Somatic Experiencing is a body-focused trauma therapy that was developed by Peter Levine. It is based on the idea that trauma is not mainly a problem of memory or attachment. The theory is that survival energy that was mobilized during dangerous situations could not properly dissolve (usually because of limited ability to move the way […]
therapy
Rescripting with DID parts: Same Technique – different Missions
[Disclaimer: This article is based on personal experience with a bunch of different but similar rescripting techniques. For DID therapy, rescripting in IFS barely differs from rescripting with IRRT or similar techniques because all of them have to be adapted. Once they are adapted we can notice two different patterns for inner processes instead of just […]
Managers, Exiles and Firefighters in DID
Using IFS for DID therapy is a mixed bag. There is advanced training that does support DID therapy but many people with DID who are confronted with the basic training feel alienated and like something about it is off. It was not developed with dissociative barriers in mind. There is still a basic dynamic that […]
How to choose trauma content for processing
Sooner or later in our recovery journey we will have to decide where to start processing. Because of the amount of trauma we experienced we cannot possibly process everything and the good news is that we don’t have to. But we will have to use some kind of concept to help us prioritize what to […]
The Reason for phase-oriented Treatment
The recommended way to do trauma treatment is in 3 phases. They have been called by slightly different names over the decades but the goal of the phases never changed. First there is stabilization, then a form of processing and finally a phase of reintegration and adapting to the changes. The phases are not […]
Unintentionally destabilizing a DID System
There are a lot of individual things that can go wrong in DID therapy. And there are also predictable patterns where a certain type of mistake will lead to a certain type of problem. Of course that won’t fit every system on the planet. But it fits often enough to be more than random. We […]
The Fractionated Abreaction Technique (Kluft)
Fractionated abreaction is a technique that was specifically created to process extreme abuse and memories that are so atrocious that other techniques fail because we get flooded and overwhelmed instantly when we remember what happened. An abreaction is a situation where we remember and re-experience a memory and when that happens accidentally and uncontrollably […]
IRRT for Complex Trauma and Dissociation
IRRT stands for Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy. It is a technique for processing trauma memories that mainly uses imagery and self states to resolve situations that are stuck. Instead of blunt exposure we change the story in our head and take care of our younger self to achieve changes in our symptoms. IRRT […]
Cornerstones of the therapeutic relationship
Dr. Karen Treisman writes about the therapeutic relationship: The relationships are the glue and the magic that make the strategies meaningful, purposeful, and therapeutic. This is in line with the sayings ‘Relational trauma requires relational repair’ and ‘Relational repair requires safe hands, thinking minds, and regulated bodies’. Without the relationship to anchor to, the […]
Dealing with trance logic in dissociative disorders
Trance logic describes logical glitches that can exist when people get hypnotized and enter a trance state. In that state of mind we can accept statements as true even though they deeply contradict each other. We simply don’t notice that they can’t possibly be true at the same time. Nothing is questioned or reality-checked, it […]
Reenacting trauma patterns in therapy: neglect
Navigating attachment and dependency in therapy has always been difficult. Developmental trauma just adds a deep sense of desperation to the problem and makes it more complicated. There is a lot written about unhealthy dependency in therapy and how to avoid it. Today I want to shine a light on the effect that chronic […]
PEP- an additional technique for trauma therapy
PEP stands for Process- and Embodiment-focused Psychology. Like EFT it is rooted in Energy Psychology but it has moved away from these roots considerably and rejects the unscientific/new-age aspects. Tapping is still an important part of this technique, but it is complemented by cognitive interventions and is therefore useful for more than just emotional […]