Working with parts in dissociative disorders: A practical guide for EMDR therapists

Many therapists report problems in working with patients with dissociative disorders, especially in regard to developing the treatment plan, structuring the sessions, or managing the patient's internal conflict, as well as working with those parts that are most challenging. When parts are stuck in trauma, it is easy to encounter a wide range of difficulties in therapy. Some of the main problems are related to the internal conflict presented by these patients, who show difficulties in regulatory capacities, distrust and hostility. Working with EMDR requires approaching the difficulties of this clinical population, as well as developing skills to adapt the procedures and techniques.

This workshop will describe useful concepts to help therapists understand patients with dissociative disorders and organize the work plan with EMDR. In addition, a variety of techniques and tools for the different steps of the work will be illustrated, allowing for safe interventions with various types of clinical problems and dissociative parts. A conceptualization model developed specifically for dissociative disorders will be presented, as well as a guide to carry out a treatment plan adapted to several common difficulties (Mosquera, 2019).

Conference

English

Dolores Mosquera

Mosquera, D. (2019, September). Working with parts in dissociative disorders: A practical guide for EMDR therapists. Presentation at the 24th EMDR International Association Conference, Orange County, CA