Met New Therapist

I met her.

And I like her.

Is it normal for a therapist to come to the conclusion of DID so quickly? I gave her EVERYTHING; my forum posts (I deleted anything you guys posted to me-aka quotes and stuff, I respect you guys and your privacy), the DES, some stuff I wrote up prior, and my journals. She spent a LOT of time pouring over it, then put it away and started asking me questions. I had to stop her from asking about my alters because I was getting feelings of panic and anger, but she easily switched topics without so much as a pause. I liked that; most people would have asked why, you know?

She said she doesn't believe in integration. She believes in something called 'incorporation'? But, if I WANT to integrate, she has helped with that as well and will do whatever I feel is right for me. I'm currently not wanting to integrate per say, but I don't know what incorporation is either. She explained it a little, but didn't want to take the whole session explaining something that won't happen for a while. Has anyone had any experience with this?

Anywho, I like her and I will be seeing her again on Monday. No one inside had any problems with her, with the exception of Bad voice, who commented on how she looked like a child... She's short and little, and he was pretty mean about it. But other than that, Eve (I'm sure it was her. ) wanted to play with the cute little stuffed lion she had in her office.

Well, hubby's getting concerned because I'm not eating dinner, lol. Gotta run!

I'm so glad you were able to find someone who you really connected with! That is GREAT Keep us all posted on the whole incorporation thing...it kind of sounds like it may be the same as integration just more appealing...anyway I'm happy it went well!

Thank you! I'm happy I found her too.

So I looked up the therapy, and mainly it focuses on bringing the alters 'home'. It's basically about getting your system to work together, sometimes without even going into the bad memories. That's what I got out of he little I read so far. It also has to do with healing spiritually, whatever spirituality a person is, I think. It talks about the soul anyway.

My therapist and I share the same beliefs, so that part won't be so bad. I'll write more as I come across it; I find it pretty interesting.

LinaeveWorkman wrote:Is it normal for a therapist to come to the conclusion of DID so quickly?

When the therapist has seen it before and the client endorses the usual symptoms and has documentary evidence of switching? Certainly!

I am so glad you liked her. This is big step forward for you, and I know it takes a lot of courage.

Wonderful!

From all the newest info I have read I agree with her on integration. There is no such thing. The normal (non DID) brain has many parts and the goal is to get all your isolated parts to work and cooperate like a normal brain.

Una+ wrote:When the therapist has seen it before and the client endorses the usual symptoms and has documentary evidence of switching? Certainly!

I am so glad you liked her. This is big step forward for you, and I know it takes a lot of courage.

Thank you! I wasn't sure if it would take her until she actually met an alter or two; I've been reading some of the posts here where therapist wait quite a while before coming to that decision, so I wasn't sure.

It was really nerve wracking. The whole day my system was trying to put me to sleep. My stomach hurt, my head hurt, I was panicky...when the time came to go, I was so exhausted that I didn't even want to go!!! But my husband drove me and I'm so glad I went despite being tired, and it seems everyone inside is glad I did as well. At least, they are calm right now, lol.

The funniest thing is I can remember just about all of our conversation, unlike when I see Dr. Kristol!

Wonderful!

From all the newest info I have read I agree with her on integration. There is no such thing. The normal (non DID) brain has many parts and the goal is to get all your isolated parts to work and cooperate like a normal brain.

The books talk heavily of integration, but that word tends to make me nervous. As my therapist said (and I don't mean to put anyone who has integrated down; I'm very glad it's worked for you!), it's like a slap in the face for those parts that have protected you, then hid to keep from hurting you further. She wants to focus on 'bringing them home'; she spoke of each part as hiding in a vast forest behind many thick trees.

The stronger ones right now are peeking around those trees and coming forward, ready to be heard, but the younger/more abused ones are still hiding, waiting to see if the stronger ones will deem me 'safe' enough to protect them now. I cried heavily when she mentioned that none of them trust me right now because they don't think I can protect them yet; it makes sense, since I've stuffed them away for so long and ignored them, but goodness was that a wake up call. These parts saved me, and I turned around and re-hurt them.... I definitely didn't know what to say to that except how sorry I was.


(Sorry daughter hit submit button before I could finish lol!)

Anywho, bringing them home means meeting them one at a time, gaining their trust, and 'taking them home' with me. Allowing them to become co-conscious and working together. Once I earn one of my part's trust, then I start with the next one and bring that one home with me also. And so on, and so forth, until we are a working, cohesive unit but still our own persons.

It sounds extremely exhausting. I just keep thinking 'well, if they could take the abuse for me, I can take the time to get to know them and work with them on what they need now'. Still, this is going to take quite some time...and right now the thought is overwhelming.

" And so on, and so forth, until we are a working, cohesive unit but still our own persons."

Exactly!!!!!!!

If you give all this information to a T, hide nothing and already have a good idea what's going and and you share it then they have information to DX you with. My also did a quick DX for me because I wanted to know.

Older books talk a lot about integration yes, and even newer books but then define what they mean by it first. They might use the term but they explain what I did above. I think those that have integrated have done exactly what the new goal is. They are both the same and the term is what is confusing. Either way the different parts of the brain are working together and cooperating after healing. Perhaps heal is a better word.


This tread really describes what I am talking about - *Triggering - contains defined roles*
dissociative-identity/topic70126.html

Is "incorporation" a nod to Bill Tollefson and the Women’s Institute for Incorporation Therapy in south Florida? Their focus was (is?) on mutual acceptance of all the dissociated identities by one another. See Separated From the Light, A Path Back From Psychological Trauma by William B. Tollefson, Ph.D., Tollefson Enterprises, 2nd edition, 2004.

Una+ wrote:Is "incorporation" a nod to Bill Tollefson and the Women’s Institute for Incorporation Therapy in south Florida?


Their focus was (is?) on mutual acceptance of all the dissociated identities by one another.

See Separated From the Light, A Path Back From Psychological Trauma by William B. Tollefson, Ph.D., Tollefson Enterprises, 2nd edition, 2004.

I am not sure what you are saying. The book is 7 years old. But I think we are saying the same thing?
If so, the idea is certainly not new!

LinaeveWorkman wrote:The funniest thing is I can remember just about all of our conversation, unlike when I see Dr. Kristol

That's awesome! Before my seizure episode, which I am thinking must have been a "piece" trying to come out, I was having really great communication with my T and remembering the entire conversations verbatim...now it's not so great. Something happened to get someone not to trust her...and that's REALLY hard cuz I think I trust her.

How do you think you are gonna get that one alter to like her? I could use some tips. It's so hard when I really like my therapist, but still have that child piece inside that is very upset.