Those of you who have read books on DID treatment have seen the phrase ‘the phobia of the inner experience’ and noticed that the reflection about this experience is a basic skill for all inner work. But scientists always forget to explain what the Inner Experience is supposed to be. How would we know? Nobody […]
basics
Alternative versions of body scans
A body scan is a mindfulness exercise in which we are instructed to become aware of different body parts in a set order. It is a standard exercise in PTSD treatment because it helps many people to feel more grounded in the present and it increases stability and the ability to self-regulate. People with cPTSD […]
Befriending dissociated parts: First Steps
Some people with DID grow up thinking that having Others inside is normal because they always had a way to communicate with each other. But a lot of people are surprised by their diagnosis. They didn’t suspect anything and they don’t have any idea how to make first contact. There might be awareness of blackouts […]
Untangling mixed experiences (using percentages)
We will sometimes experience situations where we can’t figure out how to regulate ourselves or how to solve a problem and just using more Orientation and Grounding is not doing the trick. The experience isn’t happening only in the present, only for us as a part or only within our person. Things got mixed up. […]
Exercise for crisis prevention
We can think of our experience with stress as a spectrum. At one end of the spectrum we are relaxed and not stressed at all, at the other end we experience crisis. And then there are stages in between. We can use the spectrum to assess our situation. That way our interventions can be […]
Reducing Amnesia – Developing Co-Consciousness
I wish I could offer you smart tricks on how to reduce amnesia, but I don’t know any. What I know is boring and takes time. First we try to fill in the gaps in our knowledge through inner communication. Later we practice co-consciousness to avoid having amnesia altogether. The solution for not having […]
Managing Emotional Flashbacks
The tricky thing about flashbacks that are purely emotional is recognizing them for what they are. We are stuck in an emotional experience from the past. Yet the nature of the trigger would often justify that kind of emotion, just not the level of intensity and the duration. Over time we can learn to […]
Dual Awareness
Dual awareness is an important mental skill that is needed for regulation and trauma processing. For dual awareness we need to be able to pay attention to our inner reality and our senses, that tell us about the outside reality at the same time. That way we can stay oriented and grounded in triggering situations. […]
Open and focused attention exercises
Our attention is one of the most basic tools we use in therapy and it is also an area of struggle for many. Sometimes we narrow our attention too much. It limits our awareness to that one area of experience that is painful or problematic. That way we are unable to notice all the other […]
Classification of Dissociative Parts using Action Systems
The attempt to describe dissociative parts of the personality most accurately led to the incorporation of the concept of action systems into the theory. Action systems are considered the most basic subsystems of our human behavior. Actions toward the survival of the species, energy management, attachment, caretaking and social interaction, exploration, play, reproduction and […]
The Art of Looking Around
One of the most important tools we can learn in trauma recovery and self-regulation is how to look around. It sounds too simple to be true, but I promise, it can make a huge difference. Here is how to look around Sit down so you are facing the room or your environment. Maybe keep […]
Pendulation in Trauma Therapy
Pendulation is an essential body work tool that can be useful in many areas of trauma treatment. It describes the inner motion of our attention and awareness, moving back and forth between a resource/resourceful place and something trauma-related/ a place that is low in resources. The goal is to dissolve states that are stuck, […]
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