Brainspotting Therapy in San Rafael, CA

Gentle, focused body-based healing for trauma and emotional pain

Brainspotting helps you access what talk therapy alone sometimes can’t, what’s held in the body, beneath the surface. Whether you’re carrying trauma, anxiety, or emotional patterns that feel stuck, this gentle method meets you where you are and supports healing from the inside out.

Book Your Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation

A no-pressure call to ask questions, share what you’re seeking, and see if working together feels right.

A Different Way to Heal

Where you look affects how you feel

Brainspotting is a brain-body therapy that helps people process and heal from trauma, emotional pain, anxiety, and deeply rooted patterns, often in ways that traditional talk therapy alone can’t reach.

It’s based on a simple yet profound idea: where you look affects how you feel. By using specific eye positions, we can access parts of the brain and nervous system where trauma, stress, or overwhelm may be stored, especially the kind that’s hard to explain or understand with words.

Brainspotting helps you connect with the deeper layers of your experience, beyond language, beyond logic, to release what’s been held in the body. Whether you’re carrying trauma, anxiety, or stuck emotional patterns, this gentle method meets you where you are and works from the inside out.

How it works

In a Brainspotting session, we start by identifying an issue you want to work on, this could be anything from a traumatic memory to anxiety to a physical sensation or even a stuck emotional pattern. Then, using your eye position as a guide, we locate a “brain spot”: a point in your visual field that connects with where that experience lives in your body.

From there, we slow down. I’ll support you in staying present and grounded while your brain and body do the healing work beneath the surface. You don’t have to retell your story in detail or relive the trauma. Your system already knows what to do, we simply create the space for it to happen.

Many people experience a deep sense of release, clarity, or calm, sometimes right away, and sometimes gradually over time. The process can be subtle, emotional, or even surprising.

For some, Brainspotting offers support where other methods haven’t gone deep enough, especially when healing feels stuck or hard to access through words alone.

Brainspotting Might Help If

  • Feel “stuck,” even after previous therapy
  • Experience anxiety, panic, or recurring somatic symptoms
  • Struggle with addiction or compulsive behavior patterns
  • Have trauma that’s difficult to put into words
  • Want a more body-based or intuitive way of healing

“Sometimes healing starts where words stop. Brainspotting helps you reach the deeper places that talk therapy can’t always access.”

What Makes It Different

  • A body-based approach that goes beyond talk therapy
  • Doesn’t require re-telling or re-living painful experiences
  • Helps access the subcortical brain where trauma is stored
  • Works with eye position to unlock stuck emotional material
  • Can feel subtle, intuitive, and deeply releasing

“It’s not about explaining your pain—it’s about releasing it.”

Therapy Experiences Shared

Real words shared by real people

These honest reflections come from clients who found strength, clarity, and healing through our work together. Their words offer a glimpse into the transformative power of feeling truly supported and understood in therapy.

She is skilled in what she does and is incredibly relatable and authentic. She is not afraid to ask important questions that get you to the heart of the issue, all while being a sensitive and supportive ally. People love working with her.

Summer Joy Lan Franco

Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT

I’ve worked with many therapists over the past 30 years, but none have had the profound impact Nicole has. She’s guided me through addiction, trauma, and loss with rare expertise and a steady, compassionate presence. Because of her, I’ve uncovered the roots of my struggles, made healthier choices, and found lasting sobriety. If you’re ready for real change, Nicole is the therapist you want by your side.

CG

Client

Nicole's commitment to her work and her compassionate, nonjudgmental approach have positively impacted many clients. I would refer any client to her without hesitation! She is skillful at holding space and supporting clients through the toughest of times.

Lisa Pullinen

Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT