New release!
A Quantum Way program

Assessing and
treating traumatic dissociation:

an integrative clinical approach

With Kathy Steele, one of the world’s leading experts on dissociation,
specialized in the treatment of dissociative identity disorder (DID).

REGISTER WATCH AN EXCERPT

8 modules – 8 hours and 41 minutes of content

An essential program on an integrative approach to traumatic dissociation

  • Do you work with clients suffering from traumatic dissociation, with episodes of amnesia or auditory hallucinations?
  • How can one identify dissociative parts without overinterpreting, and structure a safe treatment plan?
  • What questions should one ask, what boundaries should one set, and where should one start working on memories?

Complex trauma and traumatic dissociation require a specific therapeutic framework.

In this exclusive program recorded for Quantum Way, Kathy Steele has drawn on all her expertise, knowledge, and experience as a psychotherapist to provide you with reliable guidelines for assessing, understanding, and treating traumatic dissociation, particularly dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder. Concrete practices and tools punctuate the journey: phased support, assessment questions, containment strategies, integration markers.

A clear integrative clinical method, directly transferable to your practice, for safer and more effective sessions with dissociated clients

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Traumatic dissociation: from fragmentation to integration

Traumatic dissociation is a protective mechanism that partially fragments the client’s experience: : attention, memory, perception, and sense of identity no longer “hold” together in the same way. In everyday life, this often translates into parts of the self that are focused on the present (functional but avoidant, sometimes with memory gaps) and others that remain tied to the trauma (overwhelming emotions, flashbacks, defenses). These parts are not separate personalities, but ways of being oneself, with little connection between them.

This organization makes treatment more complex. The therapist encounters contradictory narratives, amnesia, symptoms of non-realization, internal conflicts marked by fear and shame, as well as relational dilemmas that arise in the alliance. Working too quickly on the traumatic content risks overwhelming the client, while focusing solely on the symptoms prevents integration.The challenge lies in identifying what is preventing the elements of the experience from coming together.

This program with Kathy Steele offers an integrative and pragmatic clinical framework: situating each client on a dissociative continuum, distinguishing between ego states and dissociative parts, assessing amnesia and intrusions, prioritizing stabilization and skills, and then working on cooperation between the parts.

From complex trauma to dissociation: why an integrative clinical approach is necessary

Trauma, and particularly complex trauma (repeated, early, or relational exposure), disrupts the ability of the psyche to connect memory, affect, sensations, attention, and sense of identity. When these integrative functions become desynchronized, parts of the self remain close to the traumatic experience, while others attempt to live day-to-day life. This protective fragmentation is called traumatic dissociation: it helps with survival, but it complicates life, relationships, and therapeutic work.

Hence the need for an integrative clinical approach. Rather than a single protocol or an exclusive focus on symptoms, it involves combining rigorous assessment, stabilization and regulation skills, a clear relational framework that supports internal cooperation between the parts, and then gradual work on memories when possible.

This phased approach aims to increase integration (between parts, over time, between what one knows and what one feels) so that the person regains a sense of continuity and the ability to make choices at all levels of their life.

An essential program on the integrative treatment of traumatic dissociation with clinical benchmarks, therapeutic keys, and practices to apply with your clients.

TRAIN WITH KATHY STEELE

I’ve known Kathy for many years. Who better than her to offer a program like this on dissociation?

When we talk about dissociation and dissociative identity disorder (DID) – formerly known as multiple personality disorder—one name immediately comes to mind: Kathy Steele. Kathy has participated in our last threeTrauma, Attachment & Resilience summits.. At the last one, in March, we began dreaming together about a specific, comprehensive, and practical program.And in May, we were at her home in Atlanta to bring this idea to fruition.

Kathy Steele is one of the leading international figures in the field of complex trauma, dissociation, and DID. She has been training therapists around the world for decades. Her approach combines compassion and structure, integrating neuroscience, parts work, and relational safety. Her strength?Making therapy deeply human, grounded in clinical practice, and focused on lasting transformation..

At Quantum Way, we know how delicate the treatment of traumatic dissociation can be. DID is still too often ignored or misunderstood, both in France and in the United States. Distinguishing DID from schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder is crucial, but far from simple for those unfamiliar with traumatic dissociation. Psychosis or dissociation? The question is always worth asking, with the open mind and heart that Kathy embodies so well.

For a long time, we’ve wanted to offera program that meets the specific needs of psychotherapists: : rich, dense, and comprehensive content that provides practical and insightful guidance on these complex disorders. Imagine our delight when Kathy agreed to record it with us, for you!

Beyond her world-renowned expertise, Kathy is an inspiring teacher, a deeply caring therapist, and a luminous woman full of joie de vivre.

CBelieve me, after meeting her you’ll really like to be her client – or her friend!

Florence

PS : After filming this program, I turned to Kathy and said, “I wish I had had access to this information when I started out as a psychotherapist… It would have avoided so many mistakes.”

WHAT THIS PROGRAM OFFERS YOU

  • A comprehensive, structured, and progressive 8-module course (8 hours and 41 minutes), accessible at your own pace, unlimited, for life.
  • Kathy Steele’s international expertise on traumatic dissociation, DID, and complex trauma, conveyed in a clinical and pragmatic manner.
  • Operational assessment benchmarks: : sample questions, clusters of clues, and essential differentiators.
  • A phased approach: : stabilization and skills first, working with memories when possible, then integration, with concrete strategies to avoid overwhelm.
  • A certificate of participationto support your commitment ongoing learning.
REGISTER NOW

“Integration is not an event: it is what happens in the present moment”
“When we consider that sense of self or identity is something that is acquired over the course of [a person’s] development, there is something we often forget. It is the fact that our self, even if it is stable over time, is also flexible and evolving. And that, in reality, is the goal of therapy: to deconstruct what is, in order to understand how it came about, and to help the client rebuild, or sometimes build for the first time, a different sense of self, a sense of identity that is even more flexible and capable of encompassing more facets. This is the very essence of integration. Integration is therefore not an event, it is not the end result or the end of the journey, but it is what is happening in the present moment. The question is always: what are we doing at this precise moment to facilitate integration?”

Kathy Steele

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

  • Mental health professionals: psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and mental health practitioners.
  • People who are passionate about psychology or curious to deepen their understanding of traumatic dissociation. But please note, this program is not a therapy: it is in no way a substitute for therapeutic support from a qualified professional. We recommend that you seek professional help if you are experiencing difficulties.

An integrative approach to assessing and treating traumatic dissociation, with clear clinical guidelines and tools that can be applied immediately in practice.

 

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WHAT WILL I LEARN FROM THIS PROGRAM?

  • Define traumatic dissociation and understand its architecture: “everyday life” oriented parts versus “trauma” oriented parts, and the role of non-realization (“it’s not real”).
  • Place a client on the dissociative continuum: boundary permeability, amnesia, feelings of derealization, from C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), SSD (Other Specified Dissociative Disorder) to DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder).
  • Distinguish an ego state or part from a dissociative part using clinical markers (belonging, possibility of communication, amnesia between parts, phobic avoidance).
  • Assess amnesia and memory loss in a structured manner (direct/indirect indicators, “amnesia for amnesia,” repeated examples over time).
  • Identify intrusions and absencess and use Schneider’s first-rank symptoms in a dissociative context, with a differential diagnosis of DID versus schizophrenia.
  • Establish an initial protective framework: limit graphic details of memories from the outset, focus on the broad outlines, provide psychoeducation.
  • Adopt an appropriate therapeutic approach: : avoid rescuing or mothering, remain consistent and predictable, repair ruptures; consider resistance as a form of protection.
  • Organize treatment in phases: 1) stabilization 2) memory work 3) integration.
  • Work with the parts in an integrative way: : decide when and who to involve, encourage communication and cooperation, reduce “switches” (sudden shifts to one part).
  • Process memories without overwhelming: rule of thirds, titration, gradation, pendulation, distancing techniques, managing the unexpected, and integration markers.

A clear and pragmatic framework for understanding and treating traumatic dissociation, from assessment to long-term support.

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WATCH AN EXCERPT

In this excerpt from Module 1, Kathy Steele discusses degrees of separation in self-perception, leading from normal ego states to dissociative disorders

MODULE CONTENT

  • Module 1 — Understanding Dissociation

    This module lays the clinical foundation: dissociation as a partial disintegration of experience, the architecture of “everyday life” and “trauma”-oriented parts, and the central role of non-realization that impedes integration. It situates the dissociative continuum (from C-PTSD/OSDD to DID) and clarifies ego states versus dissociative parts to guide assessment and further treatment.

    ◆ Definition of dissociation according to the DSM
    ◆ Integration in mental disorders
    ◆ Four ways to describe “dissociation” in the scientific literature
    ◆ What is a dissociative part?
    ◆ Representations, not entities
    ◆ Integration is dynamic
    ◆ Dissociative personality organization
    ◆ Ego states
    ◆ Complex PTSD and OSDD
    ◆ Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
    ◆ Distinguishing between ego states and dissociative parts
    ◆ The attachment dilemma
    ◆ The inability to realize

  • Module 2 — Assessing dissociation

    How can we differentiate between a dissociative symptom and a dissociative disorder? To do so, we rely on clusters of clues that are consistent over time, particularly amnesia (loss of bearings, “amnesia of amnesia”) and the client’s reactions to clinical questions. The interview is constructed gradually, with multiple examples, to decide whether parts exist and what their functional impact is.

    ◆ Dissociative symptom or dissociative disorder?
    ◆     General assessment strategies
    ◆     Assessing dissociation: the client’s reaction to questions
    ◆     Assessing amnesia
    ◆     Questions to assess amnesia
    ◆     Asking questions about amnesia: distinctive features.

  • Module 3 — Assessing the presence of dissociative parts 

    Focusing on egodystonic intrusions and absences (“provoked” behaviors, loss of competence/sensation, passivity), this module specifies what to look for and how to ask questions. Objective: to build a longitudinal picture, taking into account the shame and avoidance that often mask the clues.

    ◆ Schneider symptoms
    ◆     Auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia and DID

  • Module 4 — Treatment principles

    This module lays the foundations for treatment: thinking of the client as an internal system (rather than separate parts), working on the process rather than the content, and including all parts as aspects of the same person. The clinical approach emphasizes the window of tolerance, reading relational reenactments, caution with regard to mothering/rescuing, and crisis management based on a clear emergency plan.

    ◆ A model for internal organization and process: the individual as a system
    ◆     Managing crises

  • Module 5 — Phase-oriented treatment for dissociative disorders

    Kathy Steele presents a three-phase model: 1) safety/stabilization; 2) memory work (and traumatic transference); 3) personality integration. She details the precautions to take during the anamnesis, then explains why some interventions fail and how to treat phobias and other resistances (including phobia of inner experience) early on, through more gradual and collaborative steps.

    ◆ Cautions regarding the anamnesis
    ◆ Phobias and other trauma-related resistances
    ◆ Reasons for the failure of interventions
    ◆ Trauma-related phobias
    ◆ Phobia of inner experience
    ◆ Resistance
    ◆ Internal conflicts that generally contribute to resistance
    ◆ Hidden fantasies that prevent realization

  • Module 6 — Phase 1: Safety, stabilization, symptom reduction

    Aim for a systemic and gradual approach: stabilization first, then cooperation/communication between parties within a clear relational framework (boundaries, predictability). The aim is to integrate and reduce switches, with concrete support to organize internal interaction without becoming rigid.

    ◆ The need for stabilization
    ◆ When to stabilize
    ◆ The therapeutic relationship as a stabilizing factor
    ◆ Safety first, attachment last
    ◆ The problem with mindfulness for clients with trauma
    ◆ Positive affect and pleasure as predictive factors
    ◆ “Feeling good” is dangerous
    ◆ Working with parts in an integrative way
    ◆ When not to work with dissociative parts
    ◆ Checklist for starting work on parts
    ◆ What maintains dissociation?
    ◆ What therapy seeks to resolve
    ◆ Working with parts
    ◆ A systemic approach to dissociation
    ◆ Promoting communication
    ◆ Skill: reducing sudden switches
    ◆ Using metaphors of inner space
    ◆ Safe or calm space for parts

  • Module 7 — Phase 2: Working on traumatic memories with dissociative clients

    The treatment of memories is structured: prepare/treat/re-anchor, start with less intense elements, check the beginning and end, and choose BASK access points (behavior, affect, sensation, knowledge). We remain within the window of tolerance through titration, gradation, and pendulation, using distancing techniques to avoid overwhelm.

    ◆ Working on traumatic memories with dissociative clients
    ◆ Knowing or not knowing the trauma
    ◆ What is different about treating traumatic memories in dissociative clients?
    ◆ The rule of thirds
    ◆ Where to start
    ◆ Access points to traumatic memories
    ◆ Deciding how to involve the parts when working on memories
    ◆ Titration, graduation, and pendulation
    ◆ Screen technique
    ◆ Split-screen technique
    ◆ Problem solving
    ◆ What to do when…

  • Module 8 — Phase 3: Integrating dissociative parts

    This module accompanies the transition from fragmentation to greater unity: successive reconciliations, affirmations of integration, and, in some cases, transformations/merging to be evaluated. It also addresses dealing with unforeseen events (emergence of a new part, incomplete closure) and the clinical markers of a progressing level of integration.

    ◆ Affirmations of integration
    ◆ Integration of parts through successive reconciliations
    ◆ Successive reconciliations
    ◆ Transformation, fusion, disappearance

Train with an internationally recognized specialist to deal more effectively with traumatic dissociation.

TRAIN WITH KATHY STEELE

A program accessible as soon as you register, with unlimited lifetime access

8 hours and 41 minutes of pre-recorded videos with Kathy Steele

Module material (PDF slides)

A Quantum Way production: cinema-quality video and sound

2 versions: a French-dubbed version and an original English version (without subtitles)

AN EXCLUSIVE PROGRAM, filmed and produced by Quantum Way

At Quantum Way, we are first and foremost therapists, each trained in our own specialty, with in-depth expertise in attachment issues and the treatment of psychological trauma.

Our mission: to build bridges between researchers, authors, lecturers, and therapists in the English-speaking and French-speaking worlds, in order to make the teachings of inspiring individuals—often English-speaking (but not exclusively so) accessible to all.

Thanks to the close relationships we’ve forged with internationally renowned experts, we’re able to offer our community the opportunity to access their unique teachings.

This program by Kathy Steele is exclusive to Quantum Way, designed in collaboration with Kathy and filmed and edited in our own “studios.”

Until now, we have mainly translated and adapted existing programs produced by our partners. Today, we’re going one step further: we’ve decided to create our own programs.

We want to offer you exclusive content, with cinema-quality video and sound, to make your learning experience a truly memorable one.

REGISTER FOR THE PROGRAM

With Kathy Steele, a leading figure in dissociation
Assessing and treating traumatic dissociation:
an integrative clinical approach

327 EUROS INCLUDING TAX

8 modules – 8 hours and 41 minutes of content

Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back

Purchase your training course or program risk-free and benefit from Quantum Way’s “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back” guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied, send us an email at info@quantum-way.com with the reasons for your dissatisfaction, within 15 days of your purchase and we will refund you.

At Quantum Way, we’re convinced that you’ll learn a great deal, even more than you imagine.

WHO IS KATHY STEELE?

Kathy Steele, MN, CS has been in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia since 1985, specializing in the treatment of complex trauma, dissociation, attachment difficulties, and the challenges of complicated therapies.

She is an adjunct faculty at Emory University, and a Fellow and past President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. Ms. Steele teaches internationally and consults with individuals, groups, and trauma programs.

She has received a number of awards for her clinical and published works, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters, and has co-authored three books, includingThe Haunted Self (2006),, Coping with Trauma-related Dissociation (2011), and Treating Trauma-related Dissociation: A Practical, Integrative Approach (2017)..

FAQ

What does this program cover?

In this program, you’ll get:

  • 8 hours and 41 minutes of pre-recorded videos with Kathy Steele,
  • PDF material for the modules in English and in French.
Can I progress at my own pace?

Yes! After registering, you’ll have lifetime access to the entire program. You can complete the modules at your own pace and return to them whenever you wish to.

Is this program live or recorded?

This program was pre-recorded in Atlanta at Kathy Steele’s home using professional filming equipment and includes 8 videos, for a total duration of 8 hours and 41 minutes.

What language is the program in?

This program is available in two languages: the original English version and a French version dubbed by Anne-Laure Gex.

How long can I access the program online?

Once you register, you’ll have lifetime access to the program on the Quantum Way e-learning platform.

Reliable guidelines and a structured method to enhance your confidence, precision, and effectiveness in your clinical practice.

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