Living in a Fog: Dissociation, Complex Trauma and PTSD
Dissociation is a highly adaptive survival strategy, especially in the presence of systematic and prolonged trauma, characteristic of child sexual abuse (CSA) and / or domestic violence. In the presence of repeated
traumatic experiences in which there is no escape, dissociation becomes the
default setting, making it hard to remain present in the body. As a result, many survivors of CSA, rape and domestic abuse numb all affect, disconnect from or delete their body and retreat into their head. This can lead to a range of symptoms
which are currently subsumed under subtype Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
with Prominent Dissociative Symptoms.
To fully understand the role of dissociation in complex trauma, it is essential to understand the psychobiological mechanisms that underpin peritraumatic dissociation through the release of a cascade of neurochemicals and the disruption in the usually
integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity and perception; which are the core features of secondary dissociation and structural dissociation. We also need to comprehend how these produce dissociative states and symptoms seen in:
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS) and
Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD)
Many survivors do not initially present with dissociative states or are not aware of the signs or symptoms of dissociation, making it imperative that clinicians are able to link client experiences of ‘living in a fog’, ‘
wading through mud’, ‘sieve like memory’ and ‘feeling as through someone else is in control’ as dissociative states.
At this practical and unique seminar which would be relevant for psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists
and psychiatrists, across modalities, Christiane draws on her extensive clinical experience to examine the complex nature of dissociation, its origins, its functions and its long-term effects, to explain how we can:
Identify clues to dissociation such as distortions in time, perception and memory, changes in verbal and non-verbal communication, bodily sensations and cognitive processing, as well as depersonalisation and derealisation –
with a view to helping survivors understand the symptoms of dissociation and how these can be managed more effectively
Be aware of our own capacity for dissociation when bearing witness to traumatic experiences and how to ensure that we remain present and embodied, especially when faced with a deep sense of somatic
countertransference or somatic empathy
Comprehend what dissociation looks like in practice and how we can translate survivors’ reports of their experiencing of the world into clinical formulation of dissociation - and how this can best be managed in the
therapeutic setting
Work therapeutically with structural dissociation, including parts work
Overall, the aim is to facilitate reconnection of mind, body and brain and integration of disavowed parts, to restore presence and embodiment in both client and therapist.
CPD Hours: 5
Ticket prices:
Individual ticket for 2 year access: £125
(note: if you face any problems booking online, please call us at 020 7096 1722)
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