Clinical resource for qualified practitioners. For client-facing information, visit our client page or TraumaDirectory.org.
Clinical Resources & Professional Development

The clinical framework you weren't taught in training

Specialist training and consultation for therapists working with dissociative disorders and complex trauma. Clinical resources grounded in current research and what actually works in the room.

Book the September webinar

Already working with complex trauma clients? Start with a consultation

10+ years specialising exclusively in DID, OSDD, and complex trauma. Grounded in ISSTD guidelines and current research.

Get the free Structural Dissociation reference card

The one framework that makes sense of your most complex cases. Free. Print-ready.

Training & Consultation Clinical Frameworks Special Situations Assessment Tools Treatment Model Techniques Reading & Research Join the Directory
Dr. Julia Andre

Dr. Julia Andre

The gap between what therapists are taught and what dissociation actually looks like in the room is causing real harm to clients who go unrecognised for years, and to therapists who carry this work alone.

I'm a Registered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years of specialist practice in DID, OSDD, and complex trauma. My clinical work sits at the intersection of structural dissociation theory, Schema Therapy, and parts-based approaches: the frameworks that actually move the needle with this client group.

Registered Clinical Psychologist · HCPC PYL041866 Chartered Psychologist · BPS 423941 Registered Psychologist · HKPS 2018-735 Accredited Supervisor · BPS-RAPPS Advanced Accredited Schema Therapist EMDRIA Certified ISSTD Certified

Get confident with the cases that are hardest to hold

Three offers, each building on the last, most people start with the webinar, plus a 1:1 consultation for those who want individual continuity on a specific case.

Your journey

1

You finally see what you're looking at

One 90-minute session names what you've been seeing but couldn't explain: the stalling, the disappearing, the therapy that won't move. You leave with a clinical lens that changes how you see your caseload.

2

You know how to move the work forward

Four weeks of live clinical training taking you from recognition to active clinical work. You leave with a structured framework, practical tools, and confidence with the cases that previously stalled.

3

You're not holding it alone anymore

Themed Case Consultation sessions, twice a month. Join any date directly, no fixed cohort. Bring your most complex cases and leave with clarity and a path forward.

Already working with complex trauma clients? Case Consultation may be your starting point.

Webinar 90 min · Wed 2 Sept · 5pm HKT / 10am BST

When Good Therapy Stalls: A Framework for Hidden Dissociation

You're doing everything right, and the therapy still isn't moving. Your client shuts down, goes flat, or simply isn't there. This 90-minute session gives you a clinical framework to recognise hidden dissociation in the clients you're already seeing, understand why the work keeps stalling, and know what to do next.

  • Lifetime replay access
  • Q&A included
  • Runs September & March each year
  • Live via Google Meet
  • Max 25 places
HK$950 one-off approx. US$126
Book your place
Intensive 4 weeks · Starts 19 Oct 2026

The Dissociative Intensive: From Recognition to Active Clinical Work

You can see the dissociation. Now you need to know what to do with it. Four weekly live sessions covering: mapping the system, working with hostile and protective parts, applying Schema Therapy-inspired approaches to unmet needs and shame, navigating the therapeutic relationship, and keeping treatment moving when it wants to collapse.

  • 4 x 90-minute live sessions
  • Small group (max 12)
  • Session recordings included
  • Runs October & April each year
  • Live via Google Meet
HK$3,900 per cohort approx. US$518
Book the Intensive

Start with the webinar on 2 September

Recommended
Group 90 min · 2 dates a month · Max 4

Case Consultation: Complex Trauma & Dissociative Disorders

Drop-in themed sessions for therapists working with complex trauma, generally, not only dissociative presentations. Join any date directly: no prerequisite courses, no fixed cohort to commit to. Pick the theme that's most useful to your caseload right now.

  • 90-minute themed session, drop-in format
  • Direct entry, no prerequisite required
  • Max 4 therapists per session
  • Two dates a month, all times HKT (UTC+8)

Upcoming sessions · hover for theme

+ 8 more dates
HK$1,200 per session · 90 min approx. US$159
Book group consultation
1:1 Book as needed · 50 min · Individual

Specialised Trauma Consultation

Sometimes it's not the case that's hard, it's what it's touching inside you. A private space for the countertransference, the attachment ruptures, the parts of yourself this work keeps activating, not always something you want to unpack in a group. Book once or return as needed, no standing commitment.

  • Accredited Supervisor · BPS-RAPPS
  • Advanced Accredited Schema Therapist
  • EMDRIA Certified
  • ISSTD Certified
  • Individual session, your case only
  • Online, book any time that suits

Select "For Therapists: Specialised Trauma Consultation 50mins" on the booking page

HK$2,000 per session · 50 min approx. US$265
Book 1:1 consultation

What therapists say

"I had worked with trauma clients for five years before coming to Julia for consultation. The clinical framework she brought immediately changed how I worked with dissociative presentations. I finally understood what I was seeing."

BACP Accredited Counsellor, trauma-informed practice, UK

"The most clinically impactful consultation I have had. Julia holds both the theory and the relational complexity in a way I have not found elsewhere. My confidence with this client group has transformed."

Psychotherapist, Schema Therapy, private practice

"Having a consultant who specialises in DID means no part of what I bring feels too complex. The consultation is always grounded, practical, and deeply human."

Clinical Psychologist, EMDR practitioner

Common questions

Is this suitable for someone still learning about dissociation?

Yes. The webinar is designed as an entry point for trauma-informed therapists who are encountering dissociation in their caseload but haven't had specialist training in it. You don't need prior knowledge of structural dissociation theory. That's exactly what the session builds. The Dissociative Intensive assumes you've attended the webinar or have some familiarity with the basics, but is still accessible to practitioners earlier in their dissociation training.

What if I can't make the live session?

The webinar is recorded and you get lifetime access to the replay, so missing the live session doesn't mean missing the content. For the Dissociative Intensive, session recordings are included so you can catch up if you miss a week. Live attendance is encouraged as the Q&A and group discussion are a significant part of the learning, but the recordings mean nothing is lost.

Can I join a Case Consultation session without doing the webinar or Intensive first?

Yes. Case Consultation is open to any qualified practitioner working with complex trauma or dissociative clients. You can join any themed session directly, there's no prerequisite and no fixed cohort to commit to. Pick the date and theme most useful to your caseload.

What times are Case Consultation sessions held in?

Sessions run twice a month on selected Wednesdays, alternating between 1pm HKT (suited to practitioners across Asia-Pacific) and 8pm HKT, a Europe-friendly evening slot. All times are officially HKT (UTC+8); see the schedule above for exact dates and themes. Each session is capped at 4 therapists.

Should I book the group Case Consultation or the 1:1 session?

Both cover complex trauma and dissociative presentations, no prerequisite either way. Case Consultation is a themed drop-in group of up to 4 therapists, twice a month, useful if peer discussion alongside case input is helpful to you. The 1:1 session is individual and booked as needed, better if you want the full session on one case, prefer not to discuss it in a group, or want continuity with the same person over time.

The framework that changes how you see your caseload

Why your most complex clients don't
respond the way you expect

Some clients shut down mid-session. Some can't recall what they felt last week. Some seem like a different person depending on the day. One framework makes sense of all of it.

Free. Sent to your inbox. No spam.

Clinical reference card · undertrained.

Theory of Structural Dissociation
of the Personality

Free · A4 · print-ready

Special clinical situations

Persecutory & hostile parts

Approach with the same curiosity applied to all parts. Hostility signals an intense need for protection or an unmet need that has not yet been witnessed. Confrontation without curiosity is rarely effective and risks rupturing alliance with the wider system.

Child parts

Child parts often hold the rawest traumatic material. Approach with gentleness, warmth, and age-appropriate communication. Never rush. The therapeutic relationship with child parts is often the turning point in treatment.

Amnesia between sessions

Some clients will have no memory of what was processed in previous sessions. Work collaboratively on internal communication, journaling, voice notes, shared notes with the system, and revisit psychoeducation regularly.

Somatic presentations & conversion

Somatoform dissociation (SDQ-20) is common and often leads to years of medical investigation. Normalise the body-trauma connection without pathologising. Liaise with medical professionals where appropriate.

Suicidality & self-harm

Safety planning must account for the whole system, not just the presenting part. Different parts may have different relationships to self-harm. Identify which parts feel safe, which feel at risk, and build internal agreements with the part managing daily life.

Attachment injury & relational trauma

When the therapist is the first safe relationship, the therapeutic relationship itself becomes a key treatment mechanism. Awareness of dependency dynamics, trauma bonding, and rupture-repair is essential.

Diagnostic screening tools

No single measure is sufficient for diagnosis. Use a combination of self-report measures and structured clinical interview, with attention to differentials including BPD, psychosis, and somatic symptom disorders.

FreeDES-II: Dissociative Experiences Scale

28-item self-report. Broad screening for dissociative experiences. Taxon subscale (DES-T) identifies pathological dissociation with higher specificity. Score ≥30 warrants further evaluation.

Access DES-II
FreeMID: Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation

168-item comprehensive self-report. Covers 23 dissociative scales including amnesia, identity confusion, voices, trance, and depersonalisation. One of the most thorough available instruments.

Access MID
FreeIDIDQ: International Dissociative Identity Disorder Questionnaire

15-item self-report screening measure built directly around ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for DID and Partial DID. Assesses amnesia, dissociative identities, and switching. Co-developed by Fung, Şar, and Ross (2025); validated across English and Chinese samples. Available free on request from the developer.

Request IDIDQ from Dr. Fung
FreeSDQ-20: Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire

20-item measure of somatoform dissociation. Particularly useful when clients present with medically unexplained symptoms such as motor, sensory, or pain complaints.

Access SDQ-20
FreeDDIS: Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule

Structured clinical interview covering all major dissociative disorder categories per DSM criteria. Also screens for somatic symptoms and secondary features of DID.

Access DDIS
FreeDES Taxon Calculator

Online calculator for the DES Taxon, identifying pathological dissociation distinct from normal dissociative experiences. Useful adjunct to full DES scoring.

Access calculator
Purchase requiredSCID-D: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Dissociative Disorders

Gold-standard semi-structured interview assessing the five core dissociative symptoms: amnesia, depersonalisation, derealisation, identity confusion, and identity alteration. Requires clinical training.

Purchase via APPI

Want to learn how to use these tools in clinical context?

Book the September webinar

Phase-based treatment model

The ISSTD Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults outline a phase-oriented model that remains the international clinical standard. Phases are not strictly sequential; movement is iterative and responsive to the client's window of tolerance.

Phase 1Safety, stabilisation & symptom reduction

Foundational and often the most substantial phase. Establish therapeutic alliance, safety, and basic stability before any trauma processing begins.

  • Assessment and psychoeducation about the diagnosis and structural dissociation
  • Crisis safety planning across the system
  • Reducing self-harm, suicidality, and dangerous behaviours
  • Grounding, containment, and window-of-tolerance skills
  • Beginning gentle contact with parts, curiosity not confrontation
  • Addressing phobia of dissociative parts and of trauma-derived affect
  • Building inner communication and cooperation
Phase 2Trauma processing

Processing traumatic memories carefully, with titration and containment. No phase 2 work should begin until Phase 1 stability is established. Premature processing is a common clinical error.

  • Trauma processing with all relevant parts, not just ANP
  • Titration techniques to prevent flooding
  • EMDR protocols adapted for dissociation; fractionated processing
  • Working through grief, betrayal, and complex attachment injury
  • Reducing amnesia barriers as the system builds trust
  • Addressing traumatic transference and countertransference
Phase 3Integration & rehabilitation

Integration is an ongoing process of greater unity and identity coherence. Full fusion is one possible outcome, not a requirement. Some clients achieve a well-functioning cooperative system without complete merger of parts.

  • Developing a unified or cooperative sense of identity
  • Addressing the grief of integration, loss of familiar system dynamics
  • Building a life in the present: relationships, work, meaning
  • Relapse prevention and maintaining gains
  • Fusion rituals (where pursued), intentional, never forced

The Dissociative Intensive trains this model in depth over four live sessions. Join the October intensive

Want to go deeper on phase-based work with dissociative clients?

Book the October intensive

In-session techniques

The practical toolkit for working with dissociative systems: titration for safe trauma processing, the Internal Conference Table for parts communication, and unblending for restoring the client's grounded, observing presence.

Titration menu

Approach traumatic material in manageable doses to keep clients within the window of tolerance — the zone of arousal in which the nervous system can process experience without flooding (hyperarousal) or shutting down (hypoarousal).

From Fry (2026). Essential for Phase 2 work with DID.

Distancing

Increasing psychological distance from traumatic material — viewing it on a screen, from the back of a cinema, or from behind glass. Reduces emotional intensity while preserving processing.

Fractionation

Processing trauma in small pieces rather than the whole memory. Work with one moment, one sense, one piece — then contain. Prevents overwhelm and creates a sense of manageability.

Change Scene

Introducing a resource, a helper, or a different outcome into the traumatic memory via imagery rescripting. The Healthy Adult can enter the scene to support the child part.

Containment

Placing traumatic material in a symbolic container (safe, vault, box) between or within sessions to prevent uncontrolled flooding. Teaches the system that material can be held and returned to.

Pendulation

Oscillating between the traumatic memory and a resource or safe experience. Borrowed from Somatic Experiencing. Builds capacity by demonstrating that difficult states are survivable and temporary.

Resourcing

Building and strengthening internal and relational resources before and during processing — safe place, inner helper, therapist's presence, positive memories. Offsets the load of traumatic processing.

Framing

Contextualising the trauma within a coherent narrative that reduces self-blame and shame. "This happened because…" (not "because of me"). Cognitive in nature; reduces activation before processing.

Internal Conference Table

Structured technique for facilitating internal communication, negotiation, and cooperation across parts. Approach always with curiosity, openness, and zero pressure.

1

Ground and orient

Begin with grounding in the present. Establish dual awareness. Brief body scan.

2

Establish the space

Invite the client to imagine an internal meeting space, whatever feels right. Safe, neutral, and belonging to all parts. No part is forced to attend.

3

Open the invitation

Invite all parts to be present in whatever way feels comfortable. Emphasise no part will be overridden or removed.

4

Acknowledge each part with curiosity

Greet each part with warmth. Ask gently: What does this part need? What does it want the rest of the system to know?

5

Facilitate dialogue, not debate

The goal is understanding, not resolution. Name tensions without taking sides. Parts may have opposing agendas, and that is okay.

6

Close safely

Thank each part explicitly. Return the client fully to the present. Check in with the body. Leave adequate time for integration before the session ends.

Unblending with parts

Blending occurs when a part takes over executive function. Unblending restores dual awareness and Self-leadership, moving from being "in" the part to being "with" it.

Step 1

Language shift

Shift from "I feel terrified" to "Part of me feels terrified." This creates immediate psychological distance without pathologising multiplicity.

Step 2

Observing position

Invite the client to notice the part rather than be it: "Can you sense the part that feels terrified? Can you notice it from where you are sitting right now?"

Step 3

Somatic unblending

If blending is somatic, direct attention to a neutral or comfortable area of the body first. Build embodied presence before re-approaching the blended material.

Step 4

Acknowledge the part's function

Ask what this part is protecting against. Curiosity and gratitude dissolve resistance far more effectively than pushing against the blending.

Want to practice these techniques with live clinical cases?

Book the October intensive

Reading & research

Practical clinical articles and key peer-reviewed papers, curated for relevance to dissociative presentations.

Differential Diagnosis

DID or BPD? How to Tell Them Apart When It Matters Most

EMDR

EMDR with Dissociative Clients: Adaptations and What the Research Shows

Parts Work

Working with Hostile and Persecutory Parts: A Clinical Approach

Therapist Wellbeing

Vicarious Trauma and Countertransference When Working with DID

Psychopharmacology

Medication in DID: What the Evidence Says and How to Use It as an Adjunct

Therapeutic Relationship

Attachment and the Therapeutic Relationship in DID: Dependency, Rupture-Repair, and Why the Relationship Is the Treatment

Evidence base

Key papers from 2021 onwards, curated for clinical relevance. Open access where available.

2025 Recent evidence-based developments in the treatment of DID Frontiers in Psychiatry Read here
Open Access
2025 Effectiveness of Phase-Oriented Treatment for Trauma-Related Dissociative Disorders: A Systematic Review European Journal of Psychotraumatology Read here
Open Access
2025 IFS-Informed EMDR as Treatment for Personality Structural Dissociation Discover Psychology Read here
Open Access
2025 Measuring ICD-11 dissociative identity disorder: Cross-cultural validation of the International Dissociative Identity Disorder Questionnaire Asian Journal of Psychiatry Author's copy
Paywall
2025 Effects of an online psychoeducational program for people with dissociative symptoms: A randomized controlled trial Research on Social Work Practice Read here
Open Access
2024 Unravelling the Layers: DID as a Response to Trauma PMC Read here
Open Access
2024 Advancing Research on and Treatment of Dissociative Disorders Robinson et al. Read here
Open Access
2024 Treatment of DID: Leveraging Neurobiology to Optimise Success Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics Read here
Paywall
2024 Trauma-related mental health problems among mothers in Taiwan and their relationship with children's emotional and behavioral problems European Journal of Psychotraumatology Read here
Open Access
2023 Schema Therapy for Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Case Report Frontiers in Psychiatry Read here
Open Access
2023 The Integrative Process Promoted by EMDR in Dissociative Disorders Frontiers in Psychology Read here
Open Access
2023 Childhood experiences and dissociation among high school students in China: Theoretical reexamination and clinical implications International Journal of Social Psychiatry Author's copy
Paywall
2022 Trauma and dissociation among inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Taiwan European Journal of Psychotraumatology Read here
Open Access
2021 Vicarious Trauma Interventions for Trauma Service Providers: A Scoping Review Frontiers in Psychiatry Read here
Open Access

The next step

The September webinar is the entry point. One session that changes how you see your caseload.

90 minutes live via Google Meet. HK$950. Replay included. Runs September 2026.

Book your place

Clinical resources and training updates, direct to your inbox

New training dates, case-based writing, and clinical tools for therapists working with dissociation. No noise.

Be found by clients who need your specialism

  • Verified profile searchable by specialism, modality & location
  • Clients specifically searching for dissociation specialists
  • One-off payment. No subscription, no commission. Ever.
  • Early access: first 100 therapists list for US$20
Practitioner wellbeing matters too. If you're supporting clients through intensive trauma work, please ensure you have adequate supervision and self-care. ISSTD resources