Deep Brain Reorienting for Clients with Dissociative Disorders

Abstract
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) ® is a neuroscientifically-guided trauma psychotherapy that aims to access and process traumatic experiences by tracking the original sequence of physiological responses that occurred when the deep brain was alerted to a threatening, horrifying or shocking stimulus, including those indicative of a severe attachment disruption (Corrigan & Christie-Sands, 2019). It was developed by Frank Corrigan as a way of treating post-traumatic conditions which had a reduced risk of overwhelm and associated emotional dysregulation. A recent randomized control trial of DBR showed evidence for the effectiveness of DBR in the treatment of PTSD (Kearney, B.E., Corrigan, F.M., Frewen, P.A., Nevill, S., Harricharan, et al., 2023).

Clinical experience with DBR in dissociative disorders supports the view that the significant processing of traumatic experiences is working underneath the levels of dissociation which are often encountered in therapy. The attention to the orienting mechanisms of the brainstem allows the clearing, without overwhelm or state switching, of the shock that often, if not always in severe trauma, precedes affective and defensive responses. This allows clients, including clients with complex trauma and dissociation, to clear shock and access core pain in a way that is more manageable and, therefore, more dignifying and respectful to their healing journey.

Contemporary activating stimuli rather than past activations are often recommended as pathways into the clearing of longstanding shock that has been activating the brain in clinically significant ways, including the intensification of dissociative symptoms.

This three-hour presentation will address the neurobiology of dissociative disorders in the DBR model. It will also discuss clinical applications of using DBR with clients with complex trauma and dissociation. This presentation will propose a treatment model that is a divergence from more “cortical” approaches, including “parts work”. We will present strategies within the DBR model that allow the clearing of the shock that often activates dissociation so that the client receives direct benefit in the present day for troublesome symptoms. We will also discuss considerations in using DBR with a client population with complex trauma and dissociative disorders including readiness for processing and how to navigate (and ideally prevent) challenges while processing.

Timed Outline
75 Minutes - Theory and Neurobiology of Dissociative Disorders in DBR
15 Minutes - Whereself Exercise
30 Minutes - Break
60 Minutes - Clinical applications of DBR with clients with dissociative disorders
20 Minutes - Q&A
10 Minutes - Protoself Exercise