Dissociation and Internal Models of Protection: Psychotherapy With Child Abuse Survivors.

Thomas, Peter

doi:10.1037/0033-3204.42.1.20

Cited by 30 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Often, the reenactment calls for an effort to rescue a victim (Gieb and Simon 1994). These kinds of reenactments are also played out in therapy through transference and countertransference (Maltas and Shay 1995;Thomas 2005).…”

Section: Projective Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Affect Regulation in a Case of Attempted Maternal-Filicide Suicide: Commentary on an Act of Despair

Siegel

2007

Clin Soc Work J

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A case of attempted maternal-filial suicide is discussed from the perspective of trauma, emotional regulation and defense mechanisms. Case details which include childhood sexual abuse, observed parental violence and emotional neglect allow for an illustration of the impact of childhood family experiences on adult intimacy and coping patterns. Domestic violence and the perception of protection are also explored. Emotional regulation in the experience of despair is approached from an object relations perspective. Based on this, implications for prevention and treatment are presented.

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Section: Projective Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Affect Regulation in a Case of Attempted Maternal-Filicide Suicide: Commentary on an Act of Despair

Siegel

2007

Clin Soc Work J

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“…In some variations, clients visualize a protective figure intervening to prevent the abuse (Greenberg, 2002, pp. 216-217;Smucker & Dancu, 1999;Thomas, 2005); in others, clients protect themselves with the help of newly acquired resources (Krakauer, 2001;Schwartz, 1999). Clients and therapists clearly identify the exercises as fantasies.…”

Section: Commentary Section 79mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, they may invite clients to personify internal states that represent opposing sides of an inner conflict and imagine a dialogue between them (Schwartz, 1995;Watkins, 1993); the two-chair role-play technique for working with self-criticism is a well-known example (Elliott, Davis, & Slatick, 1998;Thomas, 2005). Clients generally access new information about one or both identity states and move towards resolution of the conflict (e.g., Clarke & Greenberg, 1986).…”

Section: Journal Of Forensic Psychology Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abuse survivors have difficulty setting limits in the context of significant relationships (Briere, 1992;Herman, 1997). I have argued elsewhere that this vulnerability can be understood as a failure to internalize adequate parental models of protection, with the result that survivors have difficulty standing their ground in the face of even relatively subtle social pressures, especially from people in positions of authority (Thomas, 2003(Thomas, , 2005. Imagery and altered state techniques encourage clients to relax conscious censoring activities, and clients using these techniques often report that they have experiences that seem to arise beyond their normal volitional control (as in the case example at the beginning of this article).…”

Section: The Uses Of Therapist Influencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…They will obtain informed consent for interventions (Pope & Brown, 1996) and actively support clients when they say no (Krakauer, 2001, pp. 109-114;Thomas, 2005). Aware that abuse survivors have difficulty standing their ground, they will pay close attention not only to clients' verbal agreement but also to their nonverbal signals (Thomas, 2005).…”

Section: Commentary Section 81mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Imagery and Altered States in the Treatment of Child Abuse Survivors: A Commentary on Therapist Influence

Thomas

2006

Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice

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Guided imagery, role-play, dramatic enactment, and similar techniques are widely used by psychotherapists in the treatment of child abuse survivors. These methods invite clients to enter an altered state in which they relax critical judgment and attend closely to internally generated sensory experience. Recently some researchers have criticized these interventions on the grounds that they may create false memories. This article surveys the variety of therapeutic goals served by altered state methods and justifies their use in the framework of an information-processing model of trauma and dissociation. The author places the controversy in the context of a larger issue-the misuse of therapist suggestion-and argues that respect for a client's experience, rather than specific procedures, ensures safety in the psychotherapy relationship.Peter M. Thomas, a Clinical Psychologist in private practice and a former faculty member of the University of Washington and Antioch University, has worked extensively with abuse victims and with offenders. He formulated a theoretical model of child abuse and the treatment of abuse survivors that emphasizes the development of skills in interpersonal protection. Dr. Thomas trained psychotherapists in Eastern Europe, Russia, and southern Africa, and his experiences in these cultures inform his views about trauma and human growth.

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Abused Children, Psychotherapy with

Barnard

2008

Encyclopedia of Special Education

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Dissociation and Internal Models of Protection: Psychotherapy With Child Abuse Survivors.

Cited by 30 publications

References 60 publications

The Role of Affect Regulation in a Case of Attempted Maternal-Filicide Suicide: Commentary on an Act of Despair

The Role of Affect Regulation in a Case of Attempted Maternal-Filicide Suicide: Commentary on an Act of Despair

Imagery and Altered States in the Treatment of Child Abuse Survivors: A Commentary on Therapist Influence

Abused Children, Psychotherapy with

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