Treating Dissociation: What Works, What Gets Missed, and What Needs to Change

✨ Episode SummaryWhat happens when the people who live with dissociation and the people who treat it finally sit at the same table—and actually listen to each other?In this deeply human conversation, we sit down with Dr. Paul Langthorne and Melanie Goodwin, two of the editors and contributing authors of a powerful new clinical text on treating dissociation—bringing together lived experience, clinical expertise, and something often missing from both: real relationship.This episode is for systems, clinicians, and anyone who has grappled with the tension inherent in complex dissociation care.There’s honesty here.There’s grief here.And something else too—quiet, persistent hope.This is one of those conversations that stays with you.👥 About the GuestsDr. Paul LangthorneClinical Psychologist (NHS), working extensively with trauma-related dissociationMelanie GoodwinExpert-by-experience, co-founder of First Person Plural, and long-time advocate for improved careTogether, they helped create a resource that bridges a gap many people have felt for a long time.📚 Featured Resource BOOK: Working with Dissociation in Clinical Practice: Guidance for Mental Health Professionals and Multidisciplinary TeamsA long-overdue bridge between research, real life, and the care people actually receive..* Blends clinical knowledge + lived experience* Offers practical, grounded guidance* Designed for providers, systems, and supporters✨ Use code: 26ESE1 by June 30th for 20% offWorking with Dissociation in Clinical Practice: Routledge ⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – “Something is missing in how we treat dissociation…”Why this conversation matters more than most—and who it’s really for07:30 – “I thought I was helping… and I wasn’t.”The quiet reality: most clinicians were never trained for this18:30 – Head and heart—and what happens when they finally meet each otherWhy lived experience changes everything (and why it’s been left out)32:00 – “They saw everything… except what was actually happening.”Misdiagnosis, being unseen, and the harm that follows48:00 – It’s not the technique—it’s the relationshipWhat actually helps (and why that can feel risky in systems that want quick fixes)1:05:00 – What if healing isn’t what you were told it would be?Stabilization, daily reality, and a kind of hope that doesn’t rush you1:20:00 – If the system is broken… what now?What needs to change—and how this book begins to open that door🌿 What You’ll Hear in This Episode * Why dissociation is still so often missed, misdiagnosed, or dismissed* The quiet harm of treatment that doesn’t fit—and how often it happens* What actually helps (hint: not just technique… but relationship)* How validation—even in small moments—can shift everything* Why collaboration between clinicians and lived experience isn’t optional—it’s essential💬 A Line That Stays With You“It’s not the clever stuff—it’s the everyday human stuff that helps.”🧠 For Providers You don’t have to get everything right.But being willing to:* step into authenticity* compassionately listen* genuinely validate* stay curious…can change the trajectory of someone’s life more than you may ever know.🫶 For Systems If you’ve ever been:* misdiagnosed* disbelieved* told to “try harder”* or made to feel like the problemThis conversation might feel familiar.And maybe—just maybe—a little less lonely.🔗 ResourcesWorking with Dissociation in Clinical Practice: Routledge Books Use code: 26ESE1 by June 30th for 20% offConference: Building Foundations Together: The Future of Complex Dissociation in the UK. Playlist: (16677) Dissociation Conference Recordings - YouTubeTraining film Remy Aquarone, Melanie Goodwin and Jamie Wright More Resources:CTAD Clinic YoutubeDissociative Disorders Alliance- UKCarolyn SpringHealingMyParts.orgAn Infinite MindA Couple of MultiplesBeauty After BruisesThe Plural AssociationMultiplied By OneFor more resources visit: healingmyparts.orgHealing My Parts Substack@healingmyparts on InstagramThank you for listening! 🩷🫶💜 Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe