Dissociation, Mindfulness, and Creative Meditations explores the potential of mindfulness and explains why this level of developmental human achievement is so precarious within traumatic stress, especially traumatic dissociation. Chapters discuss the connection and disconnection between mindfulness and dissociative disorders and highlight the importance of gently creating a mindfulness practice for traumatized individuals. Readers will learn how to exercise the part of the brain that is responsible for mindfulness and how to regulate the part that is responsible for dissociation, and they’ll come away from the book with tips that will help even the most dissociative client to reap the benefits of mindfulness practices.

Mindfulness is the ancient practice of noticing without judgment. The medical and psychological professions cannot help but notice the mounting evidence of its efficacy in improving health and overall wellness. Whether mindfulness is used as a gateway to higher spiritual growth or as a path to more balanced living, the applications of mindfulness are various...as are the ways to achieve it. In this book, you will learn 20 practical ways to put mindfulness to work for you, even if you don't consider yourself to be meditative or spiritual. In addition to the 20 core skills covered here, you will obtain numerous tips on how to be creative with the skills or modify for your own needs. Ideal for all audiences, whether you are seeking pathways to improving your own wellness or helping others along their journey! · Easy to learn· Multisensory· Practical· Applicable to daily life· Learn to "retrain" your brain· Ideal for stress management· Complements many recovery approaches

Winner of ISSTD's 2009 Pierre Janet Writing Award for the best publication on dissociation in 2009! Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders is a book that has no real predecessor in the dissociative disorders field. It reports the most recent scientific findings and conceptualizations about dissociation; defines and establishes the boundaries of current knowledge in the dissociative disorders field; identifies and carefully articulates the field’s current points of confusion, gaps in knowledge, and conjectures; clarifies the different aspects and implications of dissociation; and sets forth a research agenda for the next decade. In many respects, Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders both defines and redefines the field.

This lively, passionate approach to moving meditation offers a fresh way to embrace mindfulness. It weaves together personal stories, therapeutic insights, practical skills and opportunities for reflection and practice to provide a gateway to spiritual growth, a path to more balanced living, a healing experience and ignition for your creativity.

"[A] rare combination of solid scholarship, clinically useful methods, and passionate advocacy for those who have suffered trauma." —Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom From elementary schools to psychotherapy offices, mindfulness meditation is an increasingly mainstream practice. At the same time, trauma remains a fact of life: the majority of us will experience a traumatic event in our lifetime, and up to 20% of us will develop posttraumatic stress. This means that anywhere mindfulness is being practiced, someone in the room is likely to be struggling with trauma. At first glance, this appears to be a good thing: trauma creates stress, and mindfulness is a proven tool for reducing it. But the reality is not so simple. Drawing on a decade of research and clinical experience, psychotherapist and educator David Treleaven shows that mindfulness meditation—practiced without an awareness of trauma—can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic stress. Instructed to pay close, sustained attention to their inner world, survivors can experience flashbacks, dissociation, and even retraumatization. This raises a crucial question for mindfulness teachers, trauma professionals, and survivors everywhere: How can we minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness for survivors while leveraging its powerful benefits? Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness offers answers to this question. Part I provides an insightful and concise review of the histories of mindfulness and trauma, including the way modern neuroscience is shaping our understanding of both. Through grounded scholarship and wide-ranging case examples, Treleaven illustrates the ways mindfulness can help—or hinder—trauma recovery. Part II distills these insights into five key principles for trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Covering the role of attention, arousal, relationship, dissociation, and social context within trauma-informed practice, Treleaven offers 36 specific modifications designed to support survivors’ safety and stability. The result is a groundbreaking and practical approach that empowers those looking to practice mindfulness in a safe, transformative way.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of research into dissociation in children and adolescents and challenges conventional ideas about complex behaviours. Offering a new perspective to those who are unfamiliar with dissociation in children, and challenging prevalent assumptions for those who are experienced in the field, the editors encourage the professional to ask questions about the child’s internal experiences beyond a diagnosis of the external symptoms. Chapters bring together a range of international experts working in the field, and interweave theories, practice, and challenging and complex case material, as well as identifying mistakes that therapists can avoid while working with children who dissociate. Filled with practical tools and examples, this book is a vital resource for professionals to enrich their practice with children who dissociate.

This beautifully illustrated picture book and guidebook set offers a broad introduction to childhood trauma and its legacies, with a focus on dissociation and DID. Written with clinical accuracy, warmth and accessibility to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, it provides a non-threatening understanding of dissociation and DID that will empower survivors and educate the friends, family and professionals who want or need to learn more about the condition. The set includes: Our House: Making Sense of Dissociative Identity Disorder, a simple and accessible picture book that uses the metaphor of a house to explain how and why DID can develop. Additional guidance accompanies the story, explaining the metaphor in depth, offering advice regarding dissociative disorders, and signposting further help for both individuals and professionals. Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Guidebook for Survivors and Practitioners, provides practical exercises and opportunities for reflective discussion that will expand and deepen the understanding, application and usefulness of the picture book. This resource is accompanied by downloadable resources. This is an invaluable resource for survivors of trauma and for those who support them, counsellors, psychologists, social care workers and other professionals, as well as family and friends.