"EMDR didn't work out for me/my client. Now what?"
You know your client best, and you know that they need something to help them heal from their trauma. Maybe they're not a great candidate for EMDR because they become flooded or they dissociate. Maybe they can't move forward because they jump back into their head right when they need to really feel the feeling.
Deep Brain Reorienting may help, and I want to work with you to make it happen.
What is Deep Brain Reorienting?
From the Deep Brain Reorienting web site:
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Whenever there is a grabbing of the attention by a significant stimulus, the deep layers of the superior colliculi activate the muscles of the neck in readiness for head movement (even when no movement occurs). In humans, this orienting tension can also occur in the muscles around the eyes or in the forehead.
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Asking a person to focus on the Orienting Tension associated with a traumatic or highly triggering event provides an anchor against being overwhelmed or lost in dissociation. The Orienting Tension also keeps the memory’s “information file” open for processing; that is, the emotions and memories that come up are linked by the underlying sequence that has been identified.
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One sequence may underlie many different events or experiences so it can be economical of time and energy to allow the sequence to process rather than work through the individual traumas one by one.
As a therapist who specializes in dissociation and the dissociative disorders, I am always looking for new ways to treat trauma without triggering dissociation.
This "small t" trauma is often hidden, minimized, and invalidated to the point where you may ask, “Is this even a big deal?” There are usually some “Big T” Traumas in there as well, but it is the sneaky “small t” stuff that is causing the core issues.
This is known as Complex Traumatization, which causes the syndrome known as Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). I will work you to:
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Get to the root of the problem and resolve the issues causing CPTSD, leading to lasting healing and growth.
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Identify and address places where your sense of self has been distorted by trauma, so you can look in the mirror and finally know who you really are.
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Find your key core values and use those as the basis for building up and moving forward.
Facts About DBR Add-on Treatment
Deep Brain Reorienting is a comparatively new trauma treatment with a growing research base. It is especially useful for clients with dissociative symptoms. I learned about Deep Brain Reorienting through my membership in the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISST-D).
DBR focuses on activity in the brain stem, including pre-conscious orienting to threat and experiencing shock. Imagine registering a car about to hit you (orienting) and how your shoulders would tense, you would grab the steering wheel, etc. (waves of shock). These sensations occur before thought and feeling and remain frozen in the system despite treatment efforts.
Processing these shock waves allow subsequent thoughts and feelings to be processed effectively and without overwhelm, even in clients with dissociative tendencies and even in highly intellectualized clients who generally respond poorly to somatic therapies.
DBR sessions may last anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours depending on the client and the processing. Sessions can be in person or online if the client is located in Missouri.
Clients will be most successful if they are open to exploring and experiencing the process.
Because the results of DBR can appear over time, I recommend having a DBR session and then having at least two "regular" therapy sessions before doing more DBR. This gives the new perspective resulting from DBR time to integrate into the self.
The cost for the first DBR intensive is $500, which includes an assessment, the session, and a written summary of outcomes. Additional sessions will be $200-$400 depending on length of sessions needed. Weekend and evening hours are available.
How the collaborative process will work for you and your clients:
My goal is to get more people DBR treatment without disrupting the existing therapeutic relationship. If you are working well with a traumatized client, that rapport and relationship are key to their healing. I am aiming to be a collaborative add-on to support healing.
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The first step is to reach out. Let's chat about your client (without breaking confidentiality) and see if they might be a good candidate for Deep Brain Reorienting.
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If you decide DBR is a good option for your client, you can send them to me directly, or we can have a brief introduction call/email with you, me, and your client--whichever you think will be best for your client.
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All clients will receive a summary of their DBR session which I will encourage them to share with you.
