Re:minor dissociative episodes

As usual, I must remind readers that this isn't a place for individual case consultations, since we obviously don't have enough information to do a proper assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan. All I can do is make some general comments about clients in general, not in particular.

If a therapist is well trained in advanced levels of EMDR, including ruling out DID and knows how to use ego state therapy, and if there have been appropriate steps for affect containment skills that are used well at the end of each session to "tuck in" ego states that have been pulled out by the work, and if a sufficiency of the self system agrees to proceed with the work, then the presence of minor dissociative experiences would not be a contraindication to proceeding. Rather, the experience may be an indication of the next thing to be addressed that is sort of "peeling up" and in a state of readiness. Ego state therapy to interview (welcome, appreciate, contain) that which is peeling up is what would typically be helpful.

In contrast, EMDR therapists who do not know how to use ego state therapy or who do not screen for major or even substantial dissociation, and who target dissociative experiences, may indeed induce flooding, or destabilize the self system by failing to do the proper content, grounding, stabilization, containment, and other ego state steps.

These are general comments, and are not intended to be sufficient to determine steps in a given case. These comments may be helpful to print off and hand to a trained EMDR therapist to consider next steps.

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