Towards reconnecting: creative formulation and understanding dissociation

Mental Health Review Journal,Volume 22, Issue 1, March 2017. Purpose The term dissociation can describe a coping strategy to protect oneself against something unwanted in the moment, a disconnection from sensations and experiences in the here and now. Although the more severe experiences of dissociation have been the subject of intense study over the last two decades, much less has been written about clients commonly seen in mental health services with mild to moderate dissociative conditions. Specifically, this study attends to therapeutic work with a client who experienced moderate dissociation, which caused disruptions to her autobiographical narrative and sense-of-self. Design/methodology/approach This single case design details the therapeutic journey of a Caucasian woman in her early 40s, who experienced moderate dissociation. The report illustrates how the process of creative artwork formulation helped address unwanted dissociative experiences whilst enhancing other coping strategies. Findings The client ’s personal resources combined with a creative and responsive approach to formulation and re-formulation facilitated the process of reconnecting with herself and others through developing awareness of her strengths and past means of coping, finally developing a consistent self-narrative. Practi cal implications The experiences of a creative approach to formulation are discussed in relation to the client’s past traumas and case relevant theory. These preliminary...

Source: Mental Health Review Journal - January 25, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research