Personality, Dissociation & Compassion in Traumatised Clients

Part 1: Phobia of Vulnerability –  Working with Dissociation and Avoidance in Trauma Treatment by Janina Fisher

Child abusers exploit their victims’ vulnerability. Without the power to escape or fight back, often attached to the perpetrator, children are helpless in an unsafe world. They can’t cry or look frightened or voice any emotion for fear of punishment. Their only defenses are submission and dissociation. They instinctively go on with normal life because they have no choice other than to appear “fine.”

These automatic strategies are adaptive in a threatening unsafe environment, but they become obstacles in treatment. Years later, when traumatized clients come for ‘help,’ their phobias of emotion and vulnerability pose obstacles for the therapist. Thinking or talking about the events, emotions, and body sensations is overwhelming and frightening. Even a little emotion, even acknowledging their hurt, can lead to shutting down or intellectualizing. Therapists want to help clients process the memories and emotions, only to get blocked by their phobia of feeling.

Successfully working with traumatized clients begins with facing the degree to which our interest in vulnerability stimulates fear. The perpetrator was only interested in their vulnerability. Therapists need to be interested in how clients survived and adapted, how their dissociative abilities preserved their ability to go on with life. Fortunately, modern trauma treatment affords us many ways to help survivors by capitalizing on their dissociativeness as a therapeutic tool.

Part 2: Compassion in working with trauma and dissociation: Evolution and biopsychosocial foundations of the Compassion Focused Therapy by Paul Gilbert – Speech in Streaming

Presentation in two parts. The first part briefly explains the origins of the Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), as well as the link of this therapeutic approach with the theory of Brain States. You will discover the evolution and biopsychosocial processes underlying CFT and the four basic functions of the mind: motivations, emotions, skills and behaviour. Trauma – one of the most common causes of dissociation – can affect each of them. This presentation will also explore the constantly evolving nature of compassion, as well as its link to the functions of attachment, namely the creation of a secure base and safe haven. The brain state associated with compassion is a state of mind capable of fostering the integration of the individual, to be used in working with traumatised individuals.

The second part of this presentation illustrates how compassion can impact an individual’s physiological and psychological processes, such as the ability to feel empathy, mindful awareness and sense of identity, with inevitable repercussions on social behaviour. Due to its important physiological effects, compassion is, therefore, able to create experiences of safety and connection. You will learn some of the main body-centered practices and techniques of imagery aimed at activating and promoting compassion.

Part 3: The approach of the Compassion Focused Therapy the treatment of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and other specified dissociative disorders (OSDD) by Andrew Rayner

The category of Dissociative Disorders encompasses a spectrum of problems within which we find both Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Other Specified Dissociative Disorders (OSDD). Such disorders are generally considered to be the direct consequence of early childhood trauma and disorganised attachment.

Understandably, individuals suffering from such disorders lack the security of attachment that normally promotes integration. The difficulties experienced by clients with these disorders therefore tend to reflect problems related to the regulation of threat within the conscious experience of the self; as a result, their sense of self develops in a relatively more compartmentalised or ‘structurally dissociated’ manner than the norm.

This talk is a continuation of Professor Gilbert’s presentation, in which you have been introduced to a biopsychosocial model and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). In this talk, Andrew Rayner illustrates how CFT applies social mentality theory to OSDD and DID, where some parts of the self are rigidly organised around the harm avoidance and competitive/social rank motivational systems. This creates disturbances in both internal and external relationships.

One key clinical priority is to facilitate a shift in these motivational systems so that internal and external relationships change from patterns of dominance and subordinance to those of care-giving and care-receiving. This talk argues how CFT is ideally suited to address these dissociative disorders, with reference to the existing literature, treatment guidance and Rayner’s own clinical experience.

Part 4: Living Un-Triggered: Developing a Toolbox of Embodied Practices to Resolve Triggers by Deirdre Fay

Getting triggered is one of the unfortunate by products of life, especially with trauma and attachment wounding. This course explores a radically positive approach based on cutting edge integration of attachment theory, trauma treatment and wisdom traditions to Resolving Triggers. It is designed to provide teaching as well as experiential growth.

The course is presented with a psycho-educational format, integrating self-reflection and practice to practically develop ways to pivot when triggered by life circumstances. You’ll be able to assist your clients to create their unique Toolbox to Resolve Triggers, compassionately allowing them to intervene when triggered.