“Sweet April showers do spring May flowers,” as Thomas Tusser famously said. I’m excited to share that an amazing “flower” bloomed last week (symbolically speaking)—a published peer-reviewed research paper. The flower was slow-growing and of great beauty: The International Body Psychotherapy Journal, Volume 22 Number 2 Winter 2023-2024 page 57 titled “Brainspotting: A Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” by LeeAnn M. Horton, Cynthia Schwartzberg, Cheryl D. Goldberg, Frederick G. Grieve, and Lauren E. Brdecka.
But let me backtrack and tell you how it all began. Have you ever had thoughts about doing something but didn’t know how you would get it done? I want to share my process of how I turned a random Sunday afternoon thought into a published research paper. I share this hoping to inspire you!
The seed of this idea was planted during a conversation I had one Sunday afternoon in 2016 when LeeAnn Horton called me after having been trained in Brainspotting Phase One. As we were sharing, I mentioned my thoughts on a research project I was imagining. During the conversation, I discovered LeeAnn was attending Western Kentucky University and loved research. We began to meet and flesh out some ideas for creating a research project that would demonstrate how Brainspotting is effective for treating PTSD. Frederick G. Grieve, a professor at Western Kentucky University, joined us to help with statistics. Next all
we needed were clinicians trained and not trained in Brainspotting to carry it out.
During another conversation at a training session, I was talking to Cheryl Goldberg, who shared how the Mood Treatment Center in North Carolina was recognizing the healing power of Brainspotting for her clients. As we spoke, it became clear that the Mood Treatment Center might be interested in joining us for research. They had many clinicians trained in various models. We joined forces so we could work with both Brainspotting and non-Brainspotting trained clinicians to carry out the project.
Time, persistence and patience led us through all the necessary steps to complete the project. Each step attracted the support necessary to continue to the next. Once we had the data, it had to be analyzed—a big thank you to Frederick G. Grieve. Then we needed to get it published. That was when I met Lauren Brdecka, a Brainspotting Practitioner and Research Professor, on the Brainspotting and Research Facebook page. She was willing to join and guide us through the steps to get published. Congratulations and thank you to the team!
I share all this to offer inspiration and emphasize the value of teamwork, trust and a willingness to give your all. I never imagined I had the skills I contributed, but I do, and maybe you do, too.
So, notice the conversations you have with people—you never know where they may lead. We all have talents, gifts and creativity. We may not always have the necessary skills to take those creative ideas through all the steps for completion, but don’t let that stop you. Seek help, get curious and be open to the surprises of how transformation and manifestation can happen.
Here are some highlights of our research:
- While BSP shows comparable effectiveness to TAU (Treatment as Usual) in reducing PTSD, participants receiving BSP demonstrated sustained symptom reduction during follow-up evaluations compared to those receiving TAU.
- BSP also showed a reduction in anxiety and depression and other trauma-related symptoms.
Follow your intuition, inspiration, and excitement; you never know where it may lead. If you want more details to repeat this project in your area or need other support, feel free to reach out.