Deep Brain Reorienting
What Is Deep Brain Reorienting?
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a neuroscience-based therapeutic approach designed to access and resolve the body’s earliest responses to trauma—before emotional overwhelm or narrative memory take over. Unlike traditional talk therapy, DBR works with subtle physical sensations linked to the brainstem’s orienting response, such as tension around the forehead, eyes, or back of the neck.
By guiding you to stay present with these sensations, DBR supports the gentle release of trauma stored deep within the nervous system, offering profound healing that starts from the inside out.
How Deep Brain Reorienting Can Help
DBR is especially helpful for individuals who:
- Feel stuck despite trying other therapy approaches
- Experience chronic emotional tension or physical symptoms with no clear cause
- Struggle with dissociation or emotional shutdown
- React strongly in relationships or under stress without understanding why
- Carry early attachment wounds or developmental trauma
- Suffer from PTSD and are seeking to process and reduce their symptoms
- Face anxiety and depression rooted in unresolved traumatic experiences
Because DBR bypasses the thinking mind and works directly with the body’s trauma responses, it can create lasting shifts even in deeply rooted patterns.
What to Expect in DBR Sessions
Sessions are slow-paced and highly attuned to your body’s signals. Here’s a brief overview of what to expect:
- You’ll be guided to notice physical sensations that arise when focusing on a difficult memory or emotional reaction.
- The therapist will help you stay with the orienting tension—often felt in the head, eyes, or neck—before the emotional response fully activates.
- By holding awareness in that pre-affective state, the nervous system is given space to unwind trauma from its source.
- Sessions unfold gently, and the focus is always on safety, regulation, and body awareness.
You do not need to retell traumatic stories or relive painful events for DBR to be effective.
Our Approach to Deep Brain Reorienting
At Maribel Ayala Psychotherapy and Consulting, we are proud to offer Deep Brain Reorienting as part of our integrative trauma care. Maribel has completed advanced DBR training (Levels 1, 2 and 3) and brings a deep respect for the nervous system’s role in healing.
We incorporate DBR alongside other somatic and attachment-based therapies such as EMDR and Brainspotting to meet each client where they are. Our approach is grounded in compassion, attunement, and an understanding that trauma often lives in the body long before it can be put into words. With DBR, we offer a way to heal from the inside out—at a pace that feels safe and supported.
