Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) vs. EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and IFS: A Breakthrough Trauma Therapy

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a cutting-edge trauma therapy designed to address and resolve the deep-seated neurological responses that arise during traumatic experiences, particularly those related to attachment wounding. Unlike some traditional therapeutic approaches that focus primarily on cognitive and emotional aspects of trauma, DBR directly targets the brainstem and other subcortical structures involved in the body's instinctual survival mechanisms. This method seeks to transform the body's innate responses to trauma, providing healing at a foundational level.
 

How DBR is Different from Other Trauma Therapies

DBR stands apart from other trauma-focused therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing (SE), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) due to its emphasis on the brain's early, automatic responses to trauma, particularly in the context of attachment wounding. While these therapies are well-established and involve reworking traumatic memories or somatic responses, DBR delves deeper into the brain's survival-oriented circuits.
 

Target Areas:

• DBR: This approach focuses on the brainstem, including areas like the locus coeruleus, and other subcortical regions responsible for the body's primal emotional and physiological responses to trauma. DBR specifically targets the brainstem’s role in processing early attachment disruptions, addressing shock and affective responses stored in these deep brain structures. By working with these foundational brain areas, DBR aims to reorient how the brain and body react to traumatic stimuli, particularly those originating from attachment wounds.
• EMDR: While EMDR engages the cortical regions involved in higher-order processing, it also significantly affects subcortical areas like the amygdala and hippocampus, which are involved in emotional regulation and memory processing. The use of bilateral stimulation in EMDR facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic memories, helping to integrate these memories more adaptively within the brain’s existing networks.
• Somatic Experiencing (SE): SE targets the body’s autonomic responses to trauma, focusing on the physical sensations and incomplete survival responses stored in the body. SE and DBR both address the body's primal reactions to trauma, but SE emphasizes somatic release while DBR focuses on neurological reorientation.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS): IFS views the mind as composed of multiple parts, some of which may become exiled due to trauma. IFS focuses on accessing, acknowledging, and reintegrating these parts. In contrast, DBR addresses the neurological underpinnings of these responses, particularly those rooted in the brainstem and early developmental trauma.

Therapeutic Focus:

• DBR: The primary goal of DBR is to reorient and resolve the automatic, survival-based responses activated during traumatic experiences, particularly in cases of attachment trauma where the brainstem's shock and affective responses are deeply encoded. This leads to a more fundamental transformation in how trauma is processed and integrated.
• EMDR: EMDR focuses on desensitizing and reprocessing traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation, which helps the brain reintegrate these memories in a less distressing way, alleviating symptoms like flashbacks and emotional distress.
• Somatic Experiencing (SE): SE facilitates the release of physical tension and the completion of defensive responses stored in the body, allowing for the resolution of trauma at a somatic level.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS): IFS works by accessing and healing the internal “parts” of the self that have been impacted by trauma, promoting reintegration and harmony within the individual.

Processing Mechanism:

• DBR: DBR works by accessing and reorienting the physiological sequence that the brainstem goes through in response to trauma, particularly the orienting, tension, affect, and shock (OTAS) sequence. By addressing these deep-seated responses, DBR facilitates instinctual healing at the most fundamental level, especially for attachment wounds.
• EMDR: EMDR reprocesses traumatic memories, reducing the emotional intensity and reactivity associated with them. It engages both cortical and subcortical structures to support healing.
• Somatic Experiencing (SE): SE works by allowing clients to experience and discharge physical sensations associated with trauma, promoting the completion of survival responses that were inhibited during the traumatic event.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS): IFS focuses on the internal dialogue between different parts of the self, guiding the process of accessing, acknowledging, and reintegrating exiled parts to restore internal harmony.

Who Can Benefit from DBR?

DBR may be particularly beneficial for individuals who have experienced severe trauma, especially those whose trauma has led to deeply ingrained survival responses that have not been fully addressed by other therapies. This includes:
 

• Individuals with complex PTSD.
• Those who have not found sufficient relief through traditional therapies like EMDR, SE, or IFS.
• Patients with deep-seated emotional and physiological trauma responses, particularly related to attachment wounds.
• Anyone seeking a more profound and transformative approach to trauma healing.

How DBR Can Help with Healing

DBR can facilitate healing by:
 

• Accessing Deep-Seated Trauma: DBR targets the brain’s instinctual response mechanisms, including those activated by early attachment wounds. By addressing the brainstem's OTAS sequence, DBR helps to access and process trauma at a fundamental neurological level.
• Transforming Survival Responses: By reorienting the brain's survival responses, including the deep shock and affect responses in the brainstem, DBR helps patients shift from a state of chronic hypervigilance and anxiety to one of safety and calm.
• Reducing Symptoms: Patients often experience a reduction in symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and hypervigilance as the brain’s trauma responses are reprocessed and resolved.
• Promoting Emotional Regulation: Through the deep processing of trauma, DBR helps individuals gain better control over their emotional responses, leading to improved overall well-being.

Conclusion

Deep Brain Reorienting offers a promising avenue for those seeking deep and transformative healing from trauma. By directly engaging the brain's most fundamental survival mechanisms, especially those related to early attachment wounds, DBR provides a unique and effective approach to overcoming the lingering effects of traumatic experiences. While EMDR, SE, and IFS remain effective and widely used therapies, DBR's focus on the brainstem and subcortical areas offers a complementary path that may be particularly beneficial for individuals with complex and deeply ingrained trauma responses.
 

Begin Your Road Towards Healing with Evolve Therapy Today

Are you struggling with unresolved trauma, anxiety, or emotional pain? At Evolve Therapy, we offer Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) therapy to help you heal from the inside out. Our compassionate, expert therapist will guide you through this transformative process, targeting the root causes of your distress and fostering profound healing.
 

Take the first step towards a healthier, happier you by contacting Evolve Therapy to learn more about Deep Brain Reorienting and how we can help you heal. Visit our office in Phoenix, Arizona, or call (602) 755-3900 to book a consultation today.
 

References:

Corrigan, F. M., & Christie-Sands, J. (2020). 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. Medical Hypotheses, 136, 109502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109502

Kearney, B. E., Corrigan, F. M., Frewen, P. A., Nevill, S., Harricharan, S., Andrews, K., Jetly, R., McKinnon, M. C., & Lanius, R. A. (2023). A randomized controlled trial of Deep Brain Reorienting: A neuroscientifically guided treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 14(2), 2240691. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2023.2240691

Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.

Schwartz, R. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. Guilford Press.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.