If you've been researching trauma therapy, you've probably encountered both Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Both are evidence-based approaches to treating trauma, and both have helped many people recover from painful experiences.
Having practiced both, I ultimately chose Deep Brain Reorienting as the trauma-processing modality I use in my practice.
People often ask why.
The answer isn't that EMDR is ineffective. It is often effective. EMDR has a substantial research base and has helped countless people around the world. My decision came from my own clinical experience after working extensively with both approaches and observing how my clients responded.
EMDR is one of the best-known trauma therapies. During treatment, clients recall distressing memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or alternating taps. Over time, many people find that traumatic memories become less emotionally overwhelming and are integrated more adaptively.
EMDR transformed the treatment of trauma and remains an excellent therapy for many individuals.
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a newer trauma therapy developed by psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan. Rather than beginning with thoughts, beliefs, or even emotions, DBR focuses on the brain's earliest orienting response—the automatic neurological process that occurs before conscious awareness when something significant happens.
This approach allows therapy to work with experiences at a remarkably early level of processing, often before a person has words for what occurred.
In my experience, many clients experience DBR as slower, gentler, and less overwhelming than they expected trauma therapy to be.
Throughout my career, the Satir Model has remained the foundation of my work. EMDR was the primary trauma-processing method I used within that broader framework.
Although EMDR was often helpful, I found myself wishing for an approach that reached trauma in a way that felt more precise and more aligned with how I understood human change.
I first learned about Deep Brain Reorienting from a respected colleague who had extensive experience with both EMDR and DBR. What caught my attention wasn't simply the recommendation. It was the emerging research and the neurobiological model underlying the approach.
As I trained in DBR and began using it with clients, the difference was immediately apparent to me. Rather than making a gradual transition away from EMDR, DBR quickly became the trauma-processing approach that best fit both my clinical experience and my broader therapeutic philosophy.
That's not quite the question I ask.
A better question is whether one approach is a better fit for a particular person.
Many therapists continue to achieve excellent results with EMDR, and I respect the work they do.
My own experience has simply led me in a different direction.
Over time, I have come to find DBR an exceptionally effective approach for many people, particularly those living with complex trauma, developmental trauma, or long-standing patterns rooted in early relationships.
That is an observation from my own clinical work, not a claim that current research has established DBR as superior to EMDR.
Trauma therapy is not simply about remembering painful events.
It is about helping the nervous system complete processes that were interrupted when overwhelming experiences occurred.
DBR approaches those interruptions at a remarkably early neurological level. For many people, this allows change to emerge naturally rather than through effort or willpower.
One of the things I appreciate most about DBR is that clients often discover they don't have to force healing. Instead, therapy creates conditions in which the nervous system can do what it was designed to do.
My work has also been deeply influenced by the transformational family therapy of Virginia Satir. Although Satir and DBR developed independently, I find them remarkably compatible.
Both approaches emphasize respect for the person, trust in the human capacity for growth, and the importance of creating conditions in which genuine change can occur.
Today, DBR serves as the primary trauma-processing modality in my practice because it aligns closely with both what I have observed in therapy and what I believe helps people create lasting change.
Every person is different, and no single therapy is right for everyone.
If you're wondering whether DBR may be a good fit for your situation—or you're curious about how it differs from EMDR—I'd be happy to discuss your questions during a consultation.
I provide DBR-informed therapy for adults in Iowa and telehealth services for clients in Illinois. Together, we can determine whether this approach is likely to meet your needs.
Today, the Satir model continues to provide the overall framework for my work, while Deep Brain Reorienting has become the trauma-processing modality I use within that framework. For me, they are not competing approaches. They complement one another remarkably well.
About the Author
Anne Lindyberg, LMHC (Iowa), LCPC (Illinois), integrates the transformational family therapy of Virginia Satir with Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR). She specializes in helping adults with complex and developmental trauma create lasting emotional change through therapy.
Midwest Center for Transformational Change PLC