Coping With Trauma Related Dissociation

This training manual for pateints who have suffered severe trauma includes a short educational piece, homework sheets, and exercises that promote essential emotional and life skills.

Winner of the 2017 International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Pierre Janet Writing Award. Establishing safety and working with dissociative parts in complex trauma therapy. Therapists around the world ask similar questions and struggle with similar challenges treating highly dissociative patients. This book arose not only out of countless hours of treating patients with dissociative disorders, but also out of the crucible of supervision and consultation, where therapists bring their most urgent questions, needs, and vulnerabilities. The book offers an overview of the neuropsychology of dissociation as a disorder of non-realization, as well as chapters on assessment, prognosis, case formulation, treatment planning, and treatment phases and goals, based on best practices. The authors describe what to focus on first in a complex therapy, and how to do it; how to help patients establish both internal and external safety without rescuing; how to work systematically with dissociative parts of a patient in ways that facilitate integration rather than further dissociation; how to set and maintain helpful boundaries; specific ways to stay focused on process instead of content; how to deal compassionately and effectively with disorganized attachment and dependency on the therapist; how to help patients integrate traumatic memories; what to do when the patient is enraged, chronically ashamed, avoidant, or unable to trust the therapist; and how to compassionately understand and work with resistances as a co-creation of both patient and therapist. Relational ways of being with the patient are the backbone of treatment, and are themselves essential therapeutic interventions. As such, the book also focused not only on highly practical and theoretically sound interventions, not only on what to do and say, but places strong emphasis on how to be with patients, describing innovative, compassionately collaborative approaches based on the latest research on attachment and evolutionary psychology. Throughout the book, core concepts—fundamental ideas that are highlighted in the text in bold so they can be seen at a glance—are emphasized. These serve as guiding principles in treatment as well as a summing-up of many of the most important notions in each chapter. Each chapter concludes with a section for further examination. These sections include additional ideas and questions, exercises for practicing skills, and suggestions for peer discussions based on topics in a particular chapter, meant to inspire further curiosity, discovery, and growth.

Presentation of a major new diagnostic interview to assess chronic trauma-related disorders, in particular dissociative disorders. Written by a world-leading specialist in trauma-related dissociation, this book comprehensively describes the diagnosis of trauma-related disorders, taking up the many dilemmas around criteria in DSM-5 and ICD-11, symptom recognition, the role of traumatic experiences and of self-report questionnaires, as well as other topics. The book elaborates on the assessment of these disorders, using the diagnostic instrument Trauma and Dissociative Symptoms Interview (TADS-I), developed by the author over decades of work in the field. Several thematic chapters discuss key differential diagnostic considerations and illustrate them with case reports. Also discussed are the occurrence of false-negative and false-positive diagnoses of trauma-related dissociative disorders, the assessment of traumatic experiences, and the development of a treatment plan. This book is essential reading for clinicians who diagnose dissociative disorders (or want to learn), and useful for those who want to assist in better recognizing clients with dissociative symptoms and refer them for specialized testing. The complete TADS-I is included as an appendix.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 You will begin by learning how to stay present. Once you have practiced the exercise suggested for being present, you can read about dissociation in the chapter. #2 Being in the present is essential to learning, growing, and healing from a dissociative disorder. You may encounter a number of problems that interfere with being present, such as being under stress or faced with a painful conflict or intense emotion. #3 Pay attention to the details of the room around you. Notice three objects that you see, and describe their characteristics out loud to yourself. Notice three sounds that you hear, and describe their qualities out loud to yourself. Finally, touch three objects and describe how they feel. #4 To help you focus on the present, try focusing on the sounds, smells, tastes, and touches around you. You can also take time to slow and regulate your breathing.

Winner of the 2011 International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Pierre Janet Writing Award. A patient-oriented manual for complex trauma survivors. This training manual for patients who have a trauma-related dissociative disorder includes short educational pieces, homework sheets, and exercises that address ways in which dissociation interferes with essential emotional and life skills, and support inner communication and collaboration with dissociative parts of the personality. Topics include understanding dissociation and PTSD, using inner reflection, emotion regulation, coping with dissociative problems related to triggers and traumatic memories, resolving sleep problems related to dissociation, coping with relational difficulties, and help with many other difficulties with daily life. The manual can be used in individual therapy or structured groups.

An international look at the similarities and differences of long-lasting trauma Trauma and Dissociation in a Cross-Cultural Perspective examines the psychological, sociological, political, economic, and cultural aspects of trauma and its consequences on people around the world. Dispelling the myth that trauma-related dissociative disorders are a North American phenomenon, this unique book travels through more than a dozen countries to analyze the effects of long-lasting traumatization-both natural and man-made-on adults and children. Working from theoretical and clinical perspectives, the field’s leading experts address trauma in situations that range from the psychological effects of “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland to the emergence of “Hikikomori,” the phenomenon of social withdrawal in Japanese youth. Reactions to trauma can be both unique according to a person’s culture and similar to the experiences of others around the world. Dissociation, intense grief, anger, and survivor’s guilt are common responses as people split off mentally, physically, and emotionally from the source of the trauma, whether it’s an act of nature (tsunami, earthquake, flood, etc.) or the trauma created by violence, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, assault, confinement, kidnapping, and war. Trauma and Dissociation in a Cross-Cultural Perspective examines the efforts of clinicians and researchers in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, Australia, and New Zealand to develop sociopsychological methods of providing counseling to people who are suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually, training for professionals counted on to dispense that counseling, and economic and political solutions that might help to limit the devastating effects of natural disasters. Trauma and Dissociation in a Cross-Cultural Perspective examines: the tensions between the National Health Service and the private sector in the United Kingdom how the Mandarin version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) is used in China Djinnai, a culture-bound syndrome and possession trance disorder found in Iran how colonialism has transmitted trauma to the Maori people of New Zealand transgenerational trauma in Turkey religious rituals and spirit possession in the Philippines “memory wars” in Israel traumatic syndromes among the French differences in dissociative experiences among Chinese and Japanese youth childhood trauma in Argentina and much more Trauma and Dissociation in a Cross-Cultural Perspective is an enlightening professional resource for anyone working in psychology, sociology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy.

Establishing safety and working with dissociative parts in complex trauma therapy.

· How does complex trauma differ from trauma? · What is dissociation? · How does it affect children? · How can you help? These questions and more are answered in this guide to understanding the nature of complex trauma and dissociation, making these seemingly complicated topics accessible to all. Complex trauma and dissociation is a subject around which there is much confusion and misunderstanding. This can lead to children lacking the support they really need, and even misdiagnosis of the problems they are really struggling with. Written as a complement to The Simple Guide to Child Trauma, this book aims to inform, clarify and deepen the understanding of complex trauma and resulting dissociation. It also provides practical advice for those caring for or working with these children.