Brainspotting Intensives in Milwaukee

For people who've talked it through and still feel it in their body, and for people who never wanted to talk it through in the first place. A Brainspotting intensive gives you focused, extended time over one to three days with Sam Coulson, LCSW.

Book Your Free 15-Minute Consultation

Or call (414) 677-7948. Intensives are in person at our Milwaukee office on Prospect Ave.

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a brain-body therapy developed by David Grand, PhD. It's built on the idea that where you look can connect to how you feel. With your therapist's support, you find an eye position (a "brainspot") linked to a feeling or body sensation, and stay with it while your brain and body process what comes up.

It's less structured than most therapy. There's no script to follow and you don't have to explain your story in detail. Many people describe it as less like talking and more like noticing.

Why an intensive?

In a weekly 50-minute session, a lot of time goes to warming up and winding down, and then there's a week of life before you pick it back up. An intensive gives you longer blocks with breaks built in, so the work isn't cut off just as it starts to move.

Who a Brainspotting intensive is for

• People who've done talk therapy and feel stuck. You understand your story. You can explain it. It still shows up in your body, your reactions, or your sleep.
• People who don't want to talk it through. You'd rather not describe what happened, or you can't find the words for it.
• Men who've never done therapy. Or who tried it once and it felt like sitting across from someone waiting for you to have feelings on cue.
• Performance blocks. Athletes, performers, and professionals who freeze, choke, or hit the same wall under pressure.
• Stress that lives in your body. Tension, a tight chest, a jaw that won't unclench, a startle that hasn't settled.

Brainspotting is commonly used to address trauma, anxiety, grief, performance blocks, and body-held stress.

Brainspotting intensive or EMDR intensive?

Shoreside offers both, with two different therapists. They're both brain-based approaches to trauma. The difference is mostly in how they feel.

Looking specifically for EMDR? See EMDR Intensives with Kristen Holmes →
Not sure which one fits? Book a consult and we'll help you choose. There's no wrong door.

Your therapist

Sam Coulson, LCSW

Sam is a trauma-informed psychotherapist trained in Brainspotting and EMDR. His style is warm, collaborative, and flexible, and he works with a lot of men who've never been in therapy before. Sam sees clients in person at Shoreside's Milwaukee office on Prospect Avenue, where all of his intensives take place. Weekly sessions are also available online across Wisconsin.

Meet Sam →

What an intensive looks like

1. Free 15-minute consultation. We make sure a Brainspotting intensive fits what you're looking for.
2. Planning session (included). Sam gets to know you, your history, and what you want to focus on, and makes sure you have ways to steady yourself.
3. Your intensive day or days. Extended Brainspotting blocks with breaks built in.
4. Integration session (included). Time to make sense of what came up and plan what's next, whether that's weekly therapy, another intensive, or nothing more for now.

When an intensive isn't the right first step

If that's you, it isn't a no. Weekly therapy is usually the safer place to start, and we'll help you find the right fit.

Cost

Every format includes the planning session, integration session, and follow-up resources. A 50% deposit reserves your dates. Cancel 2 or more weeks ahead and your deposit is refunded; cancellations within 2 weeks forfeit the deposit.

Shoreside is a private-pay, out-of-network practice. We provide a superbill you may be able to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Many plans do not reimburse intensive formats, so check with yours. HSA and FSA funds can often be used.

Questions people ask