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I believe that all people are capable of change and have the internal capacity to shift unhealthy patterns in their lives. Sometimes, we need a little help because we get "stuck" in old patterns that have been well honed through past hurts or traumatic events and cannot seem to find a new path forward. This is not through a lack of desire of wanting it to be different, but due to the impact that these difficult and painful life events have had on the part of our brain that controls how we react to these stressors. 

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When we experience deep pain-- through relationships, situations, or trauma--these experiences are stored deeply in the subcortical area of the brain. This pain remains there, unprocessed, and can cause disruptions in day to day life. This can look like over-reactions to noise/stress due to growing up in a chaotic environment, difficulty asserting yourself with heart palpitations and chest tightness due to that "bad boss" that berated you, stomach pain every time you drive by your ex's neighborhood despite the fact that you have not dated in years, or overwhelming grief each year when the anniversary of a significant loss occurs.  While traditional talk therapy can be helpful, it is not able to access the deeper, subcortical areas of the brain.  

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I utilize Brainspotting as a therapeutic technique, to support the brain's self scanning and self-healing capacity.  Brainspotting enables you to access these stored experiences and integrate them in a more functional way.  By utilizing an eye position relevant to the issue you are wanting to address, and a "felt sense" of this issue in the body, deep brain processing is able to occur.  This bypasses the conscious, "thinking" part of the brain, and leads to lasting change.

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I also utilize a blend of other approaches including cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, directive and non-directive play therapy and draw from attachment based and neuroscience supported interventions in my work.  

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Lisa Peaty received her Masters in Social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She has 20 years of clinical social work experience, working with children and families and has spent the past 14 years practicing as a therapist in the Winston-Salem community.  When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, baking, exercising and reading.