Therapeutic and Research Innovations for the Treatment of Complex Post Traumatic Conditions - Day One

September 8, 2022

This event will kick off with a full-day presentation from Richard Loewenstein that will focus on an introduction of the framework to the new ISSTD Adult Treatment Guidelines.

The Logic of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Essential Concepts for Successful Treatment

Presenter
Richard Loewenstein, MD

Abstract
Dr. Loewenstein will review concepts for successful long-term psychotherapy of dissociative identity disorder (DID). Despite the often-chaotic presentation of DID individuals in treatment, there is almost always a trauma-based/dissociation-based logic that underlies symptoms, life predicaments, and interactions during therapy.  The workshop begins with a discussion of discrete behavioral states theory (DBST), a transtheoretical, translational theory of human consciousness. Discrete behavioral states are so ubiquitous in normal and pathological human behavior as to be invisible. States can be understood simultaneously at many levels of analysis – as isomorphs (e.g., sleep states have been studied from cellular states to organismic states, and even shared social states of people sleeping together). DBST can be applied to normal human development and attachment systems, altered states of consciousness, and as an organizing framework for many psychiatric disorders as “state-change” disorders, including bipolar and mood disorders, panic and anxiety disorders, substance-use and addictive disorders, trauma-and-stressor-related disorders, and dissociative disorders (DD. All current theories of dissociation and dissociative disorders are fundamentally based on the states concept. DBST is the over-arching framework for affect theory. Tracking of discrete behavioral states has been described as a model for understanding psychotherapy.
 
Dr. Loewenstein reviews the foundational importance of psychodynamic psychotherapy principles for DID treatment, as well as understanding hypnosis and hypnotizability. He will discuss how our language about the mind is inherently metaphorical. In particular, metaphors for the phenomenology of DID are often reified, mechanical, and physicalistic. He will review data to conceptualize DID as a specific posttraumatic developmental disorder of self-integration, with its own unique personality organization. The latter combines marked, typically idiosyncratic posttraumatic reactivity along with preservation of crucial resiliencies that underlie the DID individual’s potential positive responses to psychotherapy (e.g., capacities for logical thinking and insight). DID psychotherapy must attend not only to individual self-states, but to the organization of self-state systems, as well as addressing the mind of the “whole human being”. Dr. Loewenstein will discuss the complex relationship of the concepts of self-states to identity-states and their relationship to the construct of personality. He discusses DID self-states as logical posttraumatic adaptations (e.g., reframing “malevolent introject” self-states as paradoxical protectors and/or “underground freedom fighters”). Working in this framework from the beginning of treatment can help navigate many pitfalls of concretely reifying DID self-states based on superficial labels that pattern how we view self-states (e.g., “persecutory” vs. “helper”). All DID self-states are trauma-based attempts at adaptation by the DID child – “problem solvers” - to unpredictably malevolent attachment figures. Dr. Loewenstein will discuss type-D attachment and betrayal trauma as isomorphs. Also, he will discuss the role of shame and disgust, especially around malevolent attachments, as well as the importance of understanding coercive control. Throughout, Dr. Loewenstein will describe traumatic posttraumatic and dissociative aspects of transference/countertransference in DID treatment, as well as mind-control transference, negative therapeutic reaction, and the ubiquity of unconscious flashbacks and multi-level reenactments during psychotherapy.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 6.00 APA
    The 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 ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ISSTD maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2021 – 08/20/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 6.00 continuing education credits.
  • 6.00 ISSTD Certificate Program
    This program is eligible for 6.00 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program.
Course opens: 
08/01/2022
Course expires: 
10/31/2022
Event starts: 
09/08/2022 - 9:00am EDT
Event ends: 
09/08/2022 - 5:00pm EDT
ISSTD Member cost:
$269.00
Your Price:
$319.00
Part of: 
Therapeutic and Research Innovations for the Treatment of Complex Post Traumatic Conditions (2022 New York Regional Conference)
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Day One Schedule

8:30 - 9:00 AMRegistration and Light Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 AMThe Logic of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Essential Concepts for Successful Treatment (Loewenstein)
10:30 - 11:00 AMBreak
11:00 AM - 12:30 PMThe Logic of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Essential Concepts for Successful Treatment (Loewenstein) - continued
12:30 - 1:30 PMLunch Break - Provided
1:30 - 3:00 PMThe Logic of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Essential Concepts for Successful Treatment (Loewenstein) - continued
3:00 - 3:30 PMBreak 
3:30 - 5:00 PMThe Logic of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Essential Concepts for Successful Treatment (Loewenstein) - continued

Presenter: Richard J. Loewenstein, MD
Presenter Biography: Richard J. Loewenstein MD is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. He is the founder of, and from 1987-2020 was the Medical Director of, The Trauma Disorders Program at Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore, MD. He is rated by U.S. News and World Report as among America’s top 1 % of psychiatrists. Dr. Loewenstein did a research fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD. In the past he was a faculty member of the Departments of Psychiatry at Yale University, New Haven, CT; George Washington University, Washington, DC; and University of California, Los Angeles, CA. He is the author of approximately 100 papers and book chapters on dissociation, dissociative disorders, and trauma disorders, among others. He is the Section Editor, Dissociative Disorders, of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), DSM-5 Text Revision (DSM-5TR), to be published in Spring, 2022. He is co-editor of the 4th Revision (in preparation) of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Guidelines for Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults. Since 2000, he has been an author of the Dissociative Disorders chapter in Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. He is leading the revision of the Dissociative Disorders chapter for the upcoming (11th) edition of this textbook. He is distinguished life fellow of the APA and, among other awards, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the ISSTD.

Information about approvals for the full conference is included below. Participants attending Day One in full will receive 6.0 continuing education credits. Please note that the closing "Ask Anything" session is not available for continuing education.

We are currently working to add additional approvals for this event, including New York state approvals, with our CE co-sponsor, CE Learning Systems. Additional approvals will be posted as they are granted and we hope to have final approvals for all types of credits we will offer posted by mid-August.

Available Credit

  • 6.00 APA
    The 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 ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ISSTD maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2021 – 08/20/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 6.00 continuing education credits.
  • 6.00 ISSTD Certificate Program
    This program is eligible for 6.00 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program.

Price

ISSTD Member cost:
$269.00
Your Price:
$319.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Early registration ends August 25, 2022 at 5:00 PM US Eastern Time. Prices will increase for emerging professional and professional/retired rates at that time by $50. 

"Your Price" above reflects your final price based on your membership status, career level and any add-ons you choose to add to your registration. Please note that it can take up to two full business days for your membership status to update following the creation of your account in this system. You will receive an email once your account has been updated to reflect your membership status. Please wait until your membership status has been updated to register. If your account is not updated in this timeframe, please email cfas@isst-d.org for assistance.

  • ISSTD defines a student as those enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation. 
  • ISSTD defines an emerging professional as mental health professionals who have completed an advanced degree and are in the first three years of their career (or first three years after graduation for researchers).
  • If you do not fall into one of the above categories please register as Professional/Retired. 

Available Discounts

  • These prices are for Tier I countries. For a list of countries by Tier click here. If you are located in a country that falls into Tier II-VI please contact ISSTD at cfas@isst-d.org to receive the appropriate discount code. 
  • Group rates are available for groups of five or more from the same hospital, facility, or university. Please email ISSTD HQ for assistance with group rates. For groups of 5-9 the discount is 10% off registration fees, for groups of 10 or more the discount is 15% off registration fees. 

COVID-19 Policy
ISSTD is monitoring local, state and federal regulations regarding masking, vaccinations, and testing. We will provide final details of our COVID-19 policy approximately two weeks before the conference. ISSTD may require participants to wear face mask and provide proof of vaccines and/or negative test. We ask that everyone be respectful of the different beliefs of each person regarding these mitigation strategies and understand that each person has a different level of comfort at this time. Our primary goal is to keep everyone attending safe and healthy.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received in writing via email or fax. A processing fee of $45 will be charged for cancellations received on or before Friday, June 3 at 5:00 PM ET. No refunds will be issued for no-shows. Refund requests will not be accepted after June 3, 2022. Not all requests will be granted. Substitutions for attendees are accepted until June 15, 2022.

Grievance Policy
ISSTD is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformation with the APA and ASWB grievance procedures.

During this conference, conference organizers, presenters and staff will address any concerns that arise. Every effort will be made to address the concerns during the conference when possible. If these individuals are unable to address the participant’s concerns, the complaints and grievances shall be presented in writing to ISSTD Headquarters at cfas@isst-d.org. These will be forwarded on for review by the Virtual and Regional Conference 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 5 working days. Formal grievances are required to be written and emailed as directed above and will be responded to within 15 business days.

Disability Policy (ADA)
We would be happy to accommodate your ADA needs. Please contact ISSTD Headquarters via email at cfas@isst-d.org or via phone at 844.994.7783 for assistance.

Registration Contact Information
Email: cfas@isst-d.org
Phone: 844.994.7783
Fax: 888.966.0310