Deep Brain Reorientation

Deep Brain Reorientation (DBR) is an innovative trauma therapy approach developed by Dr. Frank Corrigan that targets the brainstem's survival responses underlying traumatic symptoms. This modality works by helping clients access and process the primitive fear responses stored in the midbrain—specifically the colliculi and periaqueductal gray—which can remain activated long after a traumatic event. Through gentle guided attention to bodily sensations and orienting responses, DBR helps complete the interrupted defensive reactions that became frozen during trauma, allowing the nervous system to reset and discharge the stuck survival energy. Unlike traditional top-down approaches, DBR works directly with the subcortical structures responsible for automatic threat detection and defensive responses, often producing rapid relief from symptoms like hypervigilance, flashbacks, dissociation, and chronic fear states. This bottom-up approach can be particularly effective for complex trauma, early developmental trauma, and cases where verbal processing alone has been insufficient.