Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

I had actual tears of recognition in my eyes after starting this book; six months later, upon completing it, I feel like I have reached a milestone in my recovery from abuse. I felt understood by this book in a way that I never have before with a psychology or therapy text, except for Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery. This book is absolutely invaluable for someone with complex trauma in childhood, who used dissociation as their main defense mechanism. I am somewhere on the dissociative continuum (I had symptoms resembling DID in adolescence), though it wasn't identified as the source of my mental health problems until mid-adulthood, when I finally sought treatment for sexual abuse and trauma rather than depression alone, and then everything changed for the better. I started reading this as a follow-up to The Stranger in the Mirror (an excellent overview of dissociation), not expecting to get much out of this one, as therapy workbooks tend to be challenging for me. But I found myself highlighting every page. It's a gentler alternative to works that focus on sexual violence (many of which have helped, but those are hard to read when triggered). It's also made grounding and mindfulness exercises more accessible for me, since these are written expressly with a dissociative/traumatized reader in mind. The language, too, is so clear and validating. Some chapters might be more triggering, depending on your experience-- I was surprised that the relational stuff was harder for me-- so personally I recommend skipping a chapter or section if you feel like you're "fighting" with it, then returning to it later on. I had good luck with this approach. And don't be afraid to spend more time on a challenging chapter. You'll get out of the book what you put into it. I wish I had encountered this book years ago, but I'm just so glad to have it now. Best $17 I've ever spent. I want to tell the writers thank you.

It was a great book and very helpful and informative. The step-by-step processes was very easy to follow and the review processes were also very helpful. Overall it is a wonderful guide in helping people who suffer from dissociation and also for clinicians to help deal with people who suffer from dissociation. I recommend it.

I can't say enough about this book. I had gotten very discouraged working with traumatized women and addicts. The first client I used this book with had been stuck for some time and was sinking deeper and deeper into despair, hopelessness, panic, anxiety and depression. She was also morbidly obese. After one session with this manual, she began to have hope, she engaged very actively in the treatment. One of the amazing things I see about working with these methods is that memories begin to surface spontaneously, as the client is ready, and within the context of the therapy, they feel safe to process and share the memories. In the case of this particular client, there was a facet of her abuse that haunted her immensely but she couldn't say why. By the third session, a memory had surfaced which explained it, and she was able to cope with it and process it in session. I found it very interesting that the memory surfaced as a movie on a screen with no sounds or smells, which is something the book indicates will happen. This client, as well as others, are enormously reassured and encouraged by the fact that suddenly everything makes sense, they are not the only ones who feel this way, and that there are therapists who have tons of experience working with these symptoms, to the point that they were able to write a book that both explains and offers hope. I also work with a lot of addicts and have become convinced that almost all addicts suffer from DDNOS, and I believe that this treatment should be a part of any successful substance abuse treatment. When I introduce some of these ideas in a group of addicts, I have the full attention of every person, male and female. They start to ask questions an things begin to fall into place for them. This work is so miraculous that I have purchased a pile of books all dealing with Polyvagal Theory, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Viseral Sensory Neuroscience, etc, to further my understanding of how the viscera reacts to trauma, and the role of neuroleptic not and interception in triggering people to have panic, anxiety, and to carry out behaviors such as self harming, eating disorders and substance abuse. Clients are awed to find out that there is an answer to the formerly mysterious monster that controls them and devours them. I am continuing to read and study, and in the meantime I am reaching my clients in a way that I have never been able to before.

This book is amazing. I would read chapter after chapter and say, "My life is in this book!" I didn't know that other people had the same problems that I did, and that people actually researched these types of problems! It made me feel good to know that I was not the only one experiencing these things. I picked up this book because it was mentioned in Pete Walker's "Complex PTSD" book as a work helpful for those who have "freeze" as one of their main responses to trauma. The book is written in a very nonjudgmental way, which is helpful for those of us who are easily triggered by criticism. The chapters are very short, which is good for people who are easily overwhelmed. I learned a lot about myself through this book and was able to develop some skills to help myself as I heal from complex PTSD.

If you and your therapist have found your diagnosis to include dissociation, this is an incredibly useful book. I often pined for a practical guide to doing the stuff of daily life in light of my propensity to zone out. I thought I was just a procrastinator- but none of those self-help books came even close to helping. I even thought I had ADD/ADHD and bought some "how to stay organized" books for folks with those issues. When I finally understood that I was dissociating, it felt just like a fancy label and I didn't know what to do to get through the tough times of the day short of "curing" myself. Until one day it occurred to me that there must be ways to work around dissociations even before you can eliminate them from your life. So I googled "self care routine for dissociation" and I found this incredibly helpful manual. And it really is a manual. There are broader ideas as well but I find the minutiae of the instructions very helpful and comforting. It sometimes feels like re-learning how to be an adult, this time without the trauma. Huge thanks to the authors for writing this book.

I'm unsure if I have a dissociative disorder. But I know I dissociate for sure. This book covers everything I could ever think of in regards to how past trauma and their repetitions have affected me and my life. I felt like someone was dissecting me thoroughly in a way that I have longed for for so long. I read the Kindle edition, and the only annoying part is that I wanted to copy the worksheets so I have them elsewhere to work on. But there is a copy limit due to copyright concerns so I ended up just having to write notes to do the worksheets. Not ideal since I liked keeping the worksheets in one place and coming back to them if there were parts I didn't fill out. In terms of tangible advice, I did find some parts to be repetitive, especially towards the end if you're not running groups. However, it was ultimately helpful since I would get triggered by something written and the repetition would serve as a reminder for what I could do to help myself in that moment. I wish there was something to wrap up the book for those not running groups though. Overall, the book has been and will continue to be a resource for me along my journey. Would definitely recommend for other trauma sufferers plagued with dissociation.

Yeah, it's not cheap and there's a good reason for that. This is one of the best go-to books esp for people new to DID. (Dissociative Identity Disorder.) I did myself a favor and also bought the audio file so I could listen to it as I read. I do better with immersive reading but also, in a system, some read better than others? So glad I could do that. Sometimes however, there is no play button for the audio when I open it on my phone or tablet. I don't know what that is about. From Audible, I wouldn't expect the attached audio file to be sketchy? Odd. But really, a very good book. It is suggested that you do this when you have a therapist to do each chapter with you. I agree. Make sure you have a therapist who knows how to treat people who dissociate.

Excellent. Clearly written. Is helping me become more self-aware generally and with my Internet addiction. Wow! It’s amazing that trauma therapy only started getting published in the 1970s. This is new information for us humans. Took me over 50 years of living before I realized that of “fight, flight or freeze,” I’d freeze. My “freeze” was so thorough I didn’t realize that I froze. I’m a physically tough guy, very outdoorsy and brave externally. It wasn’t until I was in my 40s to realize that I’m the opposite and quite sensitive and not that resilient to my own unpleasant inner experiences. In fact, I chickened out and avoid my unpleasant inner experiences, which has slowly disconnected me from life.

I am 59 yrs old have had a trauma filled life personally and in my work. I have PTSD, depression. This book has helped me understand why I turn off,how to stay present. A psychologist gave a diagnosis of dissociation,. It freaked me out, I thought I don't have multiple personalities who take over at different times. But now understand why in situations that most people cry, or are angry , I have felt nothing and and been able to ' perform' as I have been taught. My brother has always told me stay in the moment, I thought I was. But now I understand. I feel empowered. The self guided exercises I share with my councillor and even though I am only just finishing chapter 2. In 3 months it has changed my thinking and given me practical exercises to do that reinforce my learning. If you are ready to confront and be honest it's a great book to work through with a mental health practitioner.

Kostbares Buch für Betroffene. Das Buch ist sehr gut Strukturiert. Die Englische Ausgabe ist in schlichter Sprache geschrieben, was das Verständnis erleichtert. Das Buch setzt wichtige Schwerpunkte im Umgang mit Dissoziation. Für Betroffene ein guter Lehrer und LebensHelfer in schwergewichtiger Buch-Form. Leider fehlt bei der Englischen Ausgabe die CD welche bei der deutschen Ausgabe beigefügt ist. Da hätte ich gerne Zusatzinformation erhalten.

Un manuale ben strutturato, molto utile sicuramente per chi opera nel settore, ma anche interessante per chiunque voglia comprendere meglio le conseguenze psicologiche del trauma e le possibilità di risoluzione.

So good! As a trauma therapist certified in EMDR I can’t believe I had not picked this up before. It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. It’s clear, well structured and the content is excellent. I haven’t written many reviews, but this was worth taking the time.

This book is set out as a manual for running groups for people living with Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder or Dissociative Disorder (Otherwise Specified). It can be used as a semi-structured guide to one-to-one therapy too. Suzette Boon has co-written it with Kathy Steele and Onno van der Hart [ASIN:0393704017 The Haunted Self (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)with Ellert Nijenhuis], based on groups run in the Netherlands for a decade. The manual covers stablization, affect regulation, safety and skills building and is designed to work alongside individual therapy. This approach is informed by the three phase approach put forward by Judith Hermann and advocated in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: 1) Stabilization (emotion regulation and safety in the present, self care: physical and emotional); 2) Processing trauma memories; 3) Rehabilitation. The groups concentrate on phases 1) and 3) - they are not the place for phase 2 work because of the importance of doing this within a relationship and the risk of destabilizing other members. The book is informed by developments in neuroscience and 'bottom-up' therapeutic approaches, proposing work at the body level as well as the cognitive and emotional. This makes these groups uniquely appropriate for dissociative clients and survivors of complex abuse. This field has highlighted the re-traumatising effect of cognitive and emotional psychotherapy, teaches understanding of brain process and self-regulation of autonomic arousal, and prioritising safety in therapy.