No, I'm not a multiple. I do not have multiple personalities. I do not have Dissociative Identity Disorder. But I know multiples very well. I am a trauma therapist who has worked almost exclusively with people with dissociative disorders. I met my first DID survivor 30 years ago. Since then, I have met more multiples than I can count, and I have spent hours and hours and hours each week -- and most … [Read more...]
When It’s Dark and Scary on the Inside…
Trauma survivors with Dissociative Identity Disorder can see an internal world. Step back, turn around an look inside - it will be there. What happens if you have looked inside and all you see is a lot of darkness, or desolation, and not so many people with welcome arms? First of all, think about what internal darkness means to you as an individual. There are a variety of … [Read more...]
Being Kind to Your Internal System
Hey hello - How are you today? Thanks for coming back and reading more of the Discussing Dissociation blog. It's exciting to see the number of site viewers growing each week - I think you all must be spreading the news! I appreciate all of you who have already become regular readers, and thanks for telling your friends. As a follow-up to yesterday's post about giving- making- creating- providing new and … [Read more...]
Are Specialized Trauma Therapists Necessary?
What advantages are there to having a trauma therapist specializing in Dissociative Disorders? I am writing this post in response to a question asked by BehindtheCouch. BTC wrote, “do you think that a “trauma client” (ie one with PTSD or a dissociative disorder) should necessarily be treated by a specialised “trauma therapist” or, in your opinion, could any therapist who has the skills … [Read more...]
Therapy for Dissociative Trauma Survivors
What is therapy? What is a therapist? What is the therapy process? And how can you tell if they’re any good? What is therapy? In my experience, therapy is about speaking the unspeakable. It’s the telling of things that you haven’t had the safety or the opportunity to tell before. It’s expressing your deepest feelings without have to edit or omit or pretend for the sake of someone … [Read more...]