What is DBR?
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is an evidence-informed trauma therapy approach designed to help individuals process traumatic experiences at their deepest neurological roots. DBR focuses on the brainstem and midbrain, which are responsible for survival responses such as orienting, shock, freeze, and threat detection.
Unlike approaches that rely heavily on retelling the story of what happened, DBR works with the body’s earliest responses to threat. These responses often occur before conscious memory and are frequently stored as tension, shutdown, dissociation, emotional overwhelm, or persistent feelings of danger.
DBR is often described as a gentle approach because it prioritizes safety, pacing, and nervous system stability throughout the process.
How DBR Works
When something overwhelming happens, the brain and nervous system respond instantly. Before the thinking mind has time to process what is happening, the body may go into survival mode.
For many people, trauma becomes “stuck” at this early level of activation. Even years later, the nervous system may still respond as if danger is present, leading to symptoms such as hypervigilance, emotional flooding, shutdown, or dissociation.
DBR works by slowing down and carefully tracking the body’s early orienting response. With the support of a therapist, clients learn to notice subtle sensations in the head, face, eyes, and upper body that reflect the nervous system’s original shock response.
By processing trauma at this early neurological level, DBR can help reduce chronic survival activation and support deeper emotional integration without overwhelming the system.
In simple terms, DBR helps the nervous system complete what it could not complete at the time of the trauma.
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Approaches
Top-Down
Bottom-Up
What DBR Can Help With
DBR is often helpful for individuals who feel impacted by trauma, even if they have difficulty identifying a specific event or talking about what happened.
DBR may be helpful for:
- developmental trauma and childhood wounds
- attachment trauma and relational trauma
- chronic anxiety or a persistent sense of danger
- emotional overwhelm, shutdown, or numbness
- dissociation or feeling disconnected from yourself
- panic symptoms and hypervigilance
- trauma stored in the body without clear memories
- processing pre-verbal or early trauma
- chronic stress patterns and nervous system dysregulation
- intense shame, fear, or self-blame
- trauma responses that have not shifted through talk therapy alone
Many clients find DBR supportive when they have insight into their history but still feel stuck in the same emotional and physiological patterns.
Is DBR Right for Me?
DBR may be a good fit if you:
- feel chronically activated or emotionally shut down
- experience dissociation or “checking out”
- feel trauma stored in your body but cannot easily talk about it
- have strong triggers without clear explanation
- have tried talk therapy but still feel stuck in survival patterns
- want trauma work that feels gentle, structured, and paced
- struggle with shame, fear, or a sense of being unsafe
DBR is often well-suited for individuals who need trauma processing that respects the nervous system’s limits and prioritizes safety.
What to Expect in DBR Sessions
DBR is a slow and carefully paced approach. It does not require you to force memories, retell traumatic events in detail, or push beyond what feels manageable. Most DBR work includes:
Safety and Nervous System Preparation
Identifying the Focus
Tracking the Orienting Response
Processing and Integration
Why We Use DBR at Foothills Integrative
At Foothills Integrative, we believe trauma healing must include the nervous system. DBR aligns strongly with our philosophy of change because it works at the level where trauma begins, before words and stories are fully formed.
We use DBR because it supports:
- deep trauma healing without forcing re-exposure
- careful pacing for clients with dissociation or overwhelm
- nervous system repair and increased capacity for presence
- integration of trauma responses stored beneath conscious awareness
- emotional and relational healing that unfolds over time
DBR is not about pushing through. It is about helping the nervous system feel safe enough to release what it has been holding.
Our DBR Therapists
Take the Next Step
Healing doesn’t require going back into trauma alone. With the right support, the nervous system can complete what it never got to finish the first time.
If DBR feels like it might be the right fit, the best first step is a conversation. We offer a free 20-minute consultation to help you explore fit, ask questions, and determine what approach feels right for you.
No pressure, just presence.
In-person sessions in Okotoks, and virtual therapy across Alberta.
Common Questions About DBR
No. DBR is specifically helpful when memories are unclear or absent.
DBR is particularly effective for trauma, but can also support anxiety, emotional shutdown, dissociation, and chronic freeze states.
DBR can be deep work, but sessions move at a safe pace. You will not be pushed beyond what your nervous system can tolerate.
Yes. DBR often enhances other modalities by first reducing shock and dissociation.
