Dissociation – An Introduction

Content Summary: 

Dissociation in children and young people is an autonomous adaptive survival strategy that often goes unnoticed. It might be described to you as ‘they’re always in a daydream’, or ‘they’re in their own world’, or ‘they just shut down and you’ll get nothing out of them like that.’ Or maybe it’s dissociation. Children might not be able to physically leave the situation, but psychologically they can exit and often we don’t even notice they have gone, because their body is still physically there.

Dissociation is a way of surviving an experience, or experiences that are overwhelming and terrifying. The child may not have the support to protect and help them integrate and recover from their experiences, leaving the child in a dysregulated, distressed state for which dissociation is the only way that they are able to cope.

Dissociation occurs on a spectrum from normal dissociative experiences (think of all the times you have got in a car to go somewhere and have no idea how you got there but you did) to more extreme fragmentation that persists over time and can have a significant impact on functioning.

On this day we will think about and gain more awareness about dissociation in children and young people, the theory and thinking behind it, the presentation and how we might effectively communicate about it with children, their carers and schools to recognise and support children along with appropriate resources to be able to do this. We will link it to theories around trauma and attachment and to the context of children’s lives. Case material will be used to illustrate the theoretical content and the day will be approached from both a theoretical approach and also from lived experience from childhood, navigating the world with chronic dissociative tendencies.

Safeguarding Note: 

The material around the context of dissociation in response to certain traumas can be distressing and delegates should be aware that there will be references to abuse of children. No details will be shared. Grounding, soothing and emotional regulation will be a key part of the day.

Aims and Objectives:

• To develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of dissociation and its impact
• To understand why dissociation might be problematic for some
• To consider the spectrum of dissociative experiences and understand that it is something that we all do
• To develop ways to explore possible dissociation with children, young people and families
• To understand the theory behind dissociation including around trauma and attachment

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