Assessing and Treating Dissociation: The Beginning Phases

A live virtual group training for both EMDR and non-EMDR therapists

Section 2:  April 3 and 17; May 1, 15, 29.  11:30 am – 1 pm MST

Research shows that it takes an average of 5-12 years in therapy for someone with a dissociative disorder to be diagnosed appropriately. Therapy is at its best ineffective and at its worst dangerous for those with undiagnosed dissociative disorders. However, with the right education,  therapists can successfully help these clients. This workshop is for clinicians who want to improve their understanding of how to assess and work with clients who have dissociative disorders. This twelve-hour class reviews in detail how to navigate the assessment and stabilization/preparation phases with clients with histories of complex trauma.

This live training is 12-hours of learning time – a combination of in person lecture/discussion and reading/chat focused on how to assess dissociation and then guide clients who have dissociative issues through early phases of therapy.

Timeline: 7.5 hours of group (biweekly over 10 weeks) with 3 hours of video, 30 minutes of group discussion between groups and reading credit.

Out of class work:

• 1 1/4 hour video: “Assessing Dissociation” by Dorinna Ruh and Maggie Robbins
• 1 hour video:  “Creative Resourcing” by Dorinna Ruh
• 1 hour video “Internal Healing Dialogue and More” by Dorinna Ruh
• Reading Trauma and Dissociation Informed Internal Family Systems by Joanne Twombly (referred to as “Twombly book” from here on)

Group 1:
1.5 hour Phase 1: Assessment – discussion and review (Objective 1)

• Power point
• ACES handout
• PTSD vs Developmental Complex Trauma handout
• Brief MID tutorial
• Handout: Weaving together Phases 1 and 2
• Discussion of current clients
• Reading in Twombly: Chapter 5

Group 2:
1.5 hour Phase 2: Resourcing (Objective 3)

• One hour video on Creative Resourcing
• One hour video on Internal Healing Dialogue and More
• Discussion about creative resourcing (see handout)
• Practice as time allows
• Reading in Twombly: Chapters 4, 9, 10

Group 3:
1.5 hour Intro to IFS and Structural Dissociation (Objective 2)

• Power point IFS/Structural dissociation
• Group discussion
• Case review – synthesizing what they have learned
• Reading in Twombly: Chapter 2 and 11

Group 4:
1.5 hour Orienting to Time and Place (Objective 4)

• Video example
• Case examples and IFS steps handout
• Questions for orientation
• Reading: Twombly pp. 150-168

Group 5:
1.5 hour Countertransference (Objective 5)

• Practicum: IFS and Countertransference
• Karpman Triangle
• Reading: Twombly chapters 3, 14, and 15

Cost:  $300 ($30 not for profit discount applied at checkout) early bird until 3/23/25).  Then $350.

*Group is limited to 8 spots

12 EMDRIA credits approved.
Non-EMDR trained therapists are welcome to attend.