Interview with Joyanna L. Silberg, reference in Childhood Trauma and Dissociation

Addressing the phenomenon of dissociation in children allows us to better adapt to their needs.

It is a pleasure to have Joyanna L. Silberg, international referent in psychological intervention in trauma with children and adolescents, in Spain soon. From October 26th to 28th in Pamplona, we will be able to learn from her about child dissociation. In this interview with Joyanna we will solve some frequent doubts related to this psychological phenomenon. related to this psychological phenomenon.

Joyanna L. Silberg, on the process of the infantile dissociation

For many child therapists the subject of the infantile dissociation is still a great unknown.. It is true that we can hear about dissociation in adults, but it is difficult to find literature about it in the world of children.

We understand that we cannot transfer the same concept of the adult world to children's brains, since a characteristic of childhood is the lack of integration of experiences, which is facilitated by the adults who accompany the child, to the extent that they mentalize the child's states and put words to them. And this is precisely what does not happen in traumatic environments or families involved in constant suffering and destructuring.

The child's Pain is not seen and is not soothed; this prolonged discomfort must be digested by the child himself, who does not have the maturity capacity to do so. That is why it is good to understand the basic mechanisms of infant dissociation, a subject that we address below with Joyanna L. Silberg.

Jonathan Garcia-Allen: What can precipitate a state of dissociation in a child?

Joyanna: Children who suffer extreme terror and have no one to help them calm the overwhelming state of trauma can enter a state of dissociation.

Jonathan Garcia-Allen: What relationship might there be between the type of attachment of the child and dissociation?

If a child does not have a parent who is consistent in promoting healthy attachment, that child is going to be more likely to deal with dissociation. Children with disorganized attachment, who live with situations in which they are unable to predict how their parents are going to react to them, are the most predisposed to develop dissociation in order to adapt to that uncertainty.

Jonathan García-Allen: What are the differences between dissociation in children and adults?

When adults use dissociation to cope with a traumatic situation, it is the result of a lifelong form of learned coping defense that is solidified and difficult to disrupt.

Children are growing and their minds are developing, and so when you help them manage the discomfort of a situation by staying connected to them and facilitating a state of presence, they can learn to cope without dissociating. It is easier for them to learn or relearn and the treatment is faster.

Jonathan Garcia-Allen: Is there a population profile that is more prone to dissociative states?

It seems that children who are more prone to fantasy, who engage easily in fantasy and get absorbed by their own imagination, are the most susceptible to developing them, as they use escape to the mind in a way that comes naturally to them.

Jonathan García-Allen: There are different treatments to work with children's dissociation. Which therapies have better results?

Children must learn that the healthiest way to achieve an integrated state of mind is to be able to achieve a "whole self" in which the different states are part of the same Self and work together. They learn this to the extent that they are helped to respect all their feelings and all their states. Children connect with these ideas easily and have an inner drive toward healing.

Interrupting dissociative pathways in children can prevent the terrible morbidity of dissociative disorders in adults. Working with dissociative children gives therapists a window into the incredible minds of children, and brings a sense of great respect for how little ones learn to survive in the face of all obstacles.

To learn more

Joyanna L. Silberg will give a workshop on child dissociation intervention in Spain, from October 26th to 28th in Pamplona. This course, organized by the psychology office Vitaliza, will be translated into Spanish and will be available online thanks to its streaming broadcast.

• To know the complete program, you can access Vitaliza's contact details and its website, from the tab of this link.