Dissociation

When fight or flight instincts are not achievable, dissociation is a protective response to the overwhelming experience(s).  We all dissociate.  When we are driving in a car or in the shower and we cannot recall if we passed a road or put in shampoo already, we are dissociating.  We can dissociate by becoming fully absorbed in a television show.  There is a continuum of dissociation from typical dissociation tendencies to depersonalization/derealization and farthest on the continuum, dissociative parts of the personality.

All ages can experience depersonalization, derealization, and dissociation.  And dissociation symptoms can take place temporarily (like in major hormonal times in a person’s life, flashbacks, or extreme anxiety) or regularly, which typically stem from ongoing trauma experiences.  Grounding and mindfulness exercises can be very helpful.

I work with clients to recognize the cues and programming of the nervous system.  Therapy can involve recognizing triggers and reactions, expanding your emotional toolbox and tolerance, and adapting the dissociative tendencies that as a child was so helpful in very overwhelming times, that may not be so helpful as an adult.  With clients that dissociate, I can work with you to help you understand your inner experiences, like your inner child, critical voices, or parts that can feel very distinct.

Together we will work to understand your dissociative tendencies and help you have more control to use the skill or not.  We will also work to understand the internal, complex system developed and discuss ways to meet internal needs or unburden traumas in a paced way.