Dissociation Fundamentals for Clinical Care
Course Overview
Myths, misconceptions, and cruel assessments of people who dissociate still abound in the helping professions. Dissociation, or severing, meaning separating from the present moment or aspects of self, is a natural part of all trauma response and the human experience. Yet even seasoned professionals can find themselves baffled in addressing dissociation clinically. Your instructor for this course addresses these problems from several angles—as a person with a dissociative disorder and an intricate internal system, as an EMDR Trauma Therapy practitioner and trainer, and as a long-time recipient of various approaches to trauma therapy as a client. Solutions are proposed for helping professionals become less afraid of dissociation by more fully embracing their own internal world of responses and parts and committing to addressing the abundance of stigma that exists toward people with dissociative identities in helping professions and in society at large. These paradigm shifts can lead us to more effectively serve our clients and not to judge all dissociative minds as the same.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Define dissociation in a comprehensive manner.
- Identify three of the most common myths and misconceptions about conducting trauma therapy with people who have dissociative identities (DID) and other dissociative responses.
- Describe how stigma in both the media and the psychological professions has created a hesitancy or fear of addressing dissociation clinically.
- Explain how phenomenology, or listening to the lived experiences of people with dissociative disorders, can help clinicians build more effective treatment plans and strategies.
- Develop a treatment plan that is both trauma-informed and dissociation-responsive.
About the Author/Presenter
Jamie Marich, PhD, is a licensed supervising professional clinical counselor (LPCC-S) and registered expressive arts therapist with 24 years of experience working in social services and counseling, including three years of civilian humanitarian work in Bosnia-Herzegovina. She has authored numerous books and continuing education offerings on trauma recovery, mindfulness, and other therapeutic modalities. Dr. Marich maintains a clinical practice and online education operation, the Institute for Creative Mindfulness (soon to be the Creative Mindfulness Network), in northeast Ohio.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Counselor, Psychology, Social Work
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
