Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) Therapy in Tucson
A precise, nervous-system-based trauma therapy for early shock, developmental trauma, and deeply held threat responses
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a specialized trauma therapy developed to address shock and threat responses that occur before conscious thought or emotion.
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Many people who seek DBR have tried other forms of trauma therapy and still experience shutdown, overwhelm, dissociation, or strong reactions that feel automatic and uncontrollable. DBR works at the level where those responses originate.
What Is Complex Trauma?
DBR is a bottom-up, neurophysiological trauma therapy developed by psychiatrist Frank Corrigan.
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Rather than focusing on memories, beliefs, or emotional expression, DBR works with the earliest brain-based threat responses—often formed before language, meaning, or narrative.
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These responses are not stored as stories. They are held as patterns of tension, orienting, shock, and survival readiness in the nervous system.
DBR helps these patterns resolve at their source.
What Makes DBR Different from Other Trauma Therapies
DBR is distinct from both traditional talk therapy and many trauma-processing approaches.
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DBR does not rely on:
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Reliving or retelling traumatic events
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Exposure or repeated emotional activation
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Visualization or rescripting
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Cognitive reframing
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Instead, DBR focuses on:
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The orienting response (how the nervous system first detects threat)
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The shock response (the moment of impact or freeze)
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Allowing the nervous system to complete responses that were interrupted at the time of trauma
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Because of this, DBR is often especially helpful for trauma that occurred early, suddenly, or repeatedly, where there was little ability to respond or escape.
What DBR Is Especially Helpful For
DBR is commonly used with adults experiencing:
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Developmental or childhood trauma
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Early attachment or relational trauma
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Shock trauma (medical trauma, accidents, sudden events)
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Dissociation, shutdown, or collapse responses
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Startle responses or chronic hypervigilance
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Trauma that feels “in the body” rather than in memory
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Many clients report that DBR reaches material that other approaches could not access safely or effectively.
How DBR Therapy Works Here
DBR sessions are slow, contained, and highly attentive to nervous system signals. The work is guided by what your system is doing in the present—not by forcing recall or emotion.
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1. Establishing Safety and Orientation
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Before any processing, we ensure your nervous system has enough stability and orientation to remain present without overwhelm.
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2. Tracking the Orienting Response
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We carefully track subtle signals related to how your nervous system detects threat—often experienced as tension, pulling, or holding in the head, neck, or upper body.
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3. Allowing Shock Responses to Resolve
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DBR allows shock responses to complete naturally, without pushing into emotion or story. This phase is quiet, precise, and deeply regulating.
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4. Integration
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As the nervous system no longer needs to stay organized around threat, many people notice reduced symptoms, less effort to function, and greater internal calm over time.
DBR and Complex Trauma or Dissociation
DBR is particularly well-suited for people who dissociate or shut down during other trauma therapies.
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Because DBR works prior to emotional flooding or narrative recall, it often allows trauma resolution without overwhelming the system.
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When used skillfully and with proper pacing, DBR can support integration while respecting protective responses rather than overriding them.
DBR as Part of an Integrated Approach
DBR is not used in isolation or applied mechanically.
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Depending on your needs, DBR may be integrated with:
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Ego State Therapy for parts-oriented work
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Nervous system regulation and stabilization
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Brainspotting-informed trauma processing
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The guiding principle is always readiness, consent, and nervous system capacity.
Is DBR Therapy a Fit?
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DBR may be a good fit if you:
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Feel stuck despite previous trauma therapy
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Experience shutdown, dissociation, or overwhelm
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Have early or developmental trauma
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Want precise, nervous-system-based trauma work
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Prefer a slower, contained approach
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DBR may not be a good fit if you:
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Want rapid emotional release or catharsis
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Prefer highly directive or protocol-driven sessions
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Need crisis-level or inpatient care