Dissociation, Attachment, and the Mind's Genius for Survival

Dissociation is often misunderstood and heavily stigmatized. Yet from a nervous system perspective, it may be one of the most extraordinary ways the mind adapts to survive overwhelming experience. In this episode of Embodied Dialogues, Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, welcomes psychotherapist and author Sally Maslansky for a powerful conversation about Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D., formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder), attachment trauma, and the possibility of healing. In her thirties, Sally was diagnosed with DID and began therapy with renowned psychiatrist Dan Siegel, whose work in attachment and interpersonal neurobiology helped shape her path toward integration and recovery. Today, Sally is a therapist herself and the author of A Brilliant Adaptation, sharing her remarkable journey from fragmentation to wholeness. Jan’s Felt Sense Polyvagal Model draws, in part, on Dan Siegel’s attachment research, making this conversation a unique opportunity to explore how attachment, nervous system regulation, and dissociation intersect in trauma and addiction healing. Together, Jan and Sally explore: Dissociation as an intelligent survival strategy The role of attachment in fragmentation and healing What recovery and integration can truly look like How therapists can better understand and support dissociative experiences Through lived experience and clinical insight, this dialogue offers a compassionate reframe of one of the most misunderstood trauma adaptations. Join us for a conversation about the mind’s brilliance, the power of the therapeutic relationship, and the possibility of coming back into connection with oneself. Learn more about Sally at sallymaslansky.com. Join the next Embodied Dialogues live podcast recording at www.fspminstitute.com!