Dissociation is a maladaptive coping skill that many of my clients have utilized to protect themselves from scary, unsafe, and overwhelming thoughts, feelings or situations (sometimes even people). Clients often come in and say that they have been taught grounding techniques, yet still dissociate while they are using these skills. That's ok. There is help and together we can build a practical toolbox that you can use while implementing therapeutic modalities such as one of the EMDR protocols and practical skills-building to help you stay grounded and heal from the past.
I have experience working with clients who experience dissociation or dissociative disorders and I will provide a warm safe space to cultivate a collaborative therapeutic relationship and target symptoms of distress. My training in EMDR I believe would be helpful in addressing these symptoms as well as processing and exploring the roots of dissociation in order to better understand it and use skills to navigate and manage these challenges.
To what extent a person dissociates varies. Finding out where on the continuum you are is important. People dissociate to keep themselves safe physically, mentally and emotionally. This can become unsafe to do and the very thing that helped you survive can get in your way of living.
Dissociative Disorders can be very difficult to live with and can be complicated to unwind in the therapeutic process. However, I have a great deal of professional experience with Dissociation. These states of mind are often rooted in traumatic situations or abuse. They range from mild to severe on the spectrum and there are many forms of dissociative disorders including DID. All of the forms can be treated with a variety of approaches including Somatic Therapy, Trauma Therapy, and EMDR.
Dissociative disorders result from adaptation to emotionally or physically painful circumstances beyond the control of the patient. Finding and resolving the feelings avoided through dissociation restores the availability of normal feelings. Internal family therapy treatment is particularly helpful in this area.