PSY679A

Beutler, S., Mertens, Y. L., Ladner, L., Schellong, J., Croy, I., & Daniels, J. K. (2022). Trauma-related dissociation and the autonomic nervous system: A systematic literature review of psychophysiological correlates of dissociative experiencing in PTSD patients. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(2), 2132599.
Neurophysiological models link dissociation (e.g., feeling detached during or after a traumatic event) to hypoarousal. It is currently assumed that the initial passive reaction to a threat may coincide with a blunted autonomic response, which constitutes the dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Fisher, J. (2020). The body as a shared whole : Using body-oriented techniques for working with dissociation. PESI Inc.
Despite the feeling of being irretrievably damaged, all humans have a brain capable of visualizing or imagining experiences of acceptance, closeness, and comfort that evoke the same somatic sensations associated with early secure attachment. Helping clients discover their split-off younger selves and imaginatively bring them “home” spontaneously leads to an internal sense of warmth and safety they have never known. In this presentation, we will explore the therapeutic power of using somatic experience to foster internal attachment to clients’ most deeply disowned younger selves.

Harrigan, S. (2016). Diagnosing mental disorders: DSM-5 and ICD-10. Dissociative disorders. Classroom Productions.

Lanius, U. F., Paulsen, S. L., Corrigan, F. M., Sussman, S. W., & Peak, S. (Eds.). (2014). Neurobiology and treatment of traumatic dissociation: Towards an embodied self. Springer Publishing Company.