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ForwardDeep Brain Reorienting Level 2: Healing of Attachment Shock and Attachment Wounding; and their Impact on the Seeking of Connection (2026)
Abstract
Level 2 DBR training forms the second part of DBR training and offers participants a more comprehensive understanding of the role of midbrain-based systems in attachment pain and attachment shock – and their healing. We further explore brainstem responses to the relational or interactional stimuli which underpin attachment patterns and consider how these can activate basic affective and defensive responses and, ultimately, modify the seeking of connection.
Early life adversity and trauma compromise the functional integrity and fluency of these brainstem-based networks, thereby setting a developmental trajectory that shapes attachment capabilities throughout life. This is reflected in the relational disturbances routinely encountered in therapeutic work with traumatised clients. Such relational disturbances are often embedded in conflicted orienting and response patterns linked to the seeking of attachment. There can then emerge relational conflicts and affective responses that have their explanation more in past events than in present circumstances.
Working with conflicted relational orienting patterns derived from prior experience of attachment pain and attachment shock offers access to the associated physiological residues using the O-T-A-S sequences mapped out in Deep Brain Reorienting. This promotes a liberation of the brain’s healing mechanism so that blocked processing can be released and, optimally, allow resolution of the past attachment adversity.
Target Audience
Learning Level: Intermediate
DBR Level 2 training is for mental health professionals: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and other health practitioners who have a minimum of two years’ post qualification clinical experience, experience of working with early adversity and trauma and who have completed DBR Level 1 training.
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:
- Discuss the neurobiology underpinning attachment and human connection
- Explain the key role a triad of midbrain neural circuits play in shaping conflicted orienting patterns potentially throughout life
- Describe the dual implications of attachment pain and attachment shock on the innate connection system and the innate alarm system
- Identify and differentiate the O-T-A-S sequences that underpin attachment pain and attachment shock
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, MD, FRCPsych 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 is the developer of DBR. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist based in Scotland and was an EMDR Consultant and a CRM trainer. Frank has a special interest in the neuroscience and treatment of complex trauma and dissociative disorders and has published extensively in the field. He is co-author of Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation: Toward an Embodied Self (Lanius et al., 2014), along with numerous scientific papers, and he co-wrote The Comprehensive Resource Model: Effective Techniques for Healing Complex Trauma with Lisa Schwarz, Dr Rajiv Raju and Dr Alastair M Hull in 2016. More recently, he co-wrote Deep Brain Reorienting: Understanding the Neuroscience of Trauma, Attachment Wounding, and DBR Psychotherapy with Dr Hannah Young and Dr Jessica Christie-Sands, published in 2025. He is involved in a clinical and neuroimaging study of the effects of DBR on PTSD with Professor Ruth Lanius at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Available Credit
- 6.00 APAThe 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 ACEThe 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
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.