Transitioning from phase 1 to phase 2 in treatment of dissociative disorders

Katowice, 12th and 13th January 2018

Suzette Boon, PhD

This workshop aims at building up the skills discussed in the phase 1 treatment and takes up the issues connected with moving on to phase 2.

 

Days 1: Treatment of “Difficult” Patients with a dissociative disorder; continuation of phase 1 treatment

Every therapist has encountered a “difficult patient” who engenders feelings of guilt, rage, shame, humiliation, helplessness, and incompetency, and who seems to resist virtually any efforts toward progress. In the face of massive resistance, the therapist may retreat into destructive enmeshment or distancing with the patient. The “difficult” patient can typically be understood as having extreme problems with several related issues: (1) chronic defenses against perceived relational threat (e.g., criticism, rejection, abandonment, or engulfment and control); (2) chronic defenses against inner experience (e.g., affects, cognitions, physical sensations, wishes, needs); and (3) difficulties in self regulation. On top of these problems there maybe ongoing abuse which makes the therapy more complicated.  Interventions are first directed to the therapist, who must learn to empathically understand the patient’s behavior, and act with reflection rather than with reaction. This reflective stance is a treatment strategy in itself for the patient, and paves the way for further interventions. Strategies for the therapist and patient will be discussed extensively.  On day one I will focus on chronic defenses and “therapy undermining behaviors”, role play will be the most important way of teaching and participants are encouraged to discuss their cases.

 

Day 2: The Phase II:  the treatment of traumatic memories of patients with a complex dissociative disorder

 In phase II the focus turns to working with memories of traumatic experiences. Effective work in this phase involves remembering, tolerating, processing, and integrating overwhelming past events. In this workshop I will discuss several techniques to integrate traumatic memories. The workshop will start with the presentation of a checklist to evaluate if a patient is ready to go from phase I to phase II.  And if a patient is ready, where do you start? How do you plan and schedule the sessions? Which dissociative parts participate? What is needed to maintain safety during the work. How can patients contain intense feelings if the work becomes too intense? How do we know that a memory is sufficiently integrated? Special focus will be on the “guided synthesis technique” (Boon & van der Hart, 1995; van der Hart, Nijenhuis& Steele, 2006).

 

Registration

The fee for the workshop is 150€, for members of ESTD 100€. In order to participate make the payment using the following account:

SWPS Uniwersytet Humanistycznospoleczny

Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A., Piekna 20, 00-549 Warszawa, Poland

IBAN: PL20 1750 1019 0000 0000 2125 4223

SWIFT: BIC: RCBWPLPW

Please, indicate in the title of your payment “workshop Suzette Boon” together with your name. Also, please send an email to ipietkiewicz@swps.edu.pl with your name, address, telephone number and if you need an invoice – invoicing information (buyer’s name, address and VAT number).

 

Programme

The workshop will take place on Friday 12th of January and Saturday 13th  of January 2018.  The exact hours will be announced beforehand.

 

Venue          

Uniwersytet SWPS in Katowice, ulica Techników 9.

 

Certificates 

The certificates of attendance will be available on the second day of the workshop.   

 

Agnieszka Widera-Wysoczanska:
poland@estd.org

Igor Pietkiewicz
poland@estd.org

Radoslaw Tomalski
poland@estd.org