In the Room Together: Building Trust and Treatment Plans with Dissociative Identities/clients with DID
A deeper dive into diagnostic discernment, transference, and collaborative care
This two-part advanced webinar continues the work of Who Is Really in the Room and invites clinicians into the nuanced, ethical, and relational terrain of working with dissociative identities. Over two 4-hour sessions, we’ll explore:
- Ongoing diagnostic assessment and differential diagnosis
- Recognizing and responding to transference and countertransference
- Establishing safe, flexible boundaries in complex trauma treatment
- Identifying contraindications and comorbidities (e.g., EDs, SUDs)
- Understanding internal systems and parts dynamics
- Co-creating collaborative, sustainable treatment plans
Target audience: This course is appropriate for all mental health professionals
Content level: Intermediate
Educational Objectives
This webinar will teach the participant to
- Differentiate between Dissociative Identity Disorder and other commonly co-occurring or misdiagnosed conditions.
- Describe key principles for establishing and maintaining ethical boundaries.
- Discuss strategies for identifying transference and countertransference when working with clients with DID.
Syllabus
Diagnostic Discernment & Foundations for Ethical Relational Work
- Intentions for the training
- Brief review of Who Is Really in the Room takeaways
- Importance of setting the stage for ethical treatment.
Beyond the Initial Diagnosis
- Continuing assessment after DID is suspected or identified
- Ruling out or differentiating from BPD, OSDD, EDs, SUDs and Mood Disorders
- Incorporating psychoeducation for both client and therapist.
- Stigma and historical considerations
Understanding "the system" Within
- Understanding internal parts: roles, relationships, and protectors
- Using respectful curiosity and collaborative language
- Practical tools for getting to know the system (e.g., visual maps, symptom timelines)
Establishing the container for complex trauma
- Defining and maintaining therapeutic boundaries
- When flexibility supports safety vs. when it disrupts containment
- Common dynamics in providing therapy to those with DID
Ethical Considerations & Clinical Self-Awareness
- Core ethical issues in long-term DID work
- Therapist attunement, power dynamics, and scope
- Recognizing countertransference as data
- Integrating consultation and supervision into ongoing care
