge—Brainspotting is designed for exactly that. It's not a replacement for the work you've already done; it's often the next step that helps it land.
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Yes! You don't need to pause your existing therapy to explore Brainspotting with us. Many people use it as a complement to their regular sessions. If it's helpful, we're happy to coordinate with your current therapist (with your written consent).
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Every person's experience is different, so there's no set number. Some people notice meaningful shifts in just a few sessions; for more complex trauma or long-standing patterns, it may take longer. Your therapist will check in with you regularly about how things are going and adjust accordingly.
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Brainspotting can be successful in-person and virtually.
Our Cincinnati/Blue Ash office is at 4424 Carver Woods Dr, Suite 100, 45242.
Currently, Intensive (3-hour) sessions are only available in-person.
INSURANCE
& PAYMENT
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Services will be billed directly to you according to our private pay therapy rates. We can offer you “superbills'' that can be submitted to your insurance for possible reimbursement. We know this may sound confusing—please reach out and we can help explain this process!
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Services will be billed directly to you according to our private pay therapy rates.
Each therapist determines the rates for their services. You can see each therapist’s rates on our About Page.
Depending on your insurance plan’s out-of-network benefits, it’s possible that your insurance may reimburse you for some of the cost of therapy.
To determine your out-of-network benefits, you can use this guide. Feel free to also reach out and we can explain how out-of-network benefits work.
You've been carrying this long enough.
Reaching out is the hardest step—and you've already done it by getting here. We'd love to talk with you about whether Brainspotting might be a good fit.