Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a complex, severe, and highly disabling disorder that is associated with reported childhood trauma. Patients suffering from DID report experience several identity states, and they tend to regularly switch between these identity states. Also, they frequently report experiences of depersonalization, derealization, and inter-identity amnesia. However, experimental studies have indicated that memory and identity functioning is much less compartmentalized than previously thought. Whilst Schema Therapy (ST) has established effectiveness in other trauma-related disorders, and the model acknowledges the subjective experience of different modes, ST seems a feasible option for DID treatment. Therefore, an adapted form of ST for DID was developed (Shaw, Rijkeboer, Huntjens, Arntz, & Farrell, 2016), which is currently tested in a multiple baseline case series design. 

The workshop will focus on phenomenology of DID, followed by highly interesting results of experimental research into inter-identity functioning, as well as the background of schema therapy for DID (what are the main adaptions and why?). More importantly, there will be plenty of time to practice techniques used in the treatment of DID, such as mapping identities into modes, the construction of emergency plans, dealing with dissociation, using metaphors, breaking Imagery Rescripting into small steps, techniques to review successes, and dealing with aggressive parts.   

 
About the Presenter:

Prof. dr. Marleen Rijkeboer;  Department of Clinical Psychological Science; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience; Maastricht University; Maastricht, The Netherlands 

Marleen is an ISST registered supervisor/trainer in schema therapy, and President of the Dutch Schema Therapy Association. She has provided ST training and supervision to people from all over the world, and she is involved in various studies into ST. She is co-researcher in the Schema therapy for DID study, and one of the supervisors of the participating therapists.

Dr. Rafaele Huntjens, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology; Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences; University of Groningen; Groningen, The Netherlands

Rafaele is an internationally well-known experimental researcher into DID, and she is the principle investigator of the Schema Therapy for DID study. She is also associate editor of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and she provides forensic consultation in cases of dissociative amnesia and DID.