Plenary Presentations

from ESTD-UK/FPP/DCP Conference 2017

The following free to access videos are plenary sessions filmed at  “FACING THE CHALLENGE : Improving services for people with trauma-related Dissociation”  This first NHS, private and voluntary sector conference on Dissociation in the UK was presented by ESTD-UK in partnership with First Person Plural and the Psychosis & Complex Mental Health Faculty of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society.  It took place in Norwich on 30th to 31st March 2017 and about 250 people attended.   Slides from some of the parallel sessions presented at the conference can be downloaded from the conference website.

`Lessons from history and challenges for the future’, Remy Aquarone

Dissociation is at its most effective  when overwhelming traumas are  survived by cutting off any sense of continuity. These unconscious processes require dealing only with the moment to moment crisis, ticking them off and then moving on to the next crisis. The consequence of this ultimate survival defense is a catastrophic loss of any sense of being: an interrupted time line with no connection with the past and no hope in the future.

In much less extreme ways, organisations whether they be businesses, government departments or mental health services often use the same dissociative mechanisms in their day to day  functioning. The focus is on the immediate day to day problems, whether it be balancing the budget, dealing with the next crisis and often reinventing the wheel! There is neither room for thinking about lessons from the past nor long term objectives. There is ultimately no time line of experience.

I’ll be looking back on the history of dissociation and its cultural, financial and mental health impact on our society. We are at a crossroads where a more joined up approach can radically impact on all of our lives. Bringing together at this Conference clinicians from both the public and private sector in partnership with people with lived in experiences is proof of this evolving  integration.

 

"Compassion as a powerful factor in personal and social integration", Angela Kennedy

Compassion is a powerful way of healing interpersonal trauma related Dissociation.  As  a motivation, it promotes self care that is in our best interest. As a neurobiological regulator, it helps us face and contain difficult feelings. As an interpersonal interaction, it creates prosocial communities, which are safe and where people are held to account. Compassion for dissociated aspects of self can be challenging because of the fear, shame and attachment dynamics associated with them. Overcoming such fears of compassion is the process by which people and communities heal and reconnect.