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Psychotherapy outcome research shows that the relationship between therapist and client is highly predictive of therapy outcome. This is especially so for chronically traumatized persons, who have been relationally violated so often. In the therapy of complex trauma patients, there are six choice points that present typical relational challenges.
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For many who first enter the field of dissociation and trauma, there is often not a great deal of information that describes the theoretical foundations and history of the dissociative field. This workshop is intended for students, emerging professionals and experienced practitioners who are interested in learning about the fundamentals of dissociation as a distinct response to trauma.
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This presentation features ways to understand and utilize blending skills for a variety of of problem situations faced by clinicians treating dissociative disorders. Our understanding of the development of alters in the lives of our patients/clients rests on the view that they emerge into consciousness in order to solve life problems encountered by abused children.
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For many years, the practice of psychotherapy for dissociative disorders was largely focused on working with adult survivors. Over the last 10 to 15 years, there has been increased recognition and focus on working with younger trauma survivors in developmentally appropriate ways to more effectively reduce or eliminate the need for dissociative processes as an ongoing coping mechanism. A clear advantage of this approach is that the earlier developmentally these coping mechanisms are addressed, the less firmly entrenched they are.
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Over the past decade, meditation and yoga have become increasingly popular in mental health treatment and in the world at large. While the practices can be helpful, clients will receive the most benefit from work that is trauma informed and delivered with an understanding of how these healing mechanisms impact the mind, brain and body.
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Abstract
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Abstract
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Abstract
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In the wake of traumatic experience, survivors tend to be overwhelmed by intense emotions and body sensations, loss of faith in the universe, and unrelenting punitive introspection. Addictive craving and behavior seem to offer an ‘out,’ the promise of blessed relief from both the emotional and somatic overwhelm. The result is the frequent co-occurrence of addictive disorders that ultimately poses an equal or even greater threat to the patient as do the trauma symptoms.
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The Office Mental Status Exam for Dissociative Disorders was originally developed to assist psychiatric residents with assessment of complex dissociative and posttraumatic psychopathologies. Accordingly, it uses a phenomological approach to symptom clusters that commonly appear in patients with dissociative disorders and complex PTSD. This system was designed at a time when diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (then multiple personality disorder) was primarily based in attempts to elicit alter self states, often by using hypnosis or similar intrusive methods.
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