Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2599758
Judith K Daniels, Fatemeh Fereidooni, Niklas B Lange
While recent meta-analyses documented positive correlations between childhood maltreatment severity, on the one hand, and early maladaptive schemas as well as dissociation severity, on the other hand, it is currently unknown whether early maladaptive schemas (partially) explain the association with dissociative reactions. We aimed to explore to which degree dissociative symptoms after prolonged interpersonal eye gazing can be predicted by childhood trauma severity and whether this association is mediated by attachment as well as moderated by emotional reactivity. A sample of n = 243 healthy young adults was assessed for their childhood maltreatment history, early maladaptive schemas and emotional reactivity as well as their dissociative symptoms following the eye gazing task via self-report. Regression analyses indicated that childhood maltreatment severity significantly predicted dissociative symptoms, but that this association was fully mediated by early maladaptive schemas. Moderation analyses indicated that the interaction between early maladaptive schemas and emotional reactivity was statistically significant, but had a small effect size: Subjects with high emotional reactivity and early maladaptive schemas experienced more dissociative symptoms following the interpersonal eye gazing task. In conjunction, the data indicate that the severity of childhood maltreatment is associated with the level of dissociative symptoms following an interpersonal dissociation induction task and that this association is explained by the level of early maladaptive schemas as well as emotional reactivity.
{"title":"Eye to Eye: Does Childhood Trauma Severity Predict Dissociative Reactions to Prolonged Interpersonal Gaze Mediated by Early Maladaptive Schemas?","authors":"Judith K Daniels, Fatemeh Fereidooni, Niklas B Lange","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2599758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2599758","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While recent meta-analyses documented positive correlations between childhood maltreatment severity, on the one hand, and early maladaptive schemas as well as dissociation severity, on the other hand, it is currently unknown whether early maladaptive schemas (partially) explain the association with dissociative reactions. We aimed to explore to which degree dissociative symptoms after prolonged interpersonal eye gazing can be predicted by childhood trauma severity and whether this association is mediated by attachment as well as moderated by emotional reactivity. A sample of <i>n</i> = 243 healthy young adults was assessed for their childhood maltreatment history, early maladaptive schemas and emotional reactivity as well as their dissociative symptoms following the eye gazing task via self-report. Regression analyses indicated that childhood maltreatment severity significantly predicted dissociative symptoms, but that this association was fully mediated by early maladaptive schemas. Moderation analyses indicated that the interaction between early maladaptive schemas and emotional reactivity was statistically significant, but had a small effect size: Subjects with high emotional reactivity and early maladaptive schemas experienced more dissociative symptoms following the interpersonal eye gazing task. In conjunction, the data indicate that the severity of childhood maltreatment is associated with the level of dissociative symptoms following an interpersonal dissociation induction task and that this association is explained by the level of early maladaptive schemas as well as emotional reactivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145745113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2599756
Jamie L Taber, Christopher B Stults
Transgender and nonbinary (i.e. trans) people commonly report dissociation as a survival strategy in hostile sociopolitical contexts, and initial studies have identified childhood trauma, transphobic marginalization, and gender incongruence as potential predictors of trans dissociation. However, more research is needed to establish transtheoretical explanatory factors using an intersectional lens. We thus sought to use an intracategorical complexity intersectional approach to assess whether social categories, general factors (i.e. childhood trauma, fantasy proneness, cognitive failures, sleep disturbance), and trans-specific factors (i.e. transphobic marginalization, gender congruence, gender dysphoria) would be related to dissociation. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to N = 203 trans adults who were diverse in gender, sexuality, SES, disability status, age, and state of residence, but were mostly White (73.4%). More frequent dissociation among trans men, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, younger, lower-SES, and disabled participants suggests important intersections of cissexism with classism and ableism. All general and trans-specific factors were significantly correlated with dissociation at the bivariate level, except for a non-significant trend with gender congruence; general factors explained additional variance in dissociation above social categories, but trans-specific factors did not. More research is needed to explore interactions of general and trans-specific factors, intersectional marginalization, temporal distinctions, and direct assessment of the unique gender dissociation identified in prior qualitative studies. The current findings may inform decolonized, affirming, intersectional marginalization trauma-informed mental health care, as well as social justice advocacy to reduce exposure to childhood trauma and transphobic marginalization in the current sociopolitical climate.
{"title":"Social Categories, General Theories, and Identity-Specific Predictors of Dissociation in Transgender Adults.","authors":"Jamie L Taber, Christopher B Stults","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2599756","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2599756","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transgender and nonbinary (i.e. trans) people commonly report dissociation as a survival strategy in hostile sociopolitical contexts, and initial studies have identified childhood trauma, transphobic marginalization, and gender incongruence as potential predictors of trans dissociation. However, more research is needed to establish transtheoretical explanatory factors using an intersectional lens. We thus sought to use an intracategorical complexity intersectional approach to assess whether social categories, general factors (i.e. childhood trauma, fantasy proneness, cognitive failures, sleep disturbance), and trans-specific factors (i.e. transphobic marginalization, gender congruence, gender dysphoria) would be related to dissociation. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to <i>N</i> = 203 trans adults who were diverse in gender, sexuality, SES, disability status, age, and state of residence, but were mostly White (73.4%). More frequent dissociation among trans men, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, younger, lower-SES, and disabled participants suggests important intersections of cissexism with classism and ableism. All general and trans-specific factors were significantly correlated with dissociation at the bivariate level, except for a non-significant trend with gender congruence; general factors explained additional variance in dissociation above social categories, but trans-specific factors did not. More research is needed to explore interactions of general and trans-specific factors, intersectional marginalization, temporal distinctions, and direct assessment of the unique gender dissociation identified in prior qualitative studies. The current findings may inform decolonized, affirming, intersectional marginalization trauma-informed mental health care, as well as social justice advocacy to reduce exposure to childhood trauma and transphobic marginalization in the current sociopolitical climate.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145745085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2599757
Melissa Durland, Sarah J Harsey, Jennifer J Freyd
DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) is a common tactic used by perpetrators of interpersonal violence to deflect blame and responsibility. Individuals' exposure to perpetrator DARVO has previously been measured using the 72-item DARVO Questionnaire (DARVO-LF;). We aimed to identify and validate a short-form version of the original 72-item DARVO Questionnaire. We also sought to expand on DARVO-related knowledge by testing DARVO's associations with trauma symptoms, confrontation type, gender, and marginalized identities. Participants were recruited from online research participation platform Prolific (N = 319) and from a large public university in the American West (N = 261). An exploratory factor analysis identified an 18-item version of the DARVO Questionnaire (DARVO-SF). The DARVO-SF had high internal reliability and was highly correlated with the DARVO-LF. In support of our predictions, analyses revealed the DARVO-SF predicted trauma symptoms after controlling for trauma history. DARVO exposure varied by confrontation type and was higher in confrontations about emotional and psychological mistreatment. Contrary to expectations, we did not find any associations between DARVO exposure and gender or marginalized identities. Overall, the current study identifies a substantially improved DARVO measure and provides novel insight into individuals' experience of this tactic.
{"title":"Assessing Perpetrator Responses to Confrontation: Associations with a DARVO-SF and Posttrauma Symptoms in Two Different Populations.","authors":"Melissa Durland, Sarah J Harsey, Jennifer J Freyd","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2599757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2599757","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) is a common tactic used by perpetrators of interpersonal violence to deflect blame and responsibility. Individuals' exposure to perpetrator DARVO has previously been measured using the 72-item DARVO Questionnaire (DARVO-LF;). We aimed to identify and validate a short-form version of the original 72-item DARVO Questionnaire. We also sought to expand on DARVO-related knowledge by testing DARVO's associations with trauma symptoms, confrontation type, gender, and marginalized identities. Participants were recruited from online research participation platform Prolific (<i>N</i> = 319) and from a large public university in the American West (<i>N</i> = 261). An exploratory factor analysis identified an 18-item version of the DARVO Questionnaire (DARVO-SF). The DARVO-SF had high internal reliability and was highly correlated with the DARVO-LF. In support of our predictions, analyses revealed the DARVO-SF predicted trauma symptoms after controlling for trauma history. DARVO exposure varied by confrontation type and was higher in confrontations about emotional and psychological mistreatment. Contrary to expectations, we did not find any associations between DARVO exposure and gender or marginalized identities. Overall, the current study identifies a substantially improved DARVO measure and provides novel insight into individuals' experience of this tactic.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145726609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2599754
Emily R Barbera, Matthew M Yalch
Objective: Experiencing trauma is associated with several forms of emotional distress. Although emotional distress has long been expressed in terms of categorical diagnoses, recent research has emphasized the utility of dimensional models of distress. An example of this is the tripartite model, which posits three dimensions of emotional distress: general distress (GD), anxious arousal (AA), and anhedonic depression (AD). One factor associated with problems captured in the tripartite model is mindfulness, which has five facets (observe, describe, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity). Research suggests that mindfulness in general is associated with lower levels of emotional distress after experiencing trauma. However, there is less research on how specific facets of mindfulness are associated with specific dimensions of emotional distress or how these facets may affect the association between traumatic experiences and emotional distress.
Methods: In this study, we examined the main and moderating effects of mindfulness on the association between traumatic experiences and GD, AA, and AD in a crowdsourced sample of women and men (N = 317) using a Bayesian approach to multiple regression. Results Results show that traumatic experiences had a positive association and mindfulness had a negative association with each dimension of emotional distress. Results further suggest the observe and describe facets moderated the association between traumatic experiences and AA such that observe exacerbated and describe attenuated trauma's effect on AA.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that labeling anxiety in the context of trauma may be more effective in reducing anxiety than simply noticing it.
{"title":"Incremental Main and Moderating Effects of Mindfulness on the Association Between Trauma and Emotional Distress.","authors":"Emily R Barbera, Matthew M Yalch","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2599754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2599754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Experiencing trauma is associated with several forms of emotional distress. Although emotional distress has long been expressed in terms of categorical diagnoses, recent research has emphasized the utility of dimensional models of distress. An example of this is the tripartite model, which posits three dimensions of emotional distress: general distress (GD), anxious arousal (AA), and anhedonic depression (AD). One factor associated with problems captured in the tripartite model is mindfulness, which has five facets (observe, describe, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity). Research suggests that mindfulness in general is associated with lower levels of emotional distress after experiencing trauma. However, there is less research on how specific facets of mindfulness are associated with specific dimensions of emotional distress or how these facets may affect the association between traumatic experiences and emotional distress.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we examined the main and moderating effects of mindfulness on the association between traumatic experiences and GD, AA, and AD in a crowdsourced sample of women and men (N = 317) using a Bayesian approach to multiple regression. Results Results show that traumatic experiences had a positive association and mindfulness had a negative association with each dimension of emotional distress. Results further suggest the observe and describe facets moderated the association between traumatic experiences and AA such that observe exacerbated and describe attenuated trauma's effect on AA.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that labeling anxiety in the context of trauma may be more effective in reducing anxiety than simply noticing it.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145726694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589167
Valerie Sinason
The author addresses how psychoanalysts sometimes create theories enabling the treatment of conditions which they themselves fail to acknowledge. When working with trauma clinicians are subject to disavowal, denial, detachment, and/or dissociation. Papers by Bion, Bowlby, and Freud are discussed for their clinical interest and how their theories prevented them from making use of their own ideas. Bion's outlining of the impact of hierarchy and conformity aids trauma work and its connection to whistleblowing although he didn't discuss child abuse. Bowlby regretted avoiding child abuse yet his work on attachment and loss benefits trauma workers. Freud's avoidance of externality such as socio-political embedded ideas on family and class prevented him from addressing the impact of reality on the structuring of mind. The author identifies examples from her own work illustrating where internalized theory aided her work with patients and where the impact of patients' trauma prevented her from using the tools at her disposal.
{"title":"Bion's \"Mystic in the Group\" Bowlby's Turmoil and Freud's Disavowal: Gifts That Come to the Trauma Field from Psychoanalysis if We Can Grasp Them.","authors":"Valerie Sinason","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589167","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The author addresses how psychoanalysts sometimes create theories enabling the treatment of conditions which they themselves fail to acknowledge. When working with trauma clinicians are subject to disavowal, denial, detachment, and/or dissociation. Papers by Bion, Bowlby, and Freud are discussed for their clinical interest and how their theories prevented them from making use of their own ideas. Bion's outlining of the impact of hierarchy and conformity aids trauma work and its connection to whistleblowing although he didn't discuss child abuse. Bowlby regretted avoiding child abuse yet his work on attachment and loss benefits trauma workers. Freud's avoidance of externality such as socio-political embedded ideas on family and class prevented him from addressing the impact of reality on the structuring of mind. The author identifies examples from her own work illustrating where internalized theory aided her work with patients and where the impact of patients' trauma prevented her from using the tools at her disposal.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145649148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589149
Sheldon Itzkowitz, Elizabeth F Howell
The Guest Editors provide an overview of the papers appearing in this issue of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. Freud's opus with its emphasis on fantasy while appreciated as a vital contribution to the establishment of psychoanalysis, essentially "dissociates" the effect of exogenous trauma on the dissociative structure of the mind. The Guest Editors argue that the papers in the current issue support the idea that exogenous trauma and the resulting dissociative structuring of the mind play a significant role in the development of psychopathology.
{"title":"How Psychoanalytic Thinking Enriches Trauma Treatment: An Overview.","authors":"Sheldon Itzkowitz, Elizabeth F Howell","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Guest Editors provide an overview of the papers appearing in this issue of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. Freud's opus with its emphasis on fantasy while appreciated as a vital contribution to the establishment of psychoanalysis, essentially \"dissociates\" the effect of exogenous trauma on the dissociative structure of the mind. The Guest Editors argue that the papers in the current issue support the idea that exogenous trauma and the resulting dissociative structuring of the mind play a significant role in the development of psychopathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145641200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589153
Adah Sachs
Freud's instinct theory and Bowlby's attachment theory are generally seen as oppositional approaches. Most crucially, the two theories sharply differ on the question of internal vs. external origins of trauma: whether trauma originates from intra-psychic conflict between innate instincts (Freud), or from various degrees of relational deficiencies in the attachment figure's attentiveness and subsequent protection of the child from actual harm (Bowlby). This disagreement is often deemed completely unbridgeable. This paper, however, views the two theories as two links in a lineage of ideas rather than two opposites, as it follows the gradual shift of psychoanalytic emphasis from innate instincts to external objects; through objects to the Self; and from phantasy relationship to the crucial impact of actual relationships.
{"title":"Between Pleasure, Destruction and Protection: Instinct Theories, Trauma and Dissociation.","authors":"Adah Sachs","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Freud's instinct theory and Bowlby's attachment theory are generally seen as oppositional approaches. Most crucially, the two theories sharply differ on the question of internal vs. external origins of trauma: whether trauma originates from intra-psychic conflict between innate instincts (Freud), or from various degrees of relational deficiencies in the attachment figure's attentiveness and subsequent protection of the child from actual harm (Bowlby). This disagreement is often deemed completely unbridgeable. This paper, however, views the two theories as two links in a lineage of ideas rather than two opposites, as it follows the gradual shift of psychoanalytic emphasis from innate instincts to external objects; through objects to the Self; and from phantasy relationship to the crucial impact of actual relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145606931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589152
Elizabeth Howell
Sandor Ferenczi contributed some of the best formulations of complex trauma and dissociation that exist. No one has described more passionately than Ferenczi the traumatic induction of dissociative trance with its resulting fragmentation of the personality. His concept of identification with the aggressor (which differed significantly from Anna Freud's later concept using the same term) describes how the traumatized child splits/dissociates the perpetrating aspects from the nurturing aspects of the aggressor and internalizes these in separate self-states, enabling the traumatically overwhelmed child to maintain a bond of tenderness with the aggressor. This article applies Ferenczi's concept of identification with the aggressor, along with some of Freud's and Bion's concepts of group dynamics, to the bond with and appeal of authoritarian leaders to their followers. Here, we find both dissociated parts that Ferenczi described operating in tandem, involving an idealization of the aggressor simultaneous with the enactment of aggressor-identified parts.
{"title":"The Buried, but Recently Unearthed Treasure of Sandor Ferenczi's Work: Its Relevance to Current Practice and Sociocultural Life.","authors":"Elizabeth Howell","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sandor Ferenczi contributed some of the best formulations of complex trauma and dissociation that exist. No one has described more passionately than Ferenczi the traumatic induction of dissociative trance with its resulting fragmentation of the personality. His concept of <i>identification with the aggressor</i> (which differed significantly from Anna Freud's later concept using the same term) describes how the traumatized child splits/dissociates the perpetrating aspects from the nurturing aspects of the aggressor and internalizes these in separate self-states, enabling the traumatically overwhelmed child to maintain a bond of tenderness with the aggressor. This article applies Ferenczi's concept of identification with the aggressor, along with some of Freud's and Bion's concepts of group dynamics, to the bond with and appeal of authoritarian leaders to their followers. Here, we find both dissociated parts that Ferenczi described operating in tandem, involving an idealization of the aggressor simultaneous with the enactment of aggressor-identified parts.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145606917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589158
John A O'Neil
This paper examines the relationship between psychoanalysis and trauma, focusing specifically on dissociation-and, more narrowly, on dissociative multiplicity, the most challenging form for psychoanalysis to address. Dissociative multiplicity involves the presence of more than one center of consciousness, more than one "I," a feature of multiple personality, now called Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID, and OSDD-1, or subthreshold DID. The central question is whether classic psychoanalytic constructs, such as splitting, repression, various triadic views (oedipal, topographic, structural, Fairbairnian, Kohutian), object relations, and attachment theory, can adequately account for dissociative multiplicity. I explain how they cannot, but also how they remain applicable to multiplicity. I conclude with a summary view and reflection on what still needs to occur to reintegrate dissociation into mainstream psychoanalytic theory and practice.
{"title":"Dissociative Multiplicity and Psychoanalysis.","authors":"John A O'Neil","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589158","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper examines the relationship between psychoanalysis and trauma, focusing specifically on dissociation-and, more narrowly, on <i>dissociative multiplicity</i>, the most challenging form for psychoanalysis to address. Dissociative multiplicity involves the presence of more than one center of consciousness, more than one \"I,\" a feature of multiple personality, now called Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID, and OSDD-1, or subthreshold DID. The central question is whether classic psychoanalytic constructs, such as splitting, repression, various triadic views (oedipal, topographic, structural, Fairbairnian, Kohutian), object relations, and attachment theory, can adequately account for dissociative multiplicity. I explain how they cannot, but also how they remain applicable to multiplicity. I conclude with a summary view and reflection on what still needs to occur to reintegrate dissociation into mainstream psychoanalytic theory and practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2025.2589151
Charis E Claouhos
Therapeutic play is a foundational discovery from psychoanalysis and is now a major contribution to child treatment in all its forms. Underacknowledged derivatives from child's play in adult treatments include: the attention to principles of development; the application of nonverbal relational process; utilization of somatic movement; and above all, the therapeutic engagement with child self-states in the full spectrum of dissociative disorders. This case report describes psychoanalytic play with a therapist/analyst who is schooled in principles of trauma treatment and its dissociative manifestations as well as principles of dyadic, countertransferential attentiveness. The treatment mode - child psychoanalysis - allows for a natural integration of other forms of trauma work while still following the child, in all the twists and turns that her treatment illustrates and which both adult and child psychoanalysis privilege so uniquely.
{"title":"Playmasters at Work: Trauma Processing and the Shared Language of Play in Child Analysis.","authors":"Charis E Claouhos","doi":"10.1080/15299732.2025.2589151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2025.2589151","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Therapeutic play is a foundational discovery from psychoanalysis and is now a major contribution to child treatment in all its forms. Underacknowledged derivatives from child's play in adult treatments include: the attention to principles of development; the application of nonverbal relational process; utilization of somatic movement; and above all, the therapeutic engagement with child self-states in the full spectrum of dissociative disorders. This case report describes psychoanalytic play with a therapist/analyst who is schooled in principles of trauma treatment and its dissociative manifestations as well as principles of dyadic, countertransferential attentiveness. The treatment mode - child psychoanalysis - allows for a natural integration of other forms of trauma work while still <i>following the child</i>, in all the twists and turns that her treatment illustrates and which both adult and child psychoanalysis privilege so uniquely.</p>","PeriodicalId":47476,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145551628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}