February 3, 2009
Radio Interview with Kathy Broady
Posted in Family Members of Trauma Survivors, Prevention of Sexual Abuse, sexual abuse, Trauma, trauma therapist tagged AbuseConsultants, Dallas, Dallas TX, Kathy Broady, KLIF, KLIF 570 AM, North Texas, Prevention of Sexual Abuse, Radio, Radio Interview, SurvivorForum.com, Texas, Trauma Specialist, trauma therapist at 11:14 am by Kathy Broady
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Do you have a radio??
You can listen to a brief Radio Interview with Kathy Broady LCSW on KLIF 570 AM in North Texas.
12:30 pm — today!
Check it out! 
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Kathy Broady LCSW
December 19, 2008
Interviewing a new Therapist – Questions to Keep in Mind
Posted in DID Education, DID/MPD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, mental health, therapy, Therapy and Counseling, Trauma tagged Abuse, Approach to Therapy, Clinical, Communication, Conference, Conflict, Cult Abuse, Dangerous, DID Treatment, DID/MPD, Dissociation, dissociative, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Goal, Guideline, Healing, Healing Journey, Insider, Interview Process, Interview Question, Interviewing, Interviewing a new therapist, Kathy Broady, Memory Work, mental health, Mind Control, Opinion, Perspective, Policies, Proper Treatment, Qualified, Safe, Safety, Self Injury, Success, Survivor, Therapeutic Approach, Therapeutic Mismatch, Therapeutic Process, Therapist, therapy, Training, Trauma, Trauma Disorder, Trauma Specialist, Trauma Survivor, trauma therapist, Trauma-Related Issue, treatment, Treatment for DID / MPD, Treatment Goal, Trust, Valid License at 5:28 pm by Kathy Broady
It appears that several of the readers of this blog have gone through the wringer in terms of finding a good trauma therapist. When you are interviewing new therapists, in addition to clarifying that they have the skills and training it takes to provide proper treatment for your trauma issues, it is also important to ask about their approach to trauma work. Make sure their views match or blend with your own views, otherwise there will be conflicts ahead. There are a number of different approaches to trauma work – just as there are tons of different recipes for how to make a loaf of bread. It isn’t that one way is “THE” right way. You and/or the therapist may have very strong opinions for what works best, but the point that matters is if you agree with how your therapist approaches the issues with you.
For example, if someone said to me, “Help me get rid of all these pesky little parts that are irritating me. I want them totally gone and removed from my head.” Oh, well, you see… there are some therapists that would gladly approach therapy work with that goal in mind. I, on the other hand, would have a cow. A really big cow. If someone wanted me to help rid them of their insiders, I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it. I don’t agree with that approach, and just couldn’t be convinced to go there. In that case, this person and I would be a therapeutic mismatch. We would not be aiming for the same goal, so it would not be a good idea for us to work together.
Before you share very much of your personal system information, please take the time to interview the therapist very closely. You must be VERY sure of the safety of the therapist before you disclose about yourself on those deep levels. There are lots of great therapists out there. There are also lots of clowns claiming they are trauma specialists. They may not be dangerous people, but they can do a lot of harm by not actually knowing how to treat trauma-related issues. Please be aware, there are also “double agents” out there – people who claim to be a helping person, but are actually working to support the dark side. Interview all therapists very very closely to make sure you find someone who is both safe and qualified.
When interviewing new therapists, some of the important areas to consider are:
Direct Experience:
- How many years of experience do you have in working with trauma disorders?
- How many dissociative survivors have you met?
- How many survivors with dissociative identity disorder have you treated (as the primary clinician)?
- What percentage of your practice has been filled by clients with trauma-related issues?
- Do you have a web-site, any books, articles, or outside referral sources that can confirm your experience?
Education:
- Where did you first learn about trauma and dissociation?
- Who have you studied with, and/or who mentored or supervised your early years of trauma work?
- What conferences and training programs have you attended?
- What have you done to build and develop your expertise in the trauma field?
- Where do you go for help if you have a clinical question?
- Do you have a valid mental health license, and can you verify that your license is in good standing?
Approach:
- In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of trauma work?
- In your opinion, what do people need to do to process their trauma?
- In your opinion, how long does it take to work through trauma-related issues?
- What do you do if someone is stuck on a particular trauma-related issue?
- How do you manage issues related to self-injury?
- What are your office policies for emergency situations?
- What are your policies and guidelines for regular therapy sessions?
- If I need additional support between therapy sessions, what do you recommend?
- What do you think of “so and so’s” approach to therapy? (insert the names of your favorite trauma therapists or authors)
- What are your thoughts about ritualized abuse, cult abuse, and organized abuse?
Dissociative Specialty Questions:
- How do you define Dissociative Identity Disorder?
- In your words, what is involved in the treatment process for Dissociative Disorders?
- When do you approach trauma / memory work?
- In your opinion, when is a client not ready to do memory work?
- What are your beliefs / perspectives about who the alters are?
- Do you speak directly to insiders? Why, or why not?
- Do you prefer all communication to go directly through the host / adult / front part? Why, or why not?
- What kinds of homework will you expect my system to do outside of the therapy sessions?
- What are your beliefs and approaches to integration?
- How do you define “success” in terms of treatment goals for DID / MPD?
- Have you ever worked with mind control issues? If so, what do you do?
Of course, as you go through the interview process, be sure to ask clarifying questions about the answers you are being given. Any therapist that understands trauma disorders is going to understand why you need to check them out thoroughly. Needing time to build trust is obvious, and having the same theoretical foundation is critical.
These are not personal questions. Keep your questions focused on the type of work that will happen in the therapeutic environment, and not on the therapist as a person.
Before you get emotionally attached to a therapist, please make sure that their approach fits with how you want to proceed with your own therapy.
Your healing journey belongs to you. You get to decide how it will look, and what paths you will take. Working with a therapist that fits with what you want is critically important. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of precious healing time struggling with opposite or conflicting goals. The journey will go much smoother if you and your trusted therapist approach your healing process from the same wavelength.
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by:
Kathy Broady LCSW
December 13, 2008
Are Specialized Trauma Therapists Necessary?
Posted in DID Education, DID/MPD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, mental health, therapy, Therapy and Counseling, Trauma tagged Abuse, AbuseConsultants.com, Adjunct, Boundaries, Communication, Compassion, Consultation, Dallas TX, DID / MPD, Dissociative Disorder, dissociative disorders, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Distance Therapy, Dynamic, Effects of Trauma, Expert, Family Dynamic, Healing, Honest, Kathy Broady, Listening, Memory Work, Mental Health Professional, North Dallas, Online Therapy, Painful, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Safety, Self Harm, Support Group, SurvivorForum.com, Texas, Therapeutic Gain, Therapeutic Process, Therapist, therapy, Trauma, Trauma Bond, Trauma Disorder, Trauma Specialist, Trauma Survivor, trauma therapist, Traumatized, treatment, treatment for DID, Trust at 9:04 pm by Kathy Broady
I am writing this post in response to a question asked by BehindtheCouch.
BTC wrote, “do you think that a “trauma client” (ie one with PTSD or a dissociative disorder) should necessarily be treated by a specialised “trauma therapist” or, in your opinion, could any therapist who has the skills that you mention in your post do just as good a job with the client?”
This is a good question.
My first thought is yes, a client that has experienced a significant amount of abuse should (hopefully!) receive better therapeutic care from a trauma specialist. If you have the option to work with an experienced therapist who specializes in trauma disorders, snap up that opportunity as quickly as you can.
Trauma therapy is very much its own area of study, the same as with any other medical issue. In trauma work, the therapist must understand dynamics of traumatic relationships, trauma bonds, wide-ranging effects of trauma, layered complications of dissociative disorders, issues of external safety, self harm, system work, memory work, etc. There are dozens of issues specific to trauma disorders, with dissociative disorders being the most highly complex and requiring the greatest clinical skill. (Please see my article listing 50 Treatment Issues for Dissociative Identity Disorder.) The terms “trauma specialists” or “trauma therapists” imply these clinicians have invested significant chunks of time learning about trauma disorders. They should be more comfortable than the average therapist in terms of recognizing, understanding, and addressing the details of trauma work.
Please remember there are many areas of clinical expertise for mental health professionals. For example, I am licensed to provide clinical therapy for any area of my choosing, but in my 20+ years as a therapist, I have not worked with autistic children. However, I have worked with families with traumatized children who also have some very definite and particular needs. Sure, I could apply my basic, fundamental clinical skills with autistic children and their families, but once it became necessary to understand specifics related to autism, I would fail miserably. I would be scrambling for information, and fast! Even though I am a good trauma therapist, would these autistic children receive the same quality of clinical treatment with me as they would with a clinician that specialized with autism? I am quite sure they would not.
Who is a trauma therapist? For most clinicians, there are no regulatory boards that specify exact qualifications. Trauma therapists are self-proclaimed experts in the field, and clients are left hoping the professionals they are trusting are actually qualified to be specialists. Unfortunately, I have seen far too many problems caused by well-meaning professionals who simply did not know as much about trauma issues as they claimed. Their lack of understanding of trauma-related complexities, timing, processes, etc. caused significant harm, damage, and confusion.
On the other hand, finding a trauma specialist is difficult, and you simply might not have many therapists in your area that work with severe abuse issues. It is imperative that people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or any of the Dissociative Disorders receive treatment in order to heal from their traumatic experiences. If your only option is to work with a “general practitioner” instead of a specialist, then that is what you do. Good basic therapy is certainly better than no therapy at all.
Select therapists who are open-minded to the effects of trauma, honest about their limitations, and willing to learn more. As long as their clinical skills include active listening, deep understanding, gentle compassion, effective communication, recognition of family dynamics, emotional tolerance, clear boundaries, etc., you will be able to progress in your healing.
However, it will be highly important to augment your treatment with additional information. Read books, search online, get regular and ongoing consultations with trauma specialists, join trauma / DID support groups, attend conferences, consider online or distance therapy with a trauma therapist as an adjunct (secondary) therapist, etc.
Don’t assume that general therapists will learn enough on their own to get you through the most difficult and complex places in your healing. You will have to take charge of your own work. Make sure to do extra homework!
Your greatest therapeutic gains will be with a therapist you trust. Therapy is about you. It is your looking at your life, your history, your feelings, your reactions, your truths, your beliefs. When you feel safe enough to be totally and completely honest with yourself, you will be able to look at your painful wounds and all the resulting affects of the trauma. You will be able to bring down those dissociative walls that you built for safety and separation from “all the hard stuff”.
Pick a therapist you can connect with, build a solid foundation, and keep going from there. You’ll feel better for it.
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by:
Kathy Broady, LCSW
