Introduction to Dissociation

This training explores dissociation as a continuum, from common experiences in everyday life through to more complex trauma-related dissociation. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of how dissociation can present in people impacted by complex trauma and how it may emerge within therapeutic work, supporting therapists to work safely and effectively with dissociation in therapeutic settings.

Description

This interactive one-day training builds on our clinical training programs which provide the clinical framework of the three phased approach and introduces the concept of dissociation. This training focuses on this specific topic and considers dissociation as a continuum, explores dissociation in everyday life and expands on this to explore complex trauma-related dissociation. Dissociation can be subtle and hard to detect. It is often be overlooked in treatment for this reason and also because it is understood solely as Dissociative Identity Disorder which sits at one end of the continuum. This training program provides key information and strategies to support the identification of dissociation and working with people experiencing dissociation in therapeutic settings.

This training is informed by current research from Blue Knot’s Practice Guidelines for Identifying and Treating Complex Trauma-Related Dissociation, which is a helpful companion to this training. 

By participating in this professional development training, learners will: 

  • Learn more about the concepts of dissociation and understand the continuum of dissociative experiences
  • Understand complex-trauma related dissociation and its impacts on the mind and body
  • Explore structural dissociation and organisation of the personality 
  • Discuss how to attune to the possibility of dissociation in a therapeutic setting

Who Should Attend? 

This training is designed for practitioners with a higher level of complex trauma knowledge and clinical skills, and who work in a counselling/therapy role with complex trauma clients, and utilise clinical assessment, case formulation and treatment/care planning in their daily practice. Psychologists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and social workers in a counselling role, will find this training appropriate.

This training will not cover foundational information about trauma and complex trauma. The expectation is that those working in this area and enrolling in the training will have this developed knowledge base.

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