Top-Rated Brainspotting Therapist San Diego

Unlock your brain’s natural ability to heal 

Maybe you've tried traditional talk therapy, but it didn't quite do the trick. The truth is that our emotional pain is often rooted in traumatic experiences from the past - even if we're not fully aware of it. As a Brainspotting psychotherapist, I've helped many clients find relief when other approaches failed to bring the kind of results they were seeking.

What is Brainspotting Therapy?

Brainspotting is a powerful somatic therapy* that works with your brain and nervous system to heal the root cause of various mental health challenges: anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse, panic attacks and more that can arise due to emotional trauma. This effective method of psychotherapy can change how traumatic memories are "stored" in the subcortical brain, relieving the emotional distress of unresolved issues and post-traumatic stress. Many who have experienced Brainspotting therapy report significant improvement in their emotional well-being and ability to move beyond past traumas.

*somatic therapies focus on the connection between the mind (thoughts, feelings, beliefs) and the body (physical sensations and bodily reactions to feelings, thoughts, etc.). In Brainspotting therapy, clients are invited to notice any bodily sensations or reactions. This awareness can deepen the therapeutic process and support resolution of the underlying issues along the trauma spectrum.

The Brainspotting process

With the guidance of an attuned therapist in a safe and supportive space, you are invited into a conscious awareness of the emotions that arise when you call to mind negative experiences connected to unresolved trauma, or even current life situations that are triggering you. Your therapist then invites you to explore different eye positions to identify the specific "brainspot" (a place in your field of vision) that most strongly "activates" these emotions. As you gently focus on the brainspot, your therapist will invite you to notice any body sensations that may come up, monitor somatic cues, and will guide your healing process as thoughts and feelings arise to be reprocessed and released. While this can bring up difficult emotions, it should not be overwhelming or "re-traumatizing," as your therapist will use specific Brainspotting techniques to help you stay grounded and feel emotionally regulated.

Why Choose Me as Your Brainspotting Therapist in San Diego?

I have extensive experience providing Brainspotting therapy San Diego clients have found deeply transformative and effective. My expertise is grounded in:

  • Advanced training in Brainspotting (Levels 1, 2, Parts- and Expansion-Spotting)

  • Specialization in anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, burnout and calming the "inner critic"

  • 13 years of clinical experience

  • Offering convenient online Brainspotting therapy from the comfort of your own space

  • Individualized, dedicated support for self-critical overthinkers, anxious achievers and insecure feelers!

brainspotting san diego

Meet Elisa Martínez, LMFT

brainspotting therapy san diego

Brainspotting therapist serving San Diego

I understand firsthand what it's like to struggle with anxiety, harsh self-criticism, and painful life experiences. I bring my own personal, lived experience with healing to my work, in addition to specialized training in Brainspotting Phases 1 and 2 (as developed by David Grand), plus Expansion and Parts-spotting. I love working with conscientious over-thinkers, introspective individuals and high achievers struggling with chronic worry and the lingering effects of post-traumatic stress. Whether you're dealing with day-to-day struggles or working through old emotional wounds, Brainspotting's gentle-yet-powerful approach can help your nervous system release what it's been holding onto - often for years.

AS FEATURED IN

My approach to Brainspotting

Depending on your unique needs, I'm able to integrate other evidence-based therapeutic modalities with Brainspotting to address trauma at its root cause. This integrative treatment might include approaches such as Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Exposure and Response Prevention (a.k.a. ERP; particularly helpful for OCD and phobias) and/or other neuroscience- and somatic-informed therapeutic techniques.

By creating a highly-individualized treatment plan that works with your unique inner landscape, we can better leverage the power of Brainspotting therapy to access and heal your deeper emotional wounds and post-traumatic stress. I can also help you learn how to more effectively manage anxiety, stress, overwhelm or negative self-talk in the day-to-day, as well better navigate the real-life, external stressors that you may be confronting.

That said, my focus extends beyond symptom management to facilitate the true, deeper healing that Brainspotting and other trauma-focused modalities can provide. Whether you're struggling with issues around self-worth, panic attacks, burnout or relationship challenges, my intention is to meet you exactly where you're, centering your goals for therapy and helping you move towards the more fulfilling life that awaits you!

How to get started

Option 1: Fill out the contact form

Complete this contact form (you can also link to it from anywhere on my website) to let me know the best way to reach you and if you wish, a little about the concerns you're seeking support for. Then we can arrange a time to talk about Brainspotting and my unique psychotherapy approach.

Option 2: Self-schedule a free consultation

Conveniently to set up a time for a phone or video call, where you can share about what you're seeking support with, ask questions about Brainspotting (and anything else!) and see if I might be a fit for you.

Option 3: Text or call me

You can reach me directly at (831)387-7657 and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Common reasons why people start Brainspotting

  • Unresolved Trauma

    Many people carry post-traumatic stress from earlier life (neglect, abuse, or emotional wounding - even if those experiences didn't "seem" traumatic on the surface) or single traumatic events (accidents, losses, etc.). These memories (both conscious and unconscious) remain stored in the limbic brain, continuing to manifest in your daily life as chronic worry, depression, overwhelm and many other symptoms. Brainspotting therapy is different because it accesses these deeper brain regions to process and resolve post-traumatic stress at its source.

  • Grief and Loss Processing

    When traditional grief counseling hasn't provided adequate relief, Brainspotting helps process the challenging emotions that accompany significant losses, allowing clients to work through negative experiences related to loss in a way that promotes genuine healing, ease and greater peace of mind.

  • Perfectionism, People-Pleasing and Low Self-Worth

    These deep-rooted patterns and the critical self-talk often stem from early life experiences that have been internalized in a way that doesn't feel good! Brainspotting therapy helps identify where these patterns originate, allowing clients to process the underlying experiences that created these patterns and transform how they see themselves.

  • When Traditional Talk Therapy Hasn't Worked

    It's possible to still feel emotionally stuck or triggered, even after months or years of traditional counseling. While cognitive- and insight-oriented approaches like cognitive-behavioral (CBT) or psychodynamic psychotherapy) can help with understanding, Brainspotting works directly with the "emotional brain," offering the possibility of change when verbal processing alone isn't enough.

  • Performance Blocks and Creative Obstacles

    Artists, athletes, and professionals seek Brainspotting when feeling stuck, whether it be in their career, performance or creative endeavors. Through a gentle process of compassionate inquiry and focus on your inner experience, Brainspotting offers a way to work with performance anxiety and to identify and process emotional issues blocking natural flow states and creative expression.

  • Relationship Patterns and Attachment Issues

    People who repeatedly find themselves in unhealthy relationship dynamics often discover underlying attachment wounds at the root: emotional injuries from unmet needs in early relationships, which can often cause fear, distrust or abandonment issues in adulthood. Brainspotting helps deeply process relational ruptures and trauma, enabling clients to heal these unresolved issues and create healthier connections.

  • Self-Sabotage and Unconscious Blocks

    It's hard to reach your goals when there are unconscious, self-sabotaging patterns at play. Brainspotting therapy identifies where these limiting patterns originate, helping clients move beyond self-defeating behaviors and opening new pathways to liberation from stuckness.

FAQs about Brainspotting

  • Most health insurance plans cover Brainspotting when it's provided by a licensed mental health professional to treat a diagnosable mental health concern(s), though coverage varies by plan. As an out-of-network provider, I don't bill insurance directly, which actually provides some advantages as you embark on your healing journey.

    Working out-of-network means there are zero insurance restrictions on session length, how often we meet or overall length of treatment, creating a truly expansive and supportive environment for personal growth and self-discovery. Many clients find this investment pays back huge dividends by creating lasting change that affects every aspect of their mental health and well-being.

    For more information about fees, insurance and other advantages to seeing an out-of-network therapist, please visit my FAQ page.

  • While Brainspotting can be highly transformative, some clients may prefer not to focus on their emotions and associated body sensations, especially if they're not ready to reprocess traumatic memories at a deep level. While the Brainspotting process can initially bring up challenging emotions, working with an advanced-level trauma psychotherapist who knows how to facilitate nervous system safety and regulation while reprocessing post-traumatic stress can help Brainspotting be a safe and non-overwhelming experience.

    Brainspotting may not be the best fit for those who strictly prefer conventional talk therapy or need a more structured, cognitive approach (although many experienced psychotherapists are skilled at combining Brainspotting with various therapeutic approaches). People experiencing active psychosis, severe dissociation, or certain psychological issues need stabilization work before beginning Brainspotting treatment. Additionally, some clients living with substance misuse or an eating disorder may need concurrent medical support.

    Brainspotting therapy does require a certain level of self-awareness and ability to be with emotional experiences as they arise. Again, a skilled trauma psychotherapist can structure the therapeutic approach to help you increase your ability to be with difficult emotions inside and outside of therapy. Those seeking "quick fixes" for more surface-level concerns might find this approach unnecessarily intensive for their current needs.

    If you're unsure whether Brainspotting is appropriate for you, I encourage you to reach out for a free consultation where we can discuss your specific needs and counseling options!

  • Both EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Brainspotting address the psychological symptoms of post-traumatic stress, but utilize different techniques:

    • EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., back-and-forth eye movements, audio or tactile sensations) to reprocess memories "stored" in the subcortical brain. Brainspotting therapy was developed when Dr. David Grand, a seasoned EMDR clinician, discovered that by simply directing a client's gaze, or eye position, to points in their field of vision ("brainspots"), the client could experience the same kind of reprocessing in the deeper brain regions that EMDR targets. Brainspotting optionally utilizes bilateral audio stimulation for added benefit.

    • EMDR uses a structured, 8-phase protocol that typically starts by targeting the earliest distressing memories that form the foundation of a client's post-traumatic stress. In contrast, Brainspotting offers a highly flexible, mindfulness-based approach in which the reprocessing of past trauma can be initiated by attending to the thoughts and feelings triggered by current life experiences/stressors. In other words, it isn't necessary to target the oldest memories first (like is standard in EMDR), as starting with emotions related to current/recent experiences typically uncovers related prior memories that can then be reprocessed. For this reason, many therapists and clients find Brainspotting to be more accessible and an easier, more natural entry to fully process emotional distress.

    • Advanced-level Brainspotting psychotherapists are able to use unique, Brainspotting-specific techniques to help make the emotional intensity of post-traumatic stress reprocessing less overwhelming and more tolerable. While experienced EMDR therapists also are trained to help clients regulate intense emotions, it's not uncommon for people to experience EMDR as overwhelming and overstimulating times, compared to the relative gentleness of Brainspotting.

    Neither method is inherently "better," as effectiveness depends on individual needs, how your system responds and personal preference (you can also check out this Brainspotting research and this informative article comparing the two). Since there is no "one size fits all" psychotherapy, I provide both Brainspotting therapy and EMDR (and other modalities) in my online California practice, allowing for highly-individualized customization of your healing journey.

    Not sure which approach might fit you best? Reach out for a consultation to explore your options!

Start Brainspotting in San Diego today

If you've been searching for counseling that goes deeper, you're absolutely not alone! Many people I work with have tried other approaches but still find themselves stuck with emotional pain and patterns that feel hard to shake. That's where Brainspotting therapy comes in—a powerful modality that can help you finally work through what's been holding you back.

I invite you to experience the real change that can happen when you're met in a therapeutic space with open-minded, non-judgmental compassion and profound attunement to your unique needs and strengths. I work with all issues along the trauma spectrum and have been privileged to witness so many of my clients move beyond the pain of the past experiences that have affected their lives. I would love to support your healing! With

Curious about what's possible? Let's connect for a consultation about Brainspotting (San Diego and statewide).