Therapy for Dissociative Disorders
in Washington State (Telehealth)
Treatment for Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID),
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder, and Trauma-Related Dissociation
Dissociation is a natural survival response that helps to distance us from painful, overwhelming experiences. While effective and ingenious, dissociation can also be confusing and distressing.
Symptoms of Dissociative Disorders
you know something painful happened to you in the past, but you can’t quite remember what happened
you feel emotionally disconnected from your experiences, as if they happened to someone else
you regularly experience internal dialogue: voicing vastly different opinions, providing helpful or annoying feedback, offering comfort in distress, and/or arguing about which course of action to take next
you feel like it’s difficult to know who you are, given the differing opinions, feelings, interests, preferences, and desires you experience
you experience blackouts or memory issues
you get sudden, sometimes inexplicable, emotional shifts
you get vivid flashbacks in your mind
you had a difficult childhood, marked by feelings of fear or unpredictability
you struggle with ongoing thoughts of hurting yourself
you use substances to cope with difficult feelings
Therapy for dissociation will be especially important if you feel like you need to hide all of this from your family and friends because you are worried that people won’t believe you, will try to medicate or institutionalize you, or take advantage of you, even in therapy.
You find it hard to trust others enough to open up, but you know you need help.
Our Approach to Dissociation Therapy
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Trust
The most important aspect of therapy for dissociation is feeling like you can trust your therapist. You should feel like your therapist truly cares about you and your well-being and is acting in your best interest. It can take time to develop trust in a new therapist, especially if you have a history of abuse or betrayal, particularly in a mental health setting. My treatment of dissociation is gentle and client-led, fostering a sense of safety for all members of your system.
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Patience
Therapy for dissociation, particularly Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), can be a long process. It often takes time for clients to feel safe enough to open up about their current dissociation symptoms, let alone their trauma history. A patient approach ensures that we work at a pace you feel comfortable with, avoiding retraumatization.
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Flexibility
Each client I work with is different: some prefer to set goals and receive homework, while others prefer a less structured approach. We will explore what works best for you and your particular situation, allowing us to thoughtfully select therapeutic interventions that will be the most helpful to your progress. These preferences can vary widely, so I ensure that I have a variety of evidence-based cognitive and somatic tools to offer clients throughout our work together.
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Curiosity
Exploring the inner workings of your mind may feel uncomfortable at first. In asking you questions about your experiences, past and present, not only do I learn more about you and what may be helpful in your healing, but I am also inviting you to be more curious about yourself as an ongoing practice. Over time, this helps with identity development, emotional regulation, motivation, and authentic connection to yourself and others.
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Compassion
Developing compassion towards yourself and your system members is the key to helping everyone feel heard and safe, and be willing to communicate and collaborate. Over time, I will encourage you to be more curious about the traits, preferences, and hopes of each of you. The hope is that curiosity leads to understanding, which paves the way to develop more gentleness within you.
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Skill-Building
While we are exploring your thoughts and emotions in session, we will also work on practical skill building: mindfulness and somatic exercises, grounding, visualization, journaling, social skills, and more. This allows for an increased ability to stay present or allow for more purposeful switching, depending on your system’s needs at the moment.