Brainspotting

Middle East & North Africa

Trainings and Events

Dive into the extraordinary, where healing is revolutionary. 
Be at the frontiers of neuroscience, a groundbreaking approach to heal trauma and unlock the infinite potential of the human brain.
Embark on a transformative journey into the world of Brainspotting, revolutionise your therapeutic approach, and facilitate profound healing.

Phase One Training

In-person, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9:00am to 6:00pm, Friday 24th - Sunday 26th January 2025
$900 USD    
Senior International Trainer: Marie-Jose Boon

Brainspotting is a brain-body based therapy based upon the hypothesis that specific eye positions designated as “brainspots” activate and access specific areas of the midbrain that allow for the reprocessing and releasing of core neurophysiological reactions to trauma-related and other psychological experiences.

Brainspotting is built on a model that emphasises therapist-client presence and attunement in the healing process.

As an open and integrative model, brainspotting is adaptable to many different areas of specialisation and can be integrated with other treatment models.

In this introductory Brainspotting: Phase One training, participants will learn four basic brainspotting techniques. In addition, participants will receive an overview of the:

- standards of care and professional practice for brainspotting practitioners,

- research that supports the primary assumptions of brainspotting; and

- challenges of research and evidence-based treatment for conditions such as Complex PTSD

Learning Objectives

Participants of this introductory level course participants will be able to:

  1. Summarize the standards of care and professional practice of the International Brainspotting Association.

  2. Describe the hypothesized neurological underpinnings of how brainspotting works.

  3. Summarize the research that supports the hypothesized way in which eye positions activate and accesses midbrain activity.

  4. Explain the uncertainty principle as it relates to brainspotting.

  5. Describe the concepts of simultaneous neurobiological and relational attunement.

  6. Explain the importance of client-therapist attunement during brainspotting.

  7. Explain how the treatment frame is set and held by the therapist.

  8. Explain the role of focused mindfulness in brainspotting.

  9. Discuss the similarities and differences between the activation and resource models of brainspotting.

  10. Explain the concept of limbic countertransference.

  11. Demonstrate a basic mastery of the use of the outside window brainspotting technique.

  12. Demonstrate a basic mastery of the use of the inside window brainspotting technique.

  13. Demonstrate a basic mastery of the use of the gaze spot brainspotting technique.

  14. Demonstrate a basic mastery of the use of the resource model of brainspotting technique.

  15. Assess the appropriate brainspotting techniques for the treatment of Post-traumatic stress disorder, including the Dissociative Subtype, and other trauma-related symptoms.

  16. Describe two challenges to assessing and providing evidence-based treatment to individuals with Complex PTSD.

Registration at 8:30 am on the first day.

Training runs from 9am - 6pm each day.

Registration required. Limited places.

Phase Two Training

In-person, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9:00am to 6:00pm, Friday 28th - Sunday 30th March 2025 
$900 USD    
Senior International Trainer: Marie-Jose Boon

This 3-day Brainspotting Phase 2 training will begin with an extensive review of Outside Window, Inside Window Brainspotting and Gazespotting, with an emphasis on how to clinically interact with clients.

Trainees will be introduced to several important applications. This includes One-Eye Brainspotting including the use of One-Eye goggles. Also taught is 3 Dimensional Brainspotting using the “Z-Axis” of Brainspotting close and far, this includes Convergence Therapy which expands the Z-Axis to activate the vagus nerve through the oculocardiac reflex.

Additional technical refinements will be presented including “Rolling Brainspotting,” with slow eye tracking stopping briefly on each Brainspot.

Advanced techniques will also include combined Outside-Inside Brainspotting where both reflexive responses and client sense of highest activation are used together to find Brainspots.

Day 3 will be devoted to the second level of the Advanced Resource Model. This will entail combining the resource aspects of One-Eye and Z Axis Brainspotting. This addresses working with clients with Very Complex PTSD and those outside of the Brainspotting Window of Tolerance.

Techniques will be taught with Power Point lecture, discussion with Q & A, demonstrations and practicums.

Free Event - Heal the Healers

Date TBA
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Free of charge 

Brainspotting MENA founder, Chantale Ishac, and Senior International Trainer, Marie Jose Boon, will co-facilitate a profound brainspotting healing neuroexperiential, open to all mental health clinicians.

The evening will commence with some psych-education followed by an hour of communal healing through the modality of brainspotting. Gift yourself an evening of healing.

Registration required.

Fire Gazing Healing Circle

Al Qudra Desert, Dubai
Rescheduled due to Dubai floods, to February 23 2025
450 aed (inclusive of dinner)

There is an ancient African tribe that has a tradition of sitting around a large fire each month. All members of the tribe would find their “spot” to gaze at in the fire, and allow all emotions and sensations to arise within them. This is one of many examples of how we intuitively and naturally brainspot, across history and humanity.

Brainspotting MENA founder, Chantale Ishac, will facilitate a profound fire gazing healing circle, where all are invited to find their own spot in the fire, and allow their magnificent brain to continue its processing of anything previously interrupted.

The evening will commence with some psych-education and an early, communal light dinner, followed by fire gaze spotting as the sun sets, to late.

Registration required.