All too often, dissociation is misunderstood and only thought of as the occasional zoning out we might experience or a Hollywood portrayal of switching into destructive personality states as a portrayal of dissociative identity disorder. Although the portrayals may be familiar or exciting, in reality, neither example is wholly accurate, and that lack of precision leaves a lot of people’s experience unrepresented in our treatment plans. But now, there’s a way to understand the range of dissociative phenomena and how it helps us survive adverse experiences. Below, you can access a free 90-minute webinar featuring Dr. Mary-Ann Kate, who, together with colleagues, developed the MID-60 dissociation screener.
Defining Dissociation
Dissociation, a survival strategy employed in the face of overwhelming trauma and neglect, has long been a captivating enigma. To begin with, when someone has gone through difficult experiences like trauma, neglect, or attachment injuries, they may try to protect themselves by separating their emotions and memories into different compartments. However, this can make it hard to connect with themselves and others, including their therapist and the people with whom they interact in daily life. Consequently, how a client compartmentalizes these aspects of self can greatly impact the therapy relationship, as well as the therapy plan and pace of the sessions. For example, a client can suddenly go mute and be unable to talk. The therapist can guide them in backtracking to explore what happened right before the symptom presented, and allow the client to write out answers to explore the inner system together. Since dissociative symptoms show up in session, it is essential for trauma therapists to understand presentations and how to assess for pathological dissociation. Dr. Kate provides insight into these mysteries and explains the everyday manifestations of dissociation.
What Will I Learn in the Webinar?
Drawing from her extensive research and groundbreaking dissertation on dissociative disorders in college students, Dr. Kate introduces the profound realm of dissociative phenomena. She provides valuable insights into the different presentations and the environmental conditions that predict dissociation, identifying those who are most at risk.
Notably, the webinar highlight is undoubtedly the MID-60 dissociation screener, a powerful tool Dr. Kate and her colleagues created from the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation, the 218-item, clinician-administered measure developed by Dr. Paul Dell. She skillfully navigates its use, helping clinicians understand symptom definition, presentation, and severity accurately. In trauma treatment, this screener is quickly becoming a go-to resource for therapists worldwide.
Overall, this webinar is geared towards mental health experts, but may interest a student eager to expand knowledge, someone with personal experience of dissociation, or simply curious about understanding dissociation better. It’s important to know that this webinar addresses sensitive topics related to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in families, and viewers are encouraged to care for themselves and honor their limits when viewing.
Don’t miss this opportunity to join Dr. Mary-Ann Kate on a transformative journey to unlock the secrets of dissociation. Her expertise will enrich your practice, empower your life, and enable you to make a profound difference in the lives of others.
Finally, unpacking the MID-60 and MID can be daunting at first. If you are a clinician ready to enhance your proficiency, invest in your growth, and gain confidence in assessing dissociation for the best therapeutic outcomes, visit the ISSTD website (International Association for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation), the ESTD website (European Society for Trauma and Dissociation) or click below to schedule a consultation!
Reference
Kate, Mary-Anne & Jamieson, Graham & Dorahy, Martin & Middleton, Warwick. (2020). Measuring dissociative symptoms and experiences in an Australian college sample using a short version of the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.
