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Brain Illustration

Deep Brain Reorienting

Deep Brain Reorienting is a new type of therapy that is informed by studying how the brain functions and is generally experienced as an effective and gentle process for alleviating traumatic symptoms. 

 

People frequently report DBR sessions lead to shifts in how they see themselves and the world. These shifts often include more compassion and understanding for themselves.

 

This therapy follows a sequence of events that happens in the brain after something that is overwhelming or traumatic occurs.

 

The sequence includes:

(1)    orienting tension around the eyes, forehead or back of the neck

(2)    shock responses that feel like bracing, surges of energy throughout the body, a sense of hollowing or emptying

(3)    emotional responses including grief, anger, fear or shame

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Watch Deirdre Fay interview the creator, Frank Corrigan.

Starting with Strong Reactions in Everyday Life

When we are reacting with anger or fear in our everyday life, our sensations and feelings are happening so quickly they bind together in a familiar and unchanging pattern. For example, if every time we see an angry face we notice a strong reaction, this reaction may involve tightening around the eyes, bracing shoulders, fear and a sinking feeling in our stomach. This reaction feels immediate. Perhaps we have learned ways to override and manage it, but the reaction feels consistent across many different interpersonal situations.

 

 

 

 

Following the Sequence of the Deep Brain

When we slow down this sequence of sensations and feelings using Deep Brain Reorienting, we have the opportunity to transform and resolve this long-standing pattern in the brain and body. And over the course of a few sessions, we may feel less stuck in this familiar pattern of responses.

Working Below the Thinking Brain

Following these deep brain sequences, we are working underneath the cognitive and narrative levels of the brain and working with very early cognitive patterns which likely impact many different parts of our lives. This means that the healing brought about by  DBR may have significant positive impacts in many areas of your life. In the example above, perhaps the reaction to anger has lessoned, allowing for more connection to self when encountering others who are angry.

What is a DBR Session like?

The sessions begin with a discussion of what the client would like to focus on. Once a target to focus on is decided, the therapist will guide the client to connect with a sense of their body, spending some time orienting to where their body is located in the room and where the room is located.

 

After this, the therapist will invite the client to refocus on the target and to notice any orienting tension. After this the therapist will support the client to stay with the sequence. If there are many sensations at once, the therapist may help the client choose which sensation best follows the sequence.

 

If at any time the sensations or feelings become overwhelming or dissociating begins, the client can return to the orienting tension. Generally, at the end of the session the tension and emotions decrease in intensity and a different perspective on the area of focus for the session emerges.

 

While this therapy is new, there is already some promising research. A study from 2023 provided 8 sessions of DBR to people with trauma symptoms which resulted in a significant reduction of symptoms.

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