Understanding the impact of developmental stages in therapy

Understanding the Impact of Developmental Stages in therapy

One of the issues facing therapists supporting Survivors of childhood trauma with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and other dissociative experiencing, is how to respond to the younger selves in their clients. We may be meeting with an adult who has a self who functions well in the world of work, yet who suffers from isolation in their personal life. That same person may be experiencing flashbacks, losing time, times of anxiety, terror or lostness. Lacking ability to self soothe, they may be overwhelmed with feelings of fear, rage or despair and find no way forward. Diligently they work in our verbal therapy yet cannot heal those aspects of self. This day will explore the developmental stages to highlight the needs of each stage in the healing process, and how we as therapists can come alongside each of the inner selves most effectively.