What Is Deep Brain Reorienting Therapy?

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a somatic trauma processing therapy guided by neuroscience. The therapy focuses on clearing the shock that was stored in deeper parts of the brain during a traumatic event or attachment disruption. Basically, unhealed shock that’s stored in the deep brain can contribute to many present day psychological and somatic symptoms. Also, DBR Therapy can help to clear out shock and body memories around trauma that may not even be remembered. 

How Does Deep Brain Reorienting Work?

Deep Brain Reorienting was created by Dr. Frank Corrigan a psychiatrist that specializes in trauma. Importantly, the therapy is very specific and neuroscience informed. DBR targets the mid brain and brainstem where it’s now believed that trauma or “shock” is stored. To “talk” to these parts of the brain, we go through the body. 

The three parts of the brain that are targeted in DBR are:

Superior Colliculi– the orienting reflex. In a traumatic experience we either orient towards the threat, or away.

Locus Coeruleus– the initiator of shock.

Periaqueductal Gray (PAG)- emotions and defenses. 

A study in 2023 showed positive results with people who had PTSD symptoms. A total of eight online sessions which were conducted. In short, at a follow up at three months, 52% of the people in the study no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Another larger study is about to begin.

What Does a Deep Brain Reorienting Session Look Like?

A Deep Brain Reorienting therapy session is truly a different experience compared to traditional therapy. Shock trauma happens so fast, therefore in a DBR session we keep things extremely slow. Additionally, we are focusing mainly on body sensations, looking for and making space for shock energy. After we make space for the shock we process the emotions related to the trauma.

The Process

If you were to come to me for DBR therapy at my office in Ventura, California or online, we would first decide what we are working on. This might be a current day trigger or a traumatic memory. To clarify, a current day trigger might be a panic reaction due to a certain stimuli (sound, smell, something you see). It can also be an involuntary flight fight or freeze reaction when a person says something to us in a particular way. Basically, a lot of people with trauma and complex trauma often react to many things in their everyday life due to what the brain learned at an earlier time.

Then we will continue the very specific sequence that is needed to open the “file” to where the trauma lives in the brain. I will guide you through a exercise called the “Where Self”. Basically, this helps your brain to have awareness of where you are in time and space. After this, we continue the DBR process which includes making space for shock sensations in the body. Shock sensations can feel like- electric charge, twitching, tingling, hollowing, emptying and more. Then we make space for any emotions. Lastly, we check in for any shifts in experience and shifts in the deep feelings of who you are.

Deep Brain Reorienting is a slow, quiet therapy aimed to keep you sensation based, which is linked to the lower parts of the brain- where trauma is mainly held. Interestingly, sometimes memories come up, sometimes strange body sensations appear that might feel familiar. 

Reach Out

My therapy office is located in Ventura, close to Ojai, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks. I also see clients online in Los Angeles County and all over California. I offer a complementary 20-minute phone call to discuss working together and to see if Deep Brain Reorienting Therapy is right for you. Feel free to call or send me an email to set up an appointment.