Brainspotting is a powerful therapeutic tool that helps access the root of emotional pain, trauma, or performance blocks. It works by using your visual field to find “brain spots”—specific areas where your brain and body hold unresolved experiences. These brain spots are directly linked to how your body stores unprocessed memories and emotions. One of the unique advantages of Brainspotting is that you don’t need to know exactly when or how the trauma happened, and you don’t have to relive it to heal. Brainspotting allows you to process emotions in a safe, supported way, unlocking the brain’s natural ability to heal.
We are wonderfully and beautifully made, and our brains and bodies are wired to heal when given the right tools. Starting in the late 1800s, psychology and medicine treated the brain and body as separate systems, but our ancestors knew better. Now, we’re rediscovering how deeply interconnected they are. This is what makes Brainspotting so effective. It taps into the brain-body connection, processing stuck emotions without getting bogged down in painful memories or overanalyzing things.
Brainspotting can address a wide range of issues—emotional pain, chronic stress, unresolved trauma, and performance blocks. It’s used to help people heal from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more, but it’s also powerful for high-achievers who feel stuck or held back by invisible barriers. Most clients see significant progress in as little as 1-3 sessions, unlike many other methods that can take weeks, months, or even years. One client recently shared that if she had known about this kind of work, it would have saved her 9 years of being stuck.
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2. Why do high-achievers often struggle with imposter syndrome, and how does brainspotting help overcome it?
High-achievers are driven by an internal need to excel, which can lead to incredible success but also creates a pressure cooker of self-doubt. No matter how much they achieve, it feels like it’s never enough. Imposter syndrome creeps in when they begin to doubt their worth, believing they’ve tricked everyone into thinking they’re more capable than they are. It’s a constant fear of being “found out.”
The root of imposter syndrome often lies in early life experiences—messages about needing to be perfect or never being good enough. These experiences get locked in the body and brain as emotional blocks, creating patterns of fear, self-doubt, and anxiety.
Brainspotting helps because it doesn’t just address surface-level thoughts like “I’m a fraud.” It works on the emotional core of those thoughts, allowing the body and brain to process the fear, shame, and doubt behind imposter syndrome.
Many high-achievers come into Brainspotting thinking they’re struggling with confidence, only to discover a fear of failure or a belief that success equals constant pressure to perform. Through Brainspotting, we release these emotional charges, helping clients fully own their success without the constant fear of being “found out.” By removing that emotional block, you can embrace your achievements with pride, instead of anxiety.
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3. Can you share a personal story of how brainspotting helped you overcome a major challenge in your own life?
Absolutely. I’d been through so many business coaching programs that I felt like I’d exhausted all my options. I had learned so much but wasn’t moving forward. Every time I tried to implement the strategies I knew, I’d freeze. I was collecting information but not acting on it, and the frustration was overwhelming. I began wondering, “Is it just me? Why can’t I get this done?”
That’s when I discovered Brainspotting. I wasn’t sure it would work for me. I thought, “What if I can’t figure out what’s holding me back?” But what I learned is that you don’t need to know the exact moment that fear or doubt took root. The brain knows how to process those stuck points without needing to relive every painful detail.
In my first session, I uncovered a deep-rooted fear of failure. It wasn’t tied to a specific event—it was a lingering fear that if I put myself out there, I might fail again. Brainspotting allowed me to feel and release that fear, freeing me to move forward.
After that single session, something shifted. I began taking action in my business, launching projects I’d been sitting on for months. The emotional weight had been lifted, and I was no longer fighting against myself. That’s what Brainspotting does—it helps you move forward when nothing else has worked.
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4. What advice would you give someone who feels stuck or overwhelmed and is looking for a way to heal and move forward?
First, take a deep breath and know that feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re failing. It’s easy to fall into the cycle of trying to push harder or seek out the next strategy, only to end up in the same place of frustration. What’s keeping you stuck usually isn’t a lack of effort—it’s an emotional block that hasn’t been addressed.
Feeling stuck can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’ve done all the “right” things—setting goals, working with coaches, doing mindset work. But if there’s an emotional block tied to past experiences, no amount of strategy will help until that block is processed. The problem isn’t you—it’s the unprocessed emotions.
That’s where Brainspotting comes in. Rather than focusing on willpower or mindset shifts, Brainspotting allows you to access and release emotional blocks without needing to know exactly where they came from. It works with your brain and body’s natural healing ability, so you can finally get unstuck.
Clients often describe an immediate sense of lightness and relief after processing these blocks. Suddenly, things that felt impossible—whether it’s taking action in business or moving past self-doubt—start to feel achievable. Clearing out emotional clutter frees you to move forward naturally, without the constant struggle. The weight lifts, and life starts moving again.
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5. What type of hypnosis do you practice? What does hypnosis do for clients? What sort of training do you recommend?
Since hypnosis in Texas can only be practiced by licensed mental health professionals, I use guided meditation techniques influenced by hypnosis. This is especially helpful for clients who have trouble connecting with their bodies, which is key to making Brainspotting even more effective.
Guided meditation helps quiet the mind and connect the body to the healing process. Many high-achievers rely heavily on their “thinking brain”—analyzing, strategizing, and solving problems logically. But overthinking can block emotional healing, especially when it comes to deep-seated fears or traumas. Guided meditation allows clients to relax into a state where the mind quiets, and the body can access deeper emotional layers that need healing.
Additionally, guided meditations after Brainspotting sessions can be extremely helpful for clients. After a session, clients often experience a sense of relief, hope, and potential. Engaging in short meditations in the days that follow allows them to reconnect with that feeling of progress and possibility, reinforcing the positive shifts and keeping them in a mindset of healing and forward movement.
I believe formal education is essential because, contrary to the belief that “hypnosis only allows you to do what you want,” studies show that it’s more complex. Hypnosis requires skill, compassion, and a good heart to safely navigate the subconscious. That’s why I encourage thorough training for anyone looking to practice hypnosis professionally. Approaching it with the right mindset and education ensures you’re offering clients the safest, most effective experience possible.
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6. Anything else?
If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s that healing doesn’t have to be painful or difficult. So many people believe that in order to heal, they need to dig up their trauma, relive it, or analyze every moment of their past. But often, they also think they should be strong enough to push past whatever is holding them back. The truth is, you don’t have to face it alone, and you don’t need to muscle your way through it. With Brainspotting, you don’t have to do any of that. Your brain and body already know where the emotional pain is stored, and when given the right tools, they can release it without retraumatizing you.
We are designed to heal. You don’t need to push harder or figure it all out on your own. Sometimes, the missing piece isn’t more effort—it’s finding the right way to process what’s been holding you back emotionally. Brainspotting taps into that natural healing ability, allowing you to move forward without getting stuck in analysis or relying on sheer willpower.
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Jennie Hays is a certified Brainspotting practitioner with over two decades of experience in healthcare and emotional healing. After working as a paramedic, she now helps high-achieving entrepreneurs overcome limiting beliefs, imposter syndrome, and emotional blocks that keep them stuck. Through Brainspotting, Jennie’s clients experience breakthroughs in as little as 1-3 sessions, unlocking their full potential and moving forward with confidence.
