Applying Brainspotting in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
- Meredith Futernick-Gerak, LPC, ACS, C-BSP, C-PAT
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
The field of psychedelic-assisted therapy is rapidly expanding, with ketamine leading the way as the most accessible legal medicine for clinical use. Ketamine can open doors of perception, soften defenses, and create new pathways for healing. However, it is the therapeutic container that determines how meaningful and lasting these experiences will be. This is where Brainspotting (BSP) naturally complements and supports Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
How Brainspotting Complements KAP
Brainspotting is built on the principle that “where you look affects how you feel.”
With the use of eye positions, aka “brainspots”, practitioners help clients access the subcortical brain. These are the deep layers of the brain where trauma and unresolved experiences are stored (Grand, 2013). Rather than relying solely on talk or analysis, BSP engages the brain-body system directly; often unlocking implicit material that words cannot reach.
In KAP, ketamine serves as a catalyst. It decreases rigid defenses and increases neuroplasticity (Zarate et al., 2006). Clients often enter states of openness, heightened emotional processing, or non-ordinary awareness (Dore et al., 2019).
When paired with Brainspotting, the practitioner has a neuro-experiential map to guide this process. Accessing Brainspots can help anchor the client during expanded states, deepen into areas of activation, or resource and stabilize when intensity rises (Grand, 2013; Corrigan & Grand, 2013). Instead of drifting through the ketamine experience, clients can move through it with a sense of containment and direction.
Gazespotting: A Natural Phenomenon
One of the most fascinating aspects of Brainspotting is that even Dr. Grand admits that it wasn’t invented, it was discovered. In session, clients will often spontaneously stop or fixate their gaze when accessing charged emotional material. They aren't necessarily looking at anything, but you can definitely notice that they are looking at something. You may have noticed this phenomenon yourself (and if you haven't, you probably will now... you're welcome)! This is known in the Brainspotting world as Gazespotting: the natural phenomenon of the eyes orienting to where the material being processed is held in the brain (Grand, 2013).
In KAP sessions, this also occurs organically. Clients may naturally drift their gaze toward positions that correlate with deep emotional or somatic material. When practitioners are trained to notice and attune to these subtle cues, they can support clients in following their nervous system’s innate wisdom. This creates a more embodied, client-led healing process that honors the intelligence of the body and brain (Corrigan & Grand, 2013).
For therapists already practicing KAP; integrating Brainspotting concepts offer greater attunement, a way to hold depth with care, and enhanced integration.
Upcoming Training: "Where You Look, How You Heal"
Brainspotting in Psycholytic (low-dose) Ketamine Assisted Therapy
If you’re curious about how to bring these modalities together, check out "Where You Look, How You Heal"
In this 3-hour workshop, you’ll learn:
How Brainspotting’s core concepts can be applied in KAP sessions.
Practical ways to use gazespotting and other Brainspotting frames in both preparation and integration.
How to create a client-led, trauma-informed container for ketamine work.
Real-world examples and clinical applications you can bring into your practice immediately.
The combination of Brainspotting and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers a path for deeper healing. By learning to attune to the natural phenomenon of Gazespotting and applying BSP principles within KAP, practitioners can expand their skillset and offer clients an even more transformative therapeutic experience.
As a thank you for reading my blog post, use code UNBOXED for $20 off the price of the training. :)