Report on the
International Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation’s
Annual Meeting November ’07
By Joanne Twombly, LICSW
ISST-D’s annual conference was held in Philadelphia at the Sheraton Society Hill which was a great location allowing easy access to historic sights and cobblestones right outside its door. The biggest difference in the 2007 conference format was the addition of 4 day long preconference workshops. These included: workshops on Phenomenal selves in structural dissociation (Nijenhuis), Dilemmas in the treatment of dissociative disorders (Chu, Courtois, Kinsler, and Steele) and Silvan S. Tomkin’s Theory of inate affect and normal consciousness and its use in the treatment of shame reactions and PTSD (Kluft and Nathanson). – My only problem with these preconference workshops was that I had to spend the day in the Executive Committee meeting and couldn’t attend any of them! However, I’m happy to say that these workshops and the regular conference workshops are available on CDs from the ISSTD web site: www.isst-d.org.
The fourth preconference workshop was a special introductory workshop for therapists: When traumatic stress goes beyond PTSD. This workshop was open to all, but was offered to therapists working in community services or at non-profit clinics for $50. ISSTD’s plan is to continue to offer this workshop every year as a benefit to the city and surrounding area where the conference is being held. In preparation last year, marketing letters were sent to area state hospitals, DMH, battered women’s shelters, clinics, prisons, etc. This is one way ISSTD is reaching out to the population of therapists who are likely to be working with complex PTSD and DDs without the benefit of much training.
The conference itself was rich with workshops, plenaries, symposiums, posters, exhibits, research data, and paper sessions which both continued the focus on dissociative disorders and added a wealth on complex PTSD. Just a hand full of the offerings included: Claire Frederick’s day long on ego state therapy, and others on trauma in schools, clergy sex abuse, dissociation and schizophrenia, the adult attachment interview, research on treatment outcome, spirituality, and trauma in China. I tried to go to one of Janina Fisher’s workshops which was held in a medium sized room and, after noticing what looked like a Guinness Book of World Records attempt to see how many clinicians could get into a room, I gave up and went to my second choice: “WRAPback: A thinking clinician’s play with group psychotherapy and dissociation” by 3 Canadians which was excellent. Janina went to one on “Stabilization” by Suzette Boon from the Netherlands and said it was very useful to revisit a subject she knows a lot about and get some new ideas.
One of the big advantages of attending one of these international conferences is getting a wider perspective on the field, which makes a difference coming back and sitting in my office alone with clients. Here’re some of the things that stuck out for me:
· The Media Award was given to an Israeli film maker and writer, Netalie Braun, for her documentary 'Metamorphosis', which is based on the stories of three women of different ages who tell their stories about sexual trauma and dissociation woven together with the similar stories from Ovid. Those who’ve seen it say it’s remarkable.
· The component society breakfast where leaders of component groups get together to share the happings of their societies. Stay tuned as ISSTD is in process of developing new resources for component groups. By the way, if you have any ideas or input, let me know. I’m the head of the Component Society Task Force! There are component groups all over the world – the Philippians and Sweden to name 2 of the newer ones.
· That ISSTD now has members from all over including South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, China, Iran, and Japan.
Consider the possibility of joining us for the 25th Annual Conference which will be held in Chicago November 15-17th and is entitled: Advances in Understanding Trauma and Dissociation: Personal Life, Social Process, and Public Health. This topic highlights the 25 years ISST-D has been in existence providing support and education to clinicians, researchers, and students in their efforts to understand and treat the complex issues that can result from traumatic experiences and dissociation. The day before the conference will again be a day of day long pre conference workshops, and one of them will be Richard Schartz on Internal Family Systems. Watch the website for more information!
PS Did you know that in addition to ISSTD’s Dissociative Disorders Training Program, there’s an Advanced training on line? And also an on line training on assessment and treatment of Children and Adolescents? Check the website if you have interest in these programs!=