about DBR

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a newer, neuroscience-informed psychotherapy developed by psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan following decades of clinical work with trauma, primarily using EMDR. It builds on this foundation while integrating advances in neuroscience, with a focus on how the brain processes shock.

When something unexpected or overwhelming occurs, the brain can enter a state of shock activation originating in deeper structures involved in threat detection and orientation. Even when other meaningful healing work has been done, this deeper layer of unresolved shock can continue to influence symptoms in daily life.

When shock remains unresolved, it can amplify what follows - emotional reactivity, levels of distress, and patterns of vigilance. The brain is constantly predicting what will happen next, and when something unexpected occurs - especially in moments of vulnerability - the nervous system may remain more sensitive afterward. This can show up as heightened startle responses, increased sensitivity to tone of voice or interpersonal cues, sleep disturbances, or a general sense of being more easily activated.

In our work, when considering whether DBR may be helpful, we may use the Shock-Induced Vigilance Scale to explore whether this pattern of shock activation is contributing to your experience. This helps us develop a shared understanding of how these responses may be operating within your nervous system.

If appropriate, we can then gently explore this process together using what DBR calls a Contemporary Activating Stimulus - a mild or innocuous cue in the present moment - to observe how the nervous system organizes around the unexpected. This allows us to work directly with deeper brain processes involved in shock, supporting the system in completing and resolving responses that may have remained unfinished.

Throughout this work, we maintain an IFS-informed approach - respecting the whole system, asking permission, and moving at a pace that feels right. We then integrate the experience with any parts impacted along the way, supporting a more cohesive and regulated internal system. As this layer of activation settles, there is often more space to connect with parts that may have been harder to reach, allowing deeper healing work to unfold.

Watch Frank Corrigan, MD discuss DBR

research

A randomized controlled trial of Deep Brain Reorienting: a neuroscientifically guided treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder

An innate brainstem self–other system involving orienting, affective responding, and polyvalent relational seeking: Some clinical implications for a “Deep Brain Reorienting” trauma psychotherapy approach

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Group KAP

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