Understanding And Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder Or Multiple Personality Disorder

Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder)

This book provides all of the information a practitioner needs in order to begin work with clients with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Drawing on experiences from her own practice and extensive research conducted with the help of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, the author describes the development of DID and the structure of the personality of these clients. The reader is guided through the assessment process, the main phases and components of treatment, and the issues and contentions that may arise in this work. Throughout the text there are case examples, practical exercises, techniques, and strategies that can be used in therapy sessions. The resources section includes screening and assessment instruments, as well as information on techniques for managing anxiety and self harm, both of which can be major problems when working with clients with DID.

Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder

Building on the comprehensive theoretical model of dissociation elegantly developed in The Dissociative Mind, Elizabeth Howell makes another invaluable contribution to the clinical understanding of dissociative states with Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder. Howell, working within the realm of relational psychoanalysis, explicates a multifaceted approach to the treatment of this fascinating yet often misunderstood condition, which involves the partitioning of the personality into part-selves that remain unaware of one another, usually the result of severely traumatic experiences. Howell begins with an explication of dissociation theory and research that includes the dynamic unconscious, trauma theory, attachment, and neuroscience. She then discusses the identification and diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) before moving on to outline a phase-oriented treatment plan, which includes facilitating a multileveled co-constructed therapeutic relationship, emphasizing the multiplicity of transferences, countertransferences, and kinds of potential enactments. She then expands the treatment possibilities to include dreamwork, before moving on to discuss the risks involved in the treatment of DID and how to mitigate them. All concepts and technical approaches are permeated with rich clinical examples.

Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder)