Deep Brain Reorienting Level 1: Healing of the Shock at the Core of Traumatic Experiences (2026)

October 14, 2026 to October 15, 2026

Abstract
Level 1 Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) training offers participants an opportunity to understand the key role of midbrain systems in traumatic experiences which have clinical consequences. There is an emphasis on attachment shock, which may be historic or recent, and on early life adversity. A distinction between brain circuits for shock and circuits for affective and defensive responding underlies the clinical approach of Deep Brain Reorienting.

DBR is a trauma memory processing modality that has developed from an understanding of stimulus-response sequences in the upper brainstem and uses these in a way that diminishes the risk of overwhelm or dissociation. Tracking the sequences, informed by the knowledge of how they occur physiologically, activates a healing process which, optimally, promotes a complete resolution of the clinical consequences of the traumatic experiences.

DBR can also be useful when attachment urges are conflicted because of adverse experiences. For example, when the capacity to orient toward connection simultaneously triggers the impulse to move away, often with negative affects emerging, the urge to connect with significant others is conflicted at a level not readily accessible in talk therapy.

Target Audience

Learning Level: Beginning/Introductory

DBR Level 1 training is for mental health professionals: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and other health practitioners who have a minimum of two years’ post qualification clinical experience, and experience of working with early adversity and trauma.

Attendance criteria

  • a core professional qualification in mental health and/or psychotherapy
  • a minimum of 2 years clinical psychotherapy experience post accreditation/ registration/ clinical licensure
  • current professional body/state board accreditation/ registration/ licensure
  • current professional indemnity insurance
  • significant experience of working with trauma and/or trained in psychologically based trauma focused approaches

Please note bookings that do not meet the attendance criteria will be cancelled and subject to a 20% cancellation fee. For guidance, please refer to the list of accepted professions/ qualifications and professional/ regulatory bodies below. The list is not exhaustive. Please also read the exclusion criteria carefully.

If you are not sure you meet the criteria, please email [email protected]

If you are making an inquiry regarding your eligibility for training in DBR, please note that we provide trainings internationally. Please provide clear and detailed information including:

  • registering/professional affiliations in full – i.e no acronyms
  • duration of core training
  • full details of the training body
  • duration and specifics of modules pertaining to psychotherapy/mental health
  • the exact academic level e.g. Post Graduate Diploma (of 2 years duration)/Masters (3 years with 2 years clinical practice experience)

Exclusion criteria

DBR training is not suitable for

  • Therapist in training
  • Practitioners without a core professional mental health qualification and who are trained in another therapeutic modality e.g. Biofeedback, Internal Family Systems, Neurofeedback and Somatic Experiencing
  • Hypnotherapists, Massage Therapists, Yoga Therapists, Therapeutic Coaches without core professional mental health qualification.

If you are not sure you meet the criteria, please email [email protected]

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of midbrain systems for orienting to threat and adversity
  • Describe the critical role of orienting tension in the clinical application of DBR
  • Explain how shock can be pre-affective
  • Describe the mechanism of shock-induced vigilance
  • Describe the differences between vigilant rigidity and tonic immobility
  • Identify how to track deep sequences that have occurred so quickly that only their late effects have been recognized
  • Explain how to wait with deeply stored sequences until full processing of them has occurred
  • Explain what is meant by Panksepp's primary seven affects – and why there is an additional focus on shame
  • Explain the role of immobility as a defense - and what neuronal structures are involved
  • Identify the defense responses associated with endogenous, stress-induced analgesics
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 6.00 APA
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 6.00 ASWB ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 6.00 continuing education credits.
Course opens: 
09/01/2024
Course expires: 
11/30/2026
Event starts: 
10/14/2026 - 9:00am EDT
Event ends: 
10/15/2026 - 5:00pm EDT
ISSTD Member cost:
$625.00
Your Price:
$725.00
Add to calendar: 
Rating: 
0

Preliminary Schedule (Subject to Change)

DAY 1
October 15, 2026

TIMESESSION
8:30 AM - 9:00 AMLight Continental Breakfast & Registration
9:00 AM – 10:30 AMTheory Underlying DBR: Orienting, Orienting Tension, Shock and Horror and Where-Self Group Exercise
10:30 AM – 10:45 AMQuestion & Answer
10:45 AM - 11:00 AMBreak
11:00 AM - 11:45 AMDemonstration and Discussion
11:45 AM - 12:00 PMPracticum Directions
12:00 PM – 1:00 PMLunch (On Own)
1:00 PM –1:15 PMOrganize Breakout Rooms
1:15 PM - 2:55 PMPracticum - Groups of Three Rotating Roles
2:55 PM – 3:10 PMBreak
3:10 PM - 4:00 PMPracticum - Groups of Three Rotating Roles (continued)
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Feedback, Question & Answer and Closing

DAY 2
October 15, 2026

TIMESESSION
8:30 AM - 9:00 AMLight Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM – 10:00 AMTheory underlying DBR: Affects and Defensive Responses
10:00 AM – 10:30 AMQuestion & Answer
10:30 AM - 10:45 AMBreak
10:45 AM - 11:45 AMDemonstration and Discussion
11:45 AM - 12:00 PMPracticum Directions
12:00 PM – 1:00 PMLunch (On Own)
1:00 PM –1:15 PMOrganize Breakout Rooms
1:15 PM - 2:55 PMPracticum - Groups of Three Rotating Roles
2:55 PM – 3:10 PMBreak
3:10 PM - 4:00 PMPracticum - Groups of Three Rotating Roles (continued)
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Feedback, Question & Answer and Closing

All therapists will actively participate in practicum work to get direct experience of working in a ‘deep brain’ way. During practicum on each day, each participant will participate as the therapist, client and observer spending 45 minutes in each role on each day. 

Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto
1 Harbour Square
Toronto M5J 1A6
Canada
+1 (416) 869-1600
Hotel Website

Situated in the heart of the revitalized waterfront district, The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto provides direct access to many of the city’s most notable attractions, including the Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena, CN Tower, and Exhibition Place.

Guests can maintain their wellness routine in the WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, which features yoga classes and a running concierge, and enjoy a variety of on-site dining options. The hotel offers 70,000 square feet of versatile event space, including the impressive 25,000-square-foot Metropolitan Ballroom, making it an exceptional venue for conferences, meetings, and special events.

Comfortable accommodations feature the signature Westin Heavenly® Bed and offer stunning views of Lake Ontario. As a pet-friendly property, the hotel welcomes guests traveling with their furry companions, ensuring a memorable stay in the heart of Toronto.

Trainer

Frank Corrigan, MBChB, MD, FRCPsych
Frank Corrigan qualified in Medicine in 1976 (MBChB, Glasgow) and began his career in psychiatry in 1977. Throughout a career spanning over 30 years as an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist in Scotland, Frank combined his extensive clinical experience with research on the neurobiology of trauma and its underpinnings in major psychiatric disorders.

Frank Corrigan was a Consultant Psychiatrist in Scotland, UK, from 1985 until 2018. He trained in EMDR in 1999 and was an accredited consultant with the EMDR Association (UK & Ireland) from 2006 until 2022. He completed Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (SPI) Trauma Training in September 2010. He has been a trainer in the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) (Schwarz et al 2016) for the treatment of complex trauma disorders. Since then, he has developed Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) as a therapeutic modality for the clinical sequelae of early attachment disruptions and for other post-traumatic presentations. He now uses DBR extensively in his clinical practice and provides training and supervision in its use.

Available Credit

  • 6.00 APA
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 6.00 ASWB ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 6.00 continuing education credits.

Price

ISSTD Member cost:
$625.00
Your Price:
$725.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Important Registration Information

  • "Your Price" above reflects your final price based on your membership status and registration period.
  • Early bird registration for this training will end May 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time. Prices will increase $50 after the early bird registration deadline. 
  • CE credits are available for an additional fee of $59.
  • Registration does not include transportation, meals, parking, or hotel.
  • No payment plans are available for this training
  • All fees are listed in USD

ISSTD Cancellation Policy
Cancellations prior to the training are subject to a $75 cancellation fee. No refunds are provided. The deadline for cancelations with a refund is August 31, 2026 at 5:00pm ET. After this deadline no refunds will be provided. 

Grievance Policy
ISSTD is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformation with the APA and ASWB grievance procedures.

During a course, instructors will address any concerns that arise. Every effort will be made to address the concerns during the course when possible. If the course instructor(s) are unable to address the participant’s concerns, the complaints and grievances shall be presented in writing to ISSTD Headquarters at [email protected]. These will be forwarded on for review by the ISSTD Executive Committee.

Social Workers: Should social workers have a specific grievance, these grievances will be addressed by D. Michael Coy, LICSW. In situations where the social worker would have a conflict of interest, then, Christine Forner, MSW will review the grievance.

ISSTD strives to resolve grievances in a manner that is in the best interest of the participant. All complaints and grievances are reviewed within five working days. Formal grievances are required to be written and emailed as directed above and will be responded to within 15 business days.