Authors
Bethany Brand, Ph.D.^1
1Towson University, United States


Background and aims:
In this day-long workshop, Bethany Brand will share a conceptualization of clients’ unsafe and risky behaviors as well as practical interventions that are useful in stabilizing complex trauma clients.

Methods:
Dr. Brand will review expert recommendations for interventions that are crucial in stabilizing highly dissociative clients. She will then discuss the most common triggers and functions of unsafe behaviors among dissociative individuals. Knowing these triggers and functions is a crucial step in stabilizing clients’ high-risk behaviors.

Results:
The Finding Solid Ground program addresses these triggers and functions and supports clients as they enhance their ability to get grounded, separate past from present, safely meet healthy needs, and manage emotions. Dr. Brand will present materials from the Finding Solid Ground program, including journaling exercises and skill building exercises. She will show some of the videos from the Finding Solid Ground program that demonstrate compassionate ways of talking to clients about crucial aspects of recovering from trauma. Role plays will clarify how to respond to common roadblocks in treatment including when clients do not want to “give up” self-harm and dissociation.

Conclusions:
Clinicians who use the Finding Solid Ground program will be offering their dissociative clients cutting edge, research-supported treatment for trauma-related dissociation and related symptoms.

Learning objectives:
1. List common triggers for unsafe behavior in individuals with complex dissociative symptoms
2. Explain why it is crucial for clients to learn how to separate past from present, as is emphasized in the Finding Solid Ground program
3. Explain how to help clients who are very ambivalent about getting safer work through their ambivalence