About this Event
Dissociation is one of the most misunderstood and frequently overlooked responses to overwhelming life experiences. It is often mistaken for psychosis, 'personality disorder', or treatment resistance, leaving many people feeling frightened, misunderstood or pathologised.
This two-day training offers a compassionate, trauma-informed and relational understanding of dissociation. Rather than viewing dissociation as a symptom of illness, we will explore it as a meaningful and often creative survival response to experiences that were too overwhelming to process at the time.
Drawing on lived experience, clinical practice, attachment theory, trauma research, the Hearing Voices Movement and the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF), we will explore how dissociation develops, the many ways it can present, and how it can be understood in the context of a person's life story.
Participants will develop a richer understanding of the relationship between dissociation, hearing voices, unusual beliefs, altered states, memory, identity and emotional distress. We will explore how to create safety, work relationally with different self-states or parts, and understand the principles of a trauma-informed therapeutic process. Throughout, the emphasis will be on understanding meaning rather than making diagnoses, and on developing relational ways of working that foster safety, curiosity, collaboration and hope.
The training combines theory, practical examples, case discussion, reflective exercises and opportunities for questions and dialogue. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of dissociation and greater confidence in recognising and responding to it in ways that honour people's strengths, survival and resilience.
Learning Outcomes:
· By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
· Understand the wide range of dissociative experiences and how they may present in everyday life and clinical settings.
· Understand dissociation as a meaningful response to overwhelming experiences within a relational, trauma-informed and contextual framework.
· Create greater safety and reduce the risk of re-traumatisation in their work with people experiencing dissociation.
· Work more confidently and collaboratively with people experiencing dissociation, including engaging with different self-states or parts.
· Understand the key principles of a trauma-informed therapeutic process, including pacing, stabilisation, relationship and integration.
· Apply this learning to promote more compassionate, relational and trauma-informed practice.
Suitable for:
Practitioners across health, social care and the voluntary sector, peer workers, people with lived experience, carers, and anyone interested in developing a deeper understanding of dissociation from a trauma-informed and non-pathologising perspective.
About the Trainer:
Jacqui Dillon is an international trainer, consultant, writer and activist with more than 25 years' experience working alongside people who experience voices, dissociation, psychosis and other forms of emotional distress.
Drawing on both lived experience and over 25 years of professional practice, Jacqui has been a leading voice in the development of trauma-informed, relational approaches to understanding and responding to emotional distress. Her work has challenged traditional psychiatric models and contributed to a growing international movement towards more compassionate, collaborative and meaning-based ways of working. Jacqui has trained thousands of practitioners, peer workers and people with lived experience across the UK and internationally. Her teaching combines experiential knowledge, research evidence and practical wisdom, creating a learning environment that is thoughtful, engaging and grounded in real-world practice.
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Event venue & nearby stays
Fitzrovia Community Centre, 2 Foley Street, London, United Kingdom
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