It has been developed mainly for the treatment of attachment shock; but it can also be applied to the processing of other unresolved traumatic experiences.
It has been developed mainly for the treatment of attachment shock; but it can also be applied to the processing of other unresolved traumatic experiences.
The indication that past events continue to have an impact is that there are clinically significant symptoms which would not be present if the experiences had not occurred.
It has been developed mainly for the treatment of attachment shock; but it can also be applied to the processing of other unresolved traumatic experiences.
The indication that past events continue to have an impact is that there are clinically significant symptoms which would not be present if the experiences had not occurred.
It has been developed mainly for the treatment of attachment shock; but it can also be applied to the processing of other unresolved traumatic experiences.
The indication that past events continue to have an impact is that there are clinically significant symptoms which would not be present if the experiences had not occurred.
It has been developed mainly for the treatment of attachment shock; but it can also be applied to the processing of other unresolved traumatic experiences.
The indication that past events continue to have an impact is that there are clinically significant symptoms which would not be present if the experiences had not occurred.
However, it can often be difficult to get to the core of an adverse experience to liberate this healing flow. Sometimes it is difficult because returning to the event is emotionally overwhelming and there is a protective tendency to turn attention away from the memory as soon as possible. Sometimes there is a more evident dissociation from the present-day experience through numbing, blanking out, shutting down, or switching into a self-state like that which occurred at the time of the original trauma. Sometimes there has been a shock – before the emotions became intense – which replays so fast that it is easily missed during treatment. More commonly it is because the original experience that was so disturbing has been covered in layers of thoughts and feelings and distressing re-experiencing. It may also have been compounded by relational problems which themselves were precipitated by the continuing distress.
The first structure capable of initiating a movement response is the superior colliculus (SC), which can direct eye movements. The SC also prepares the head for turning by bringing in tension in the muscles of the neck. This orienting tension, although often fleeting and unnoticed, is a major component of DBR. The focus in a DBR session on face and neck tension arising from turning attention to the memory of the traumatic event, or to whatever has been the present-day trigger, gives an anchor in the part of the memory sequence that occurred before the shock or emotional overwhelm that is leading to the continuing symptoms. Deepening awareness into this orienting tension provides an anchor for grounding in the present so that the mind is neither swept away by the high intensity emotions, nor diverted into a compartment holding a self-state frozen in time in which contact with the present is lost. Although the theory is simple the practice of DBR can be difficult. It does not work for everyone. Therapists who will find it most useful are those who use transformational trauma therapy approaches that are body-based, or “bottom-up”. These approaches do not rely on restructuring of thoughts or meanings at a complex verbal level for “top-down” control of symptoms, nor do they rely on exposure for establishing cortical control of fear responses.
The first structure capable of initiating a movement response is the superior colliculus (SC), which can direct eye movements. The SC also prepares the head for turning by bringing in tension in the muscles of the neck. This orienting tension, although often fleeting and unnoticed, is a major component of DBR. The focus in a DBR session on face and neck tension arising from turning attention to the memory of the traumatic event, or to whatever has been the present-day trigger, gives an anchor in the part of the memory sequence that occurred before the shock or emotional overwhelm that is leading to the continuing symptoms. Deepening awareness into this orienting tension provides an anchor for grounding in the present so that the mind is neither swept away by the high intensity emotions, nor diverted into a compartment holding a self-state frozen in time in which contact with the present is lost. Although the theory is simple the practice of DBR can be difficult. It does not work for everyone. Therapists who will find it most useful are those who use transformational trauma therapy approaches that are body-based, or “bottom-up”. These approaches do not rely on restructuring of thoughts or meanings at a complex verbal level for “top-down” control of symptoms, nor do they rely on exposure for establishing cortical control of fear responses.
In more complex forms of PTSD there may be more derealisation and depersonalisation, consistent with the brain’s attempts to avoid being overwhelmed by shock and horror, and by intense affects of fear, rage, grief, or shame. The more dissociative forms of PTSD occur when there has been early life attachment disruption preceding other traumatic experience. Dissociative disorders may arise from early life separation experiences experienced as painful and unresolved even when there has been no later abuse. The pain of aloneness may be an internal driver of defensive and affective responses and may thus contribute to difficulties in regulating emotions. Any such difficulty may lead to efforts to control distress through substance abuse, eating disorders, or self-harm – or it may be expressed through troublesome anxiety or mood disturbance. It is not so much the clinical presentation which is important for DBR – but whether there is an underlying event or experience at the origin of the distress.
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.
This workshop is hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for mental health professionals who have completed Day 1 DBR Basic and Day 2 DBR Advanced training.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
Two-day online workshops presenting the basic training for Deep Brain Reorienting (Day 1) and an advanced workshop on attachment (Day 2).
Who should attend?
This workshop is for regulated mental health professionals with at least a Master’s degree in the mental health field (e.g. psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and registered social workers) who have experience with providing trauma treatment psychotherapies to adult clients.
Hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
Two-day online workshops presenting the basic training for Deep Brain Reorienting (Day 1) and an advanced workshop on attachment (Day 2).
Who should attend?
This workshop is for regulated mental health professionals with at least a Master’s degree in the mental health field (e.g. psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and registered social workers) who have experience with providing trauma treatment psychotherapies to adult clients.
Hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
This workshop is hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for mental health professionals who have completed Day 1 DBR Basic and Day 2 DBR Advanced training.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
This workshop is hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for mental health professionals who have completed Day 1 DBR Basic and Day 2 DBR Advanced training.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
Two-day online workshops presenting the basic training for Deep Brain Reorienting (Day 1) and an advanced workshop on attachment (Day 2).
Who should attend?
This workshop is for regulated mental health professionals with at least a Master’s degree in the mental health field (e.g. psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and registered social workers) who have experience with providing trauma treatment psychotherapies to adult clients.
Hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
Two-day online workshops presenting the basic training for Deep Brain Reorienting (Day 1) and an advanced workshop on attachment (Day 2).
Who should attend?
This workshop is for regulated mental health professionals with at least a Master’s degree in the mental health field (e.g. psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and registered social workers) who have experience with providing trauma treatment psychotherapies to adult clients.
Hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/
This workshop is hosted by Centre for Trauma and Stress, Ontario.
Who should attend?
This workshop is for mental health professionals who have completed Day 1 DBR Basic and Day 2 DBR Advanced training.
For information and registration please go to https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/for-professionals/