The Hive

Gentle Yoga, Grounding, and Meditation Class by Cynthia Herzog LCSW

• Welcome by An Infinite Mind Board Member Jaime Pollack

• Creative Healing in the Face of Trauma, Grief, and Dissociation By Larry Ruhl

Attempting to comprehend and digest the complex trauma I endured as a child felt like an abyss with no hope for light. I resisted and resented therapy, eventually giving in as my hopelessness grew. Hearing my therapist’s words of "Slower is Faster" did not initially offer much optimism. Over the course of fifteen years, I worked to navigate the intricate roads of addiction, rage, suicidal ideation, gender and sexuality confusion, and learning to live with the intolerable. Through lived experience, I will share the unexpected pitfalls and the victories of recovery along with the creative process which sustains me today.

Trauma and dissociation are inevitable intertwined. Researchers have observed that trauma affects different aspects of the personality (e.g., neurobiology). A redefinition of dissociation presents itself: a “disruption” of development on different levels of the personality. The developmental stage in which trauma occurs determines which aspects of the personality are damaged and how these damaged aspects can be classified into corresponding dissociative continuums (e.g., the dissociative neurobiological continuum). These continuums also involve a development in which the client can move between freeze and hypo-freeze. Our therapeutic integration model includes a formal assessment that underlies a unique variable treatment.

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In this presentation, participants will receive an overview of theory and techniques that regulate the nervous system (fight/flight/freeze), reduce the impact of emotional/physical flashbacks, and restore a sense of well being to the mind and body. These include Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), mindfulness based stress reduction, and grounding. All strategies are evidenced-based and rooted in mind-body theory. A basic overview of the brain and nervous system as they pertain to trauma will also be provided.

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Advocate Dr. Jamie Marich shares preliminary research interview findings from her most recent book project, Dissociation Made Simple. A passionate advocate seeking to tear down the “us vs. them” wall that exists between clinical professionals and those with dissociative disorders, Marich used the research method in which she trained during her doctoral work (phenomenology) to investigate lived experience of people with dissociative experiences. Professionals, survivors, and some identifying as both, were asked to answer the same eight questions about dissociation. Receive a glimpse into what this project is revealing and what the implications are for advocacy and smashing stigma.

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Becoming familiar with your system of self-states (or parts or alters) can lead the way to facilitating fluid internal communication and cultivating collaboration. A survivor and her therapist have gone through the mapping process and will discuss different options and resources available.

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Grab your lunch and come join one of our chat and chews. Meet with your fellow attendees to discuss what is on your mind. These are moderated by mental health professionals.

Click the links below to join a Chat & Chew Session:

• Supporters

• People living with dissociation and DID

• Therapists living with dissociation and DID

• Therapists who treat dissociation and DID

Aside from his professional work, Wade is a sex and labor trafficking survivor, a Multiple, and a transgender man--3 things which have really shaped how he has navigated trauma recovery, personal and professional development, and his decision to transition both medically and socially from female to male. In this open conversation and Q&A session, Wade will talk about the struggle to determine whether or not to transition as a Multiple, roadblocks he experienced on his transition journey, and how his transition has impacted his life in both positive and negative ways.

Raising children while you deal with the effects of the trauma AND D.I.D. is hard. My children were 10 and 6 when I was introduced to D.I.D. and my system. I couldn’t explain to them what was happening, I worried daily and I didn’t have any idea how it would shape their lives. My adult children, Emily (23) and Brady (19), have graciously agreed to join me as co-presenters. I will discuss what it was like to raise them while healing from the trauma and they will speak of their experiences growing up, and how my D.I.D. has affected them.

Amid a global pandemic, a group of therapists with OSDD/DID met virtually at the 2021 Healing Together conference. What has transpired since has been nothing short of amazing. Over the past year we have established a supportive online community of ‘therapists with’. We share our struggles and successes, and are committed to co-creating a new kind of online community. Join us as we discuss the value of peer support, how we balance being both survivors and therapists, and how our experiences of being therapists living with dissociation can benefit our clients.

Trauma and dissociation are inevitable intertwined. Researchers have observed that trauma affects different aspects of the personality (e.g., neurobiology). A redefinition of dissociation presents itself: a “disruption” of development on different levels of the personality. The developmental stage in which trauma occurs determines which aspects of the personality are damaged and how these damaged aspects can be classified into corresponding dissociative continuums (e.g., the dissociative neurobiological continuum). These continuums also involve a development in which the client can move between freeze and hypo-freeze. Our therapeutic integration model includes a formal assessment that underlies a unique variable treatment.

When survivors want to speak out, they are all too frequently asked to remain silent, not cause trouble, and keep secrets. More often than not, our families of origin betray us in ways which leave further damage and add to our sense of shame, feelings of rage, and loneliness. We can be left feeling like outcasts. In this session, we will explore ways of creating your own sense of family, finding safety in intimacy, and discuss techniques for healing old familial and societal wounds. Visual examples of creative methods will be shown.

Research in recent years has consistently shown the effectiveness of including holistic treatments for trauma resolution, especially with respect to the physiological residue that makes sticking to traditional talk therapy so difficult. An additional issue is the sustainability of trauma counselors. Join us for a dynamic & experiential presentation of the hows, whys, and whats of holistic treatments for trauma residue, including ecotherapy, simple vagus nerve exercises & more! Participants will leave with exercises they can immediately utilize for calming/grounding, & learn about new technologies available. Exercises presented give individuals tools to manage symptomology.

For decades, Vivian lived in a fantasy world more real to her than the “real” world. She called this world the Atmosphere. It was populated by kindly beings—separate from her DID parts—who watched over her and understood her. Letting go of the Atmosphere and learning to connect with “real” people was a necessary first step in Vivian’s healing from DID, but some of her DID parts clung fast to it. Vivian discusses the relationship between her attachment disorder (manifested by the Atmosphere) and her dissociation. She also discusses maladaptive daydreaming, relational trauma, and what healing looks like.

Supporting a friend, family member, or significant other with DID includes an array of blessings and challenges. In addition to our personal needs and struggles, we may at times become overwhelmed with those of our loved ones. The last thing a supporter needs is to feel all alone in the universe, but (ironically?) it happens all too often. We four are here to share our journeys as supporters and to give some practical suggestions for developing a system of support for yourself, in your all-important role. You. Matter.

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Dr. Ross will describe maladaptive daydreaming (MD), including its clinical features, diagnostic criteria and research measures for it, all of which have been published. MD is different from normal daydreaming because it occupies many hours per day, causes distress and dysfunction and has a compulsive or addictive quality to it. People with MD have very structured and detailed inner worlds, with characters and plots and they are usually a character in the inner world. Some people with DID have both alter personalities and inner worlds that resemble MD. The overlap and differences between MD and DID will be discussed.

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"Emma" and "The Husband" are the voices behind the System Speak Podcast about Dissociative Identity Disorder. They have shared about their relationship and raising a family full of trauma on the good days and the hard days. This presentation is excellent for both survivors and supporters of those wanting to build (and endure!) relationships with trauma and dissociation. They bring both clinical and lived experience to the discussion, sharing openly and vulnerably about hope and healing in relationships.

Many global traditions use the powerful musical form of call and response. In this presentation, two helping professionals with dissociative experiences of life will present an introduction to chanting and Kirtan (communal call-and-response) from the traditions of India. Both have studied formally in these systems, and have lived experience to share on how chanting helps them to heal. Participants will have the option to just listen or to engage in the experiential elements of call-and-response chanting and singing woven into the workshop. Implication for use in clinical and other healing settings, especially with dissociative minds, are reviewed.

Amy mindfully leads you through a healing movement journey that guides you from your mind and into your body. We'll start with a grounding meditation, set our intentions, and then move with the elements and the chakra (energy points) system to experience communication and healing beyond words. Amy creates a customized playlist to support our movement journey and invites you to bring a journal to write down any insights after our session. You will leave feeling grounded, connected, and renewed.

This informal gathering invites our panelists and participants to have a conversation about what writing has meant for them in their healing journeys. Panelists are active in Dissociative Writers which began meeting virtually in March 2021 in two separate writers’ workshops. Our vision is to provide safe groups to support one another in our writing as survivors and people with dissociative disorders, and to encourage the creativity that helped us survive to tell our stories.