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UNDERSTANDING AND WORKING WITH
COMPLEX TRAUMA & DISSOCIATION
Lynette S. Danylchuk, PhD
Kevin J. Connors, MS, MFT
INTRODUCTION
The Difficult Client
Chaotic Lifestyle
Frequent Crisis Calls
Suicidal & Para-suicidal
Behaviors
Manipulative
Non-Compliant/Oppositional
INTRODUCTION
The Borderline Client
Black or White/All or Nothing Thinking
Extreme Ambivalence
Extreme Labiality of Affect
Approach/Avoidance
Self-Harm Behaviors
INTRODUCTION
The Dissociative Client
Spaced Out/Foggy
Identity Confusion
Memory Problems
Hears Voices
History of Treatment Failures
THE PROBLEM
Most Mental Health Practitioners See
Dissociation As Extremely Rare
Dissociation is seen as DID
Their Viewpoint Informs the General Public
THE PROBLEM
Clients with Complex Relational Trauma
Receive Inappropriate Treatment
Given Negative Labels
Treated for Surface Symptoms
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
By having an expanded and
comprehensive understanding
of trauma based disorders and
dissociative defenses,
more clients will get better treatment.
WHO ARE THEY?
Possible Client Populations
Alcohol/Substance Abuse
Intimate Partner Violence
Eating Disorders
COMPLEX TRAUMA
Impact of Trauma
Natural Trauma vs. Interpersonal Trauma
Loss of Safety
Loss of Invulnerability
Shattering of Worldview
MEANING AND IMPACT OF COMPLEX
INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA
FREUD ON PSYCHIC TRAUMA
"An experience which within a short
period of time presents the mind
with an increase of stimulus too
powerful to be dealt with or
worked off in the normal way, and
thus must result in permanent
disturbances of the manner in
which energy operates" (1916).
Phenomenological Presentation –
What does it look like?
PTSD Symptoms – Siegel’s Window of
Tolerance
Hyper-arousal
Hypo-arousal
Intrusive Flashbacks
Window of Tolerance
Window of Tolerance
COMPLEX TRAUMA
Relational Trauma
The closer the relationship between perpetrator
& victim the more devastating the damage
Betrayal
Loss of Trust
COMPLEX TRAUMA
Developmental Trauma
Age of Onset
Frequency of Abuse
Lack of Nurturing and
Healing Responses
Dissociative Defenses
Conceptualizations of Dissociation
Disruption of self awareness
Disruption of relatedness
they embody painful experiences, but become autonomous by virtue
of their segregation from the main stream of consciousness . . .
..(they) did not belong to the personal consciousness, were not
connected to the personal perception, and lacked the personality's
sense of self...
~ P. Janet
DISSOCIATION
Dissociative Symptomology
Amnesia/ Trance States
Depersonalization/
Derealization
Fugue States
Ego States
Dissociative Identity Disorder
DDNOS
Phenomenological Presentation –
What does it look like?
Relational Symptoms
Borderline features
Paranoid features
Narcissistic features
Asocial features
DIAGNOSIS
Frequent Misdiagnosis
3.6 To 6.8 Years In Mental Health System Prior
To Accurate Diagnosis
3.2 Diagnoses Prior To Accurate Diagnosis
High Co-morbidity
DIAGNOSIS
Dissociation
Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (Carlson & Putnam)
Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation version 6
(Dell)
Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire – 20 (Neijuis)
Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire - 5 (Neijuis)
Clinical Interviews
Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (Ross)
Structured Clinical Interview-Dissociative Disorders (Steinberg)
DIAGNOSIS
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
LA Symptom Checklist (Foy)
Trauma Symptom Checklist (Briere)
Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale
(Anda & Feletti)
Diagnosis
Differential Diagnosis Considerations
Schizophrenia
Bi-Polar Disorder
Paranoid Disorder
Major Depression
Borderline Personality Disorder
Psychosis
DISSOCIATION &
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Authors
Benishek &
Wichowki
Population
Studied
N
Substance
Abusers
51
Tamar-Gurol,
Sar, Karadag,
Evren &
Substance
Karagoz
Abusers
104
Tests
Results
DES
25 % >15
DES,
DDIS &
SCID-D
46%>30
DISSOCIATION &
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Alcohol or Substance Abuse in Families
Increases Likelihood of Interpersonal
Violence.
Intimate Partner Violence
Child Abuse
DISSOCIATION &
IPV
Authors
Connors,
Kemper,
Hamel &
Ensign
Population
Studied
Intimate
Partner
Violence –
Victims
N
95
Tests
DES,
CTS, CAT
Trauma
History
Results
31.6 %
> DES 20
18.9%
> DES Taxon
Score .55:
DISSOCIATION &
IPV
Intimate Partner Violence is Relational
Trauma
Dissociative Clients at Greater Risk of Revictimization
Dissociative Clients Engage in More
Violence with Battering Partners
IPV-Offenders May Dissociate During
Assaults
DISSOCIATION &
EATING DISORDERS
Authors
Beato,
Cano,&
Belmonte
Dalle Grave,
Tosico,
& Bartocci
Vanderlinden,
Van der Hart,
& Varga
Population
Studied
Eating
Disorders
Eating
Disorders
Eating
Disorders
N
118
106
98
Tests
Results
DES,
30.5 % > 25
DIS-Q
22.6% had
severe
dissociative
symptoms
DIS-Q
12%
pathological
dissociative
experiences
DISSOCIATION &
EATING DISORDERS
Sexual Abuse May Be a Factor in the
Development of Eating Disorders
Traumatic Experiences More Prevalent
Among Clients with Bulimia & with Anorexia
Nervosa: Binge Eating-Purging Subtype
ETIOLOGY
Neurobiology
Hyper activation of Amygdala
Hypothalamus, Pituitary Adrenal Overstimulation
Increased Right Temporal
Lobe Functioning
ETIOLOGY
Neurobiology
Diminished Hippocampal
Functioning
Impaired Broca’s Region
ETIOLOGY
Relational /Developmental Trauma
Trauma as That Which Overwhelms One’s Ability
to Assimilate & Accommodate
Interpersonal vs. Natural Trauma
Betrayal Trauma
Childhood Abuse
ETIOLOGY
Disorganized Attachment
Attachment Theory
Styles of Attachment
Effects of Attachment on Adult Relationships
ETIOLOGY
Dysfunctional
Family Dynamics
ACA Issues
Dysfunctional
Social &
Interpersonal
Learning
Don’t Think,
Don’t Feel,
Don’t Tell
Ego State Model
DISSOCIATION
Component Model
Behavior
Affect
Sensation
Knowledge
B
S
A
DISSOCIATION
Sequential Model
Ego States/Alters Across Time
Degrees of Dissociative Barriers
SEQUENTIAL MODEL OF
DISSOCIATION
TRAUMATIC EVENT
TTIME
IME
Annie
Betty
Chuck
Dora
Baby Eek!
Florence
Annie
DISSOCIATION
Structural Dissociation
Self as Process
Trauma Results in a
Diminished Sense of Self
Tiered Levels of Dissociative
Disorganization of Self
♦ Tier I: ANP & EP
♦ Tier II: ANP & EP’s
♦ Tier III: ANP’s & EP’s
TREATMENT
Need for On-going Support & Consultation
ISSTD Treatment Guidelines
Component Chapters
Study Groups
Annual Conference
Regional Seminars
www.ISST-D.org
Impact of Abuse on Attachment and
Relationships
Disorganized Attachment Leads to
Multiple Models of Attachment
Attachment and Avoidance Become
Enmeshed
Inability to Transcend “Good Parent/Bad
Parent” Paradigm
Disconnection From Normal Relationships
Stockholm Syndrome
(Graham & Rawlings, 91)
Victim Feels Threatened and Fearful
for Survival
Victim Feels Isolated
Victim Fells Dependent Upon
Perpetrator
for Safety
Perpetrator Shows Limited Kindness
Victim Bonds to Perpetrator
Victim Adopts Beliefs/Rhetoric &
Perceptions of Perpetrator
Externalized Locus of Control
Client Symptomology
Lack internal control
Attempt to control others
Assume responsibility for others
Alternately seeks and rejects external control
Externalized Locus of Control
Perpetrator Dynamics (Sgroi, 82
Dysfunctional boundaries
Displacement of responsibility
Isolation
Discounted/distorted feelings
Non-validation of reality
Mey, 82 )
Shame
Conceptualizations of Shame
Inherent sense of flawed self
Shame is about Self; Guilt is
about an act (Lewis, 71)
Shame as the basis for defense
mechanisms (Wurmser, 81)
Shame as an attenuator of affect
(Nathanson, 92)
Shame
Denial of Abuse
Maintains Shame
Perpetrator denial
Familial /societal denial
Self denial
Shame
Denial of Abuse Maintains Shame
Therapist denial (C. Dalenberg, 2000)
♦ Fears of counter transference
♦ Fears of legal liability
♦ Fear of the overwhelming pain
♦ Silence and the failure of language
Shame
Shame and Powerlessness
E. Erickson: Autonomy vs. Shame
♦ If not able to make change then no autonomy
(powerless)
♦ If powerless to make changes (lacking autonomy),
then shame filled
Shame
Shame and Powerlessness
Nathanson: Shame vs. Pride
♦ Shame inhibits experiencing the
positive affects
♦ Success leads to affect: enjoymentjoy
♦ Competence & pleasure antidotes to
shame
Shame
Shame and Powerlessness
Paradoxical relationship between
shame and powerlessness
♦ Powerlessness leads to shame
♦ Shame is held to avoid powerlessness
♦ Accepting powerlessness to relieve
shame
Addiction to Chaos
(van der Kolk, 87)
Examples of Chaos
Eating disorders
Chemical dependency
Self-injurious behavior
Dysfunctional relationships
Identification with aggressor
Addiction to anger
Alexithymia
Difficulty Identifying Feelings
Difficulty Expressing Feelings
Affect Storm
Connection to Somatoform
Dissociation
(Clayton , 04)
INTRODUCTION
Three Stage Trauma Model
Safety and Stability
Remembering and Mourning
Reconnecting
INTRODUCTION
Trauma Treatment Triggers Trauma
Treatment frame is safe but not too safe
There will be complications
Therapists will step in it.
Rupture repair process is
rich and necessary
UNDERLYING THEMES / GUIDING
LIGHTS
Transference and Countertransference
Non-linear Nature of Trauma Therapy
Replication of Dysfunctional Trauma
Dynamics
Addictive Patterns of Arousal
Power, Powerlessness,
Choices and Shame
Shift from Ordeal to Recovery
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
Secure Attachment
Consistent Caring Presence
Sustained Connection
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
Boundaries
Predictable
Not too rigid, not too loose
Negotiable
Create safe environment within which to meet
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Intrusive Flashbacks
Grounding
Container Imagery
Divide & Put Away
(Controlled Dissociation)
Manipulating Memories
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Self harm
Explore Intent
Saying What Can’t Be Said
Short-term vs. Long Term Effectiveness
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Fear of Disclosure
To Be Seen is to:
Give away power
Be in danger
Create vulnerability
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Fear of Disclosure
To Say It Out Loud is to:
Connect to ones’ self and one’s life
Make events real
Make emotions more intense
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Lack of Internal Cooperation
Honor the Resistance/Honor the Fear
Seeing the Whole Person as Conflicted
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Alexithymia
Teaching Affective Language
Develop Somatic Awareness
Distinguish between hyper & hypo arousal
STAGE ONE TREATMENT ISSUES
Affect Modulation and Self Soothing
Relaxation exercise
Breathing
Physical interventions
Hypnotic Interventions
Siphon off
Energy transfer
Internal support system
Emotional rheostat
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Transference and Countertransference
Know your own tendencies
What is you and what is not you
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Non Linear Nature of Trauma Therapy
Sense of progress or lack of progress
Same feelings over & over
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Replication of Dysfunctional
Trauma Dynamics
Replay Karpman’s Triangle
Lead to therapist weakening boundaries
Enmeshed in client’s system
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Addictive Patterns of Arousal
Chaos as defense
Loss of drama = Loss of life
Enmeshment vs intimacy
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Power, Powerlessness,
Choices and Shame
Identify options
Reaction vs choice
Shame
Defense
Holding shame holds onto the meaning and
the value of the loss and abuse
UNDERLYING THEMES/
GUIDING LIGHTS (a reprise)
Shift from Ordeal to Recovery
Recognizing the trauma is past
Agency over trauma vs. being controlled by
trauma
Integrate vs. exorcise
STAGE 2:
REMEMBRANCE
AND MOURNING
ABOUT THE CLIENT
They were traumatized
They are not the trauma
They are not the problem
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Integration not Exorcism
Sometimes the Bad Guys are the Best
Value the Need to Identify with the
Perpetrator
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Not Changing History
Dealing with what was,
Grieving what was not.
What was learned may (or may not) be useful in
different ways in the present.
What was missed needs to be learned – earned
attachment, relational skills
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Do Not Need All the Memories
Use the Present to Tap into the Past
Identify Repetitive Patterns of Behavior
Consciousness Raising
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Need to Understand the Meaning of the
Trauma Event
Unbridled expression of emotion (without attached
meaning) is unhealthy and
re-traumatizing
Recounting without affect remains disconnected &
dissociated
Assembling all the components of the trauma
includes the meaning assigned at the time of the
trauma. (Think BASK)
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Pacing
Resist the urge to turn therapy into
another ordeal
The slower you go, the faster you get
there
Trauma is not a paced experience
Trauma is subjectively felt as if there
is no beginning, middle, and end
Learning to pace one’s self heals of
the effects of trauma
REMEMBRANCE:
General Considerations
Safety
Critical Therapeutic
Issues
Trauma Treatment
Triggers Trauma
Therapists Will
Make Mistakes
REMEMBRANCE:
Safety
Dealing with Overwhelming Emotions
Grounding exercises,
The power of relationship
Learning about the body and mind
How to calm the self,
Become more present
REMEMBRANCE:
Safety
Affect regulation
Name the fear/affect
Identify where in your body you are experiencing
the fear/affect,
Identify where in your body you are NOT
experiencing the fear/affect,
Shift your focus between the two
REMEMBRANCE:
Safety
Differentiating Past from Present
Cell Phones
Newspapers/Magazines
“Where’s the Doorknob?”
Therapists Will Make Mistakes
Be mindful of when & how
Be able to say, “I’m sorry.”
Repair of therapeutic ruptures is as
important as any other piece of good
therapy
A golden opportunity to strengthen the
therapeutic alliance
REMEMBRANCE:
Methods
Assembling Dissociative Components
Non-leading Questions
When to talk about ‘why’
Exploring the recalled event
REMEMBRANCE:
Methods
Moving Forward &
Backward to
Complete
Beginning, Middle &
End
Allowing non-linear
processing
Develop a coherent
narrative
REMEMBRANCE:
Methods
Moving Forward & Backward to Complete
Beginning, Middle & End
Trauma memories tend to be a repeating loop
of a portion of the event
Identify the context and finding the frame of
reference
REMEMBRANCE:
Methods
Moving Forward &
Backward to Complete
Beginning, Middle &
End
All along the way,
existential issues arise
and need to be dealt
with
Stage II will often
activate Stage I needs
REMEMBRANCE:
Methods
Sharing Across Alter Personalities
Metaphors for helping
Metaphors to create a sense of oneness out of
many and value all within
REMEMBRANCE:
Specialized Techniques
Caveat:
Tools, not panaceas. Use with wisdom and caution.
Many new specialized techniques can work well with
severely traumatized people, but they must be used
with the awareness and cooperation of the client’s
system.
Severely traumatized people are avoiding their pain,
etc. for a good reason.
The desire to be fixed, quickly, without pain can
cause therapists and clients to use a technique too
much or too soon.
REMEMBRANCE:
Specialized Techniques
Hypnosis
EMDR
Somatic Therapies
Prolonged Exposure
MOURNING:
GRIEF
The intensity of grief
Self-soothing
Key questions
Therapist’s ability to stay present
MOURNING:
Why Me?
Perpetrators and
Narcissism
Karpman’s
Triangle
RESCUER
PERSECUTOR
VICTIM
MOURNING:
What Does It All Mean?
Normalize the reactions and learned
behaviors.
Developmental process happening within
therapy
Finding Strength
MOURNING:
Control
Locus of Control Issues
Explore what can and can’t be controlled
Shifting shame to another areas of life give
the illusion of control
MOURNING:
Shame
Shame as inhibitor:
stifles joy,
happiness, any kind
of vulnerability.
Nathanson’s shame
diagram – act out,
act in, blame
others, blame self.
MOURNING:
Shame
Keeps the trauma stuck.
Shame avoids Powerlessness
MOURNING:
Shame
Therapist needs to be able to sit with the
shame
Explore culpability – where responsibility
truly resides
Explore reality of choices
MOURNING:
Shame
Challenging Core Trauma Beliefs
Identify survival response
I’m bad, I deserved it
Powerlessness
Role within the family
Stage 3: Integration
Not the end of therapy, but the stage that
most resembles therapy with nondissociative people.
Loneliness, mourning the loss of ‘others’
inside.
‘who am I?’ questions, learning to relate as
a whole person, from the inside out, finding
meaning and purpose, working on
relationships.
The Impact of
Chronic Interpersonal Trauma
Strips the Ability to be in
Community
No attachment = No connection
In the natural world, this would
mean certain death
To the trauma survivor this is felt
as complete annihilation
People exclude others who are
seen as excluded in other to avoid
the reality of our own personal
human needs.
The Impact of
Chronic Interpersonal Trauma
Abandonment, Shame, and Powerlessness
are the key Elements
Abandonment: Not wanted, not included
Shame: Not worthy
Powerlessness: Not able to build a bridge back
The Impact of
Chronic Interpersonal Trauma
Therapy Builds the Bridge
The Therapeutic Alliance Creates
Community
“Paradoxically,
trauma both occurs
in the context of a relationship
and can only be healed
in the context of a relationship”
ISSTD Treatment
Guidelines
are available at
our website
www. ISST-D. org
CONTACT US
Lynette S Danylchuk, PhD
[email protected]
Kevin J Connors, MS, MFT
[email protected]