Deep Brain Reorienting
Resolving trauma at the brainstem level before emotion or thought.
DBR is a gentle, neuroscience-based trauma therapy that works at the level of the brainstem — the part of the brain responsible for our most automatic survival responses like flinching, freezing, and shutting down.
It targets the orienting reflex — the body’s very first reaction to perceived threat, before thoughts, before emotions, before memory. Unlike trauma therapies that ask you to revisit painful memories, DBR helps you access and process the shock beneath the story, making it more tolerable — and often more effective — especially for clients with preverbal trauma.
We use DBR to support clients who:
Feel like something’s “off,” but can’t explain what or why
Have deeply rooted shame or fear that seems to come out of nowhere
Tend to dissociate, zone out, or go numb under stress
Have early attachment wounds or preverbal trauma
Have done a lot of therapy… and still feel stuck
How it works:
When something overwhelming happens, the body registers it instantly — often before the brain has time to make meaning of it. That signal gets locked in at the brainstem level.
DBR traces that original shock response by tracking subtle physical cues, often in the neck, head, and face. We don’t go looking for memories or try to analyze anything. We follow the body’s instinctual wisdom — gently, slowly, precisely — to resolve the unfinished survival response underneath.
What sessions look like:
DBR is slow, quiet, and deeply attuned. With your eyes closed, your therapist will gently guide you to track subtle physical sensations — often in your neck, face, or head — as you tune into that pre-conscious moment of bracing or tension.
You won’t be asked to recall memories.
You won’t be pushed to talk through pain.
What You Might Feel Afterward
Clients often describe feeling:
A subtle but profound internal shift
Deep relaxation or calm in the body
A sense of relief from something they didn’t even know they were carrying
Temporary tiredness as their system integrates
Physical sensations like tension melting, warmth, chills, or energy release
Over time, clients often notice that they’re responding to life differently — feeling more regulated, less reactive, and more present in their relationships.
