Dissociation: What Is It and Why Does It Matter in Practice?

💡 How confident do you feel responding when a client dissociates mid-session?Dissociation is everywhere in our caseloads, yet so many practitioners feel unsure about what it actually is, how to assess for it, and how to safely respond in the room. In this episode of Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast, Dr Jodie Park and Rose Mackey strip away the jargon fog to talk about the gaps between what we see and what we know. We map out the 4 levels of dissociation, dive into the neurobiology of "dissociative collapse" and look at why it's a brilliant survival response. What you’ll learn:🧠 How to use Dan Siegel’s Window of Tolerance to guide your session pacing.❄️ 5 evidence-backed grounding strategies to use in a session.🚸 How to differentiate trauma-related dissociation in children from normal developmental play or sensory shutdowns.🤝 Why shifting from trauma-informed to trauma-and-violence-informed practice is the key to removing systemic shame for clients. As always, your own nervous system matters! Tune in to learn how to cultivate conditions of safety so your clients can find their way back. 🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to download our ambiguous loss printables over at our website! 👉 relationalpracticeasocialworkpodcast.com.auWe would love to hear from you! Send practice stories, comments and feedback to [email protected] Editing by Angus Pinkstone. Music by Hannah Park.