DBR

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), developed by Dr. Frank Corrigan, is a gentle, neuroscience-based approach to trauma healing that focuses on the body’s instinctive survival responses—those automatic reactions that occur beneath conscious awareness when we experience threat, fear, or relational pain.

 

Unlike traditional talk therapies that primarily address thoughts and emotions, DBR works at a deeper, physiological level, targeting the brainstem and other subcortical areas responsible for the body’s natural responses to danger. By accessing and resolving these deeply held reactions, DBR allows the nervous system to complete interrupted survival processes, creating space for genuine calm, connection, and safety.

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In practice, DBR helps clients gradually process the shock and tension held in the body after trauma or attachment injury. Once this shock begins to release, emotional experiences become easier to access and regulate. The process begins by gently engaging the part of the brain (the superior colliculus) that orients us toward threat or safety, helping clients remain present and grounded even as difficult memories surface.

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DBR also reaches the core pain of loneliness or disconnection that often lies beneath trauma. As these deep emotional and physiological patterns unwind, individuals experience a more profound sense of integration, safety, and inner peace.

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Ultimately, the goal of DBR is to reorient the brain and body from survival to safety—transforming how trauma is held and allowing for deeper healing, particularly for those whose wounds stem from early attachment disruptions or relational trauma.