Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR):

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)® is a neuroscience-based treatment for PTSD that targets the sequence of events that occurred in the brainstem at the time of the traumatic event. The sequence of events at the time of the initial shock during a traumatic event occurs through 3 areas of the brain in the brainstem and the midbrain: the superior colliculus, locus coeruleus, and periaqueductal grey.

DBR aims to access the core of the traumatic experience in a way which tracks the original physiological sequence in the brainstem, the part of the brain which is rapidly online in situations of danger or attachment disruption. There may be threat and attachment wounding together when, for example, an experience of abandonment in infancy activates age-appropriate fears for survival.

The initial shock of trauma – that split-second jolt of threat – often gets stored in the deepest parts of the brain.

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) aims to access and resolve the earliest imprint of trauma – that shock that occurs before emotions even take shape.

What to expect in a DBR session?

So what happens in a DBR session? The DBR process involves bringing up a recent traumatic trigger (e.g., the harsh tone of a stranger’s voice) while mentally focusing on what happens in the muscles of the shoulders, neck, head and face. When we are faced with a threatening person or situation, we use these muscles to pay attention to it – we turn our head and eyes toward the threat, even before any emotion sets in. Throughout the session, the therapist guides the client to notice the tension, and slowly notice any sensations that change in the tension and any instincts to move their head. The therapist also helps the client mindfully observe if any emotions arise in response to the changes in tension.

At the end of the session, the therapist helps the client feel present and asks if their sense of themselves or their sense of the world has changed. By the end of the session, the client often feels a sense of relief physically and emotionally and has new perspectives, which they are encouraged to remain aware of after the session.