Mind Body Psychotherapy

Compassionate Alternative Paths to Healing and Growth - David J. MacDonald, LCSW

  • Home
  • About
    • About Dave MacDonald
    • About Payment, Insurance, Hours etc.
  • Your Treatment Options
    • EMDR Therapy – Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy
      • IADC – The Induced After Death Communication to Heal Grief
    • HeartMath – State of the Heart Healing
    • IFS – Internal Family Systems
    • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
    • AlphaStim SCS – A Drug-Free Treatment for Anxiety, Depression & Insomnia
    • Consultation & Training
  • Directions:
  • Kitchen Sink
    • Make A Payment Here
    • Download Forms
    • Links to Resources
    • Legal Stuff
  • Contact Dave MacDonald, LCSW

Mom’s Lack of a Positive Emotional Relationship with Child Trumps Trauma in the Development of Dissociation

Posted on 29/06/2011 Written by Dave MacDonald

Dissociation is a term which refers to a complex physical / emotional and psychological process meant to help us cope when we are faced with an overwhelming experience and we don’t  have the resources, support or ability to deal with it on our own.  Chronic Dissociation can interfere with the ability to have a clear sense of  one’s experiences, emotions, behaviors, sensations and thoughts and how all those are meant to fit together to make up a coherent life story.  Dissociation  is a common symptom associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is itself  considered a emotional disorder (Dissociative Disorder).

Logic and experience has suggested that early trauma (physical, emotional, sexual) was the most reasonable culprit and predictor in the development of dissociative symptoms but now a fascinating series of studies suggest that some of the most important predictors of developing dissociative symptoms in adulthood are established in infancy and relate to the process of human attachment.  Well… I’m not surprised and WOW! am I surprised at the findings outlined in this research!

I suspect that what the research is telling us is that we may want to think differently about the types of experiences that can injure a child.  In my view, this IS about trauma, but it is about trauma which is relational in nature (viz. lacking the richest & best qualities of relating).  A baby has specific developmental and attachment needs to be met, seen, reflected & delighted in by the mother.  When this does not happen (enough) a relational injury or trauma is likely to occur.  For an infant, this may be more than it can bear and this research suggests that this particular type of  hurt can set in motion another larger set of lifelong problems.

I’ve posted a link to the blog that details this amazing research showing that when a mother is unable to engage her child in a positive emotional way, or if she has a lack of an emotional response to her child or if there is a consistent disruption in the communication between mother & infant,  these things – more than any overt Trauma – seem to create a vulnerability for the child to develop dissociation as a way to cope.

Here’s the link:
Developmental Pathways to Dissociation

Filed Under: Attachment, Dissociation, Trauma Tagged With: Attachment

Learn to Manage Stress By Living From Your Heart.

Sign Up to Receive FREE Tips
for Better Living.
my strict privacy policy keeps your email address 100% safe & secure.

Anxiety EMDR IFS Grief Attachment PTSD Heartmath Biofeedback Trauma I-ADC Stress Healing Therapy Alpha-Stim

Android Anxiety APP Attachment Birth EMDR Therapy Entheogens Grief Healing Heartmath I-ADC IFS IOS MDMA Mobile Psychedelic Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy Psychotherapy PTSD Shame STAR Foundation Stress Therapy Trauma Veterans War

Read More On:

  • Anxiety (2)
  • Attachment (3)
    • Mom's Lack of a Positive Emotional Relationship with Child Trumps Trauma in the Development of Dissociation
    • Shame: Connection VS. Invulnerability
    • Why Our Birth Matters
  • Birth (2)
    • PreNatal & PeriNatal Psychology (1)
  • Dissociation (4)
    • 5 Free Mobile Apps to help with PTSD, Stress & Anxiety
    • MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD: A Psychedelic Cure?
    • Mom's Lack of a Positive Emotional Relationship with Child Trumps Trauma in the Development of Dissociation
    • PTSD, EMDR and the Children of Combat Veterans
  • Grief / Loss (4)
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (1)
  • Shame (2)
  • Stress (2)
  • Trauma (11)
    • PTSD (5)
    • 5 Free Mobile Apps to help with PTSD, Stress & Anxiety
    • EMDR Therapy for Trauma, Anxiety & Growth
    • Heart of Healing
    • MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD: A Psychedelic Cure?
    • Mom's Lack of a Positive Emotional Relationship with Child Trumps Trauma in the Development of Dissociation
    • PTSD, EMDR and the Children of Combat Veterans
  • Treatments (13)
    • EMDR Therapy (4)
    • Guided Imagery (1)
    • HeartMath (2)
    • IFS (2)
    • Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (1)
    • Relaxation (1)
  • Uncategorized (1)
  • Veterans (3)

Search

Copyright © 2022 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Thank-you for your interest in my practice

I’m sorry but I am not currently accepting new patients / clients into my practice and my waiting list is closed.

If you are searching for a Trauma-Informed psychotherapist, I encourage you to take some time to look through the Your Treatment Options section of my site for information on current and effective models of psychotherapy.

If you are interested in help with a referral to a clinician who practices in a manner similar to me please check my Links to Resources page.  There I’ve listed professional organizations which oversee the training I’ve received.  Each has a directory of practitioners which is searchable by geographic location.

If you are a student or clinician seeking consultation or training, please use my Contact page to e-mail me or call.

Dave MacDonald MSW, LCSW
2022

×