DFRD Method

Direct Focus Reduction & Desensitization

A structured procedure for treating pathogenic emotions and negative cognitions

1.1 Introduction / Overview

Here we present our “Direct Focus Reduction Desensitization” (DFRD) method, an application primarily for the treatment of anxiety disorders (trauma-related disorders), isolated fears, phobias, all other (specific) emotions, and negative cognitions (nK) (belief systems). The DFRD method does not require confrontation with the fear or a journey into the past. Furthermore, DFRD is capable of thoroughly and completely treating an emotion as well as an nK. In addition, the method is the most direct way to treat fears and other emotions, as it places awareness directly within the tension of the emotion. To our knowledge, this is not only the fastest but also the most pleasant method.

1.2 Classification

The DFRD method is an integrative, trauma-focused (depth psychological) intervention that triggers the reduction of the tension associated with the emotion or negative cognition (nK) to be treated through a focusing process. It is based on comprehensive medical and scientific findings and methods of psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis.

For the treatment of negative cognitions (nC) associated with an emotion (and standalone nC), the DFRD method employs the framework of established cognitive therapy, specifically Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). REBT is a comprehensive, integrative, active-directive, philosophically and empirically grounded psychotherapy.

Thus, the DFRD method combines cognitive and depth psychological methods and their underlying theoretical frameworks.

1.3 Theoretical Framework

The DFRD method aims to resolve current emotional/psychological problems by addressing old conflicts and emotions from the past. DFRD thus belongs to the category of depth psychology-based psychotherapies—that is, therapeutic approaches in which the unconscious plays a central role. The approach is based on the assumption that repressed conflicts or repressed emotions from childhood are the cause of current problems.

Thus, the DFRD method is, at its core, a depth psychology method, except that the process is cognitively oriented and the reduction of tension occurs through awareness/focus in the body (tension centers) rather than through (cognitive) analysis.

The application of DFRD in PTSD has not yet been researched.

1.4 Background and Development

The DFRD method was discovered by Florian Becker/Freeyourbase in 2014.

After a short period of testing, we recognized the method’s rapid effectiveness. Since then, we have used it for over 11 years in our research on the thorough and comprehensive treatment of repressed emotions such as fear, anger, shame, and other distressing feelings (more information on this later).

3.0 Indications and Areas of Application

3.1 Applications

The DFRD method treats anxiety disorders (trauma-related disorders), isolated fears, phobias, all other specific emotions (anger, shame, etc.), and negative cognitions (“I’m worthless,” “I can’t do this”).

3.2 Forms: Treatable Emotions

The emotions must be present in a specific form. Examples: fear of loss, fear of dying, shame of being oneself, feelings of rejection, anger toward oneself, feelings of being rejected, fear of spiders, etc.

The method can be applied without exception to all repressed emotions, regardless of when they arose or the intensity of the tension.

DFRD is flexible—this means that the method can be used to thoroughly and completely treat the entire structure of a specific emotion, which we then call resolution.

3.3 Treatment of the Negative Cognitions (nC) Associated with Emotions

Every repressed emotion always contains a negative cognition (nK). If this nK is not treated as well, the treatment is not thorough and certainly not complete. The DFRD method treats not only the tension of the nK but also the detachment of the belief from the cognition (disputation) (according to REVT).

Furthermore, the negative cognition (nK) is identified naturally and is not predetermined. For only after the repression/burden has been thoroughly treated (until the tension is completely resolved) does the associated cognition come into consciousness on its own, as Dan Casriel (1924–1983, psychiatrist, analyst, and founder of bonding psychotherapy) demonstrated. Casriel discovered that after specific feelings had been fully expressed, a negative cognition came into the patient’s consciousness. Therefore, we do not need to predetermine a negative cognition in advance (as with EMDR (“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing”)), because we thus always become aware of exactly the right one during treatment, thereby also ruling out false memories and misinterpretations.

This means that with DFRD, you can also treat emotions that you no longer remember or that are no longer consciously accessible—for example, from infancy or early childhood—without running the risk of addressing an incorrect negative cognition.

3.4 Treatment of Isolated Negative Cognitions (nK)

The DFRD method treats not only emotions and the associated negative cognitions (nK), but also isolated negative cognitions—that is, those not tied to an emotion. These are also distressing beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not worthy of love,” which occur independently of any emotion.

Here, too, we work according to the principles of REVT, but we also address the tension associated with the nK. Only by doing so can we provide a thorough and complete treatment. Subsequently, DFRD also enables the anchoring of a positive cognition to replace the treated negative belief.

Based on our 12 years of treatment experience, there are some such cognitions that are significantly more potent than many fears and other emotions.

4. Application of the Method

4.1 Prerequisites

One of the greatest advantages of the DFRD method is its ease of application.

General Prerequisites

• No prior therapy experience required.
• Can be performed independently and on one’s own, even the very first time.
• No aids or special equipment required.

4.2 Getting Started with the Method

It takes one or two days to get the hang of it. It seems as though this method was made for humans, since the process reveals tension only bit by bit and always in the exact amount needed for treatment.

What the method DOES NOT require:

• No confrontation (exposure) with the fear.
• No journey into the past or memory work.
• No physical movements or similar actions are necessary.
• No subsequent affirmations, repetitions, or similar follow-up treatment.

4.3 The Focusing Process

The tension associated with the emotions being treated largely converges in tension centers. The core of the DFRD method consists of placing the focus—conscious attention—directly on these tension centers. This is a single-attention process in which all attention is directed toward a single point. In contrast to bifocal methods such as EMDR, which require divided attention (dual attention), the DFRD method works with undivided, focused attention. This makes the process simpler and more comfortable.

The DFRD method is arguably the most direct way to treat fears and other emotions, as it places awareness directly on the tension of the emotion. By actively directing awareness to the unconscious part or the center of the tension, the emotional burden is reduced. To our knowledge, this is not only the fastest method to reduce the burden of an emotion, but, as mentioned, also the most pleasant and comfortable.

4.4 The Reduction

After focusing, the tension is reduced immediately and automatically. A central feature of the DFRD method is the gradual reduction of tension. The psyche only presents a small amount of the burden for treatment at a time; the tensions are only revealed in small increments, so we describe this process as gentle.

This gentle process has several advantages:

• No risk of overwhelming the patient: The burden is revealed only in small portions.
• Long-term treatment is possible: Sessions lasting hours can be conducted without exhaustion. This truly opens up long-term treatment options that extend beyond the duration of psychoanalysis. We consider a daily treatment duration of two to three hours optimal and have been consistently practicing this ourselves for the past 5–6 years. We have also experimented with longer treatment times; it works just as well for up to seven hours.
• Full control: The user controls the process themselves and can pause at any time and choose the speed themselves.

The central mechanism of action can be summarized as follows: Consciousness is directed directly into the unconscious part or the center of the tension. Through this active contact, the emotional burden/tension is gradually reduced.

4.5 Desensitization

After the tension of the emotion being treated has been reduced, desensitization (of the wound) occurs automatically, without active intervention. You can also feel this during the reduction, when the area quickly relaxes along with the tension.

4.6 Process Repetition/Application

One tension center after another is thus reduced until nothing remains, then the next center is treated. This process is repeated continuously until the emotional burden is sufficiently or completely reduced. The SUD scale is also used here, at least in a binary sense: tension still present or no tension present. These values are directly perceptible.

4.7 Process Application

4.8 Physical Reactions

Most often, tension occurs in a concentrated form of (tension) centers. There are differences in the size and intensity of these centers.

If you focus on a highly charged tension center, the entire body may immediately transition into:

• a.) long-term (up to several minutes) twitching.
• b.) short-term twitching.
• c.) a single twitch, sometimes with a longer resolution phase involving further twitches.
• d.) a single twitch.
• e.) a distension of the abdomen or chest*.
• f.) Stretching of the entire body subsides*.

*When standing, the stretched, correct/natural posture is automatically assumed.

The swelling and stretching occur immediately and expand the entire abdomen and surrounding area. This is not painful and is a natural, physical release. Afterward, the body returns to its normal/current form/posture.

The twitches are also not painful; they are physical releases. The twitching is the natural reaction to contact with a center of heightened tension. Upon contact, the tension is released directly and quickly. The nature and intensity of the twitches depend on how long the focus remains on the center and how highly charged the center is.

The centers vary in size and intensity of tension. When you place your focus in the center of the center, it happens relatively quickly before the center begins to dissolve. With very strong centers, however, several minutes may pass. You remain with your focus in the center until no tension remains.

With truly large centers of such strongly charged emotions—of which every person has only about a handful—it may be necessary to go through several rounds. The psyche apparently tends to reveal or allow these to be addressed in different rounds.

4.9 The End of a Large Center

When you encounter a truly intense center of tension, the tension within it may have become highly concentrated. This often manifests when you focus on the center and leave it there, as if everything else around it is slowly breaking away and dissolving. If you continue treating it this way, a very thin beam of condensed energy/tension usually remains at the very end of such a center.

You can and should also enter this charged beam. Often, it then expands rapidly, so much so that it may slip away from you. By then at the latest, you will realize that you can locate these condensed centers. This is the next stage of the treatment.

You sense where this major tension is and intuitively place your focus there. If it is truly extremely dense, you may not immediately reach the center. In that case, stay as close as possible to this beam and somehow anchor or latch your focus there. Otherwise, with this type of tension, your awareness quickly drifts away, and your focus slips away from you. Keep in mind that the tension resolves relatively quickly. After about six to ten seconds of focusing there, you should notice how the tension at the core begins to melt away and everything around it starts to dissolve as well. Then you may feel another very strong twitch run through your entire body. There can still be a great deal of pressure and tension in the final tension. But then you will notice that the center has reached its end, because there is simply nothing left, and this feels not only really good physically but also mentally.

4.10 The End of the Tension

Once a tension center has been completely released, the psyche automatically reveals a new center to be addressed. This continues until the emotion associated with the tension has been completely released. Then no further tension centers follow, but rather, as described above, a negative belief (cognition) enters your consciousness. This should then mark the start of the next section. It is also a sure sign that you have truly and thoroughly released all tension. Only then should you move on to the next section.

4.11 Duration of Treatment

Everyone experiences fears of varying intensity. Everyone also applies the methods at different speeds or with different interruptions. The duration of treatment is therefore unpredictable, even if you feel the tension and believe you can already assess it well. You do not know where the tension ends; it can spread far and wide.

Question: But is it relevant, or does it help, to do this in everyday life as well?

Measuring Fears

After more than eleven years of treatment and research, we measure the intensity of a fear based on the treatment time (thorough and complete). While this is subjective (everyone experiences it with varying intensity, and everyone has their own pace during treatment), it at least provides you with a (subjective) value (and a way to compare internally).

If you want to undergo a treatment, you have a specific duration of treatment time. Let’s assume that for a thorough and complete treatment of a specific fear, without distraction, we need 13 days, 3 hours a day. How long the treatment takes in everyday life is difficult to determine, as that can vary. Most likely significantly longer, but for many, this may be more comfortable. Ultimately, it comes down to the specific amount of time—13 days, 3 hours a day—that is required. How you achieve this ultimately doesn’t matter.

Where and when you do the treatment is up to you. Of course, it goes fastest without distractions. Our recommendation: do the treatment daily in the evening.

4.12 Psychological Effects

Even though the DFRD method does not involve confronting fears or other emotions, in cases of highly charged fears (fears that arose close to the time of birth), the session may become intense. However, this is inherent to the nature of the treatment (depth psychology) and also occurs in other psychotherapeutic approaches (depending on the duration of treatment and the issue). For this reason, we also recommend performing the treatment in the evening so that you can go to sleep afterward.

4.13 Effects of the Specific Fear

We do not intend to discuss here what happens during the processing of a fear. However, it should be obvious that if it is treated thoroughly and completely, the entire harmful effects of a fear are eliminated.

What we also noticed during our treatment is that defense mechanisms are related to specific repressed emotions. This means that the specific defense mechanisms associated with a fear cease once it has been thoroughly and completely treated.

4.14 Independent Effects of the Emotions Being Treated

If you practice the DFRD method for about two to three hours, you will notice that the basic state of consciousness(!) changes slightly. This is a permanent change. You can perceive it by the next day at the latest.

We are talking here about the basic state, that is, the permanent state in which you find yourself. This is the background of ALL experience, and thus something very essential.

This is an effect that occurs independently of the treated fears (treated fears lose their effects, such as blockages/defense mechanisms, etc.), and it happens in addition to that.

Why does this have such a profound effect?
The reason is obvious: nearly the entire treatment consists of releasing tensions that are deeply rooted in the body. These are also referred to as stressors, and they accumulate over time. You can observe this in the (physical) twitches that occur periodically during the process. The entire body is filled with spontaneous twitches, thereby releasing deep-seated tensions holistically, on multiple levels.

5.0 Contraindications and Limitations

The DFRD method is not suitable for the following conditions or mental health limitations:

• Acute psychosis or schizophrenia: If contact with reality is lost or if someone is suffering from acute delusions or hallucinations, DFRD must not be used.
• Severe, uncontrollable drug or alcohol use, dementia, or other severe cognitive impairments.
• Acute suicidal ideation
• Severe dissociative disorders: People who dissociate should instead use stabilization methods.
• Acute, uncontrollable epilepsy

5.1 Physical limitations

• Recent heart attack or severe cardiovascular disease: DFRD can trigger emotional stress that temporarily raises blood pressure. The individual must be physically able to cope with this.

6.0 Detailed Instructions // Access to the Method

Since we are a private company that has self-funded 13 years of research in depth psychology, we ask for your understanding that we offer this method for a small fee. In return, however, you will receive an app that guides you through the treatment with an interactive digital therapist.

The DFRD method is included in our following apps:

• “Resolving Anxiety” (available for iOS™ and Android™)
• “Resolving Beliefs” (ONLY for standalone cognitions) (available for iOS™ and Android™)

7.0 Comparison

7.1 Comparison: DFRD vs. EMDR

Since the EMDR method is primarily intended for trauma treatment, the DFRD method clearly distinguishes itself from EMDR in its application. However, since the treatment of emotions is also possible with the EMDR method, there are some similarities, but also advantages of the DFRD method over it:

• Can be performed alone, even for the first time.
• Instead of using a bifocal process with body movements, a gentle process is employed. In this process, only a small amount of tension is exposed at a time, so there is no risk of flooding or similar issues. This also allows for treatment over several hours without exhaustion or similar issues. This opens up possibilities for long-term treatments.
• More control: Compared to EMDR, this method works through the repression (trauma) in a controlled, step-by-step manner; that is, the tension is only brought up in very small increments and then processed/resolved. With EMDR, there is a risk of flooding or retraumatization. Additionally, you have more control over the process—everything is more “in your own hands”—since you are the one guiding it yourself.
• With the DFRD method, you can perceive for yourself how much of the stress is still within you, giving you the opportunity to truly resolve it completely—that is, thoroughly. With EMDR, the problem remains that you have no idea how much you have actually processed.
• Faster: The DFRD method directly reduces tension, and no further reprocessing is necessary.

The two methods differ fundamentally in how they work:

7.2 Comparison: DFRD vs. other methods

There are now several effective methods for treating anxiety. These involve different approaches, each with its own advantages and disadvantages (for example, with or without confrontation).

Exposure (confrontation) in vivo and in sensu is rejected by most patients. This is because it is not only the situation—and thus the anxiety—that patients want to avoid at all costs, but also the possibility of a panic attack or emotional overload. Therefore, a therapist must be present during exposure.

Regarding exposure therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other similar treatment methods: These methods aim to help patients accept anxious thoughts and feelings. While this is effective in the sense that it works, the processes are extremely slow.

8. Empirical Data and Results

8.1 Overview of the Research Phase

The DFRD method has been used in research over a period of eleven years (as of April 2026). For the past six years, it has been used daily for at least three to four hours. We also continue to apply it daily. It has been used primarily to treat anxiety, but also many isolated negative cognitions, as these too, when highly charged, have extremely strong effects. Furthermore, it has also been used to treat other emotions. In particular, shame (English: Toxic Shame) has proven to be highly charged.

8.2 Efficacy Data

Treatment times depend on how intense the repressed emotions are, how charged the tension is, or how much tension is present in the body. Furthermore, such treatment times are, of course, always subjective, as fears are charged with varying intensity in each person.

If an emotion or nK is treated thoroughly and completely, it is permanently removed. If, of course, one does not work thoroughly and leaves some of the tension behind, then some of the tension remains in the body.

The duration of treatment for truly intense fears, when treated thoroughly and completely with daily application of approximately 3 hours, can last several months.

8.3 Safety Profile

During the entire eleven-year trial phase, not a single case of emotional overload or a comparable emotionally overwhelming situation was observed. This is attributed to the gradual reduction mechanism, in which the psyche releases only a manageable amount of stress at a time.

IF you have been doing the session for a long time and do not finish it, you MAY experience (at most) 14 days of emotional discomfort. If you treat the emotion/cognition thoroughly and completely, this emotional discomfort does not occur.

9. Glossary

10. Appendices

Appendix A: Four Phases for Self-Therapists (Quick Reference Card)

Appendix B: The 8 Phases – for Therapists and Patients