It is a pleasure to have Joyanna L. Silberg, an international reference in psychological intervention in trauma with children and adolescents, in Spain soon. From 26th to 28th October in Pamplona, we will be able to learn from her about child dissociation. In this interview with Joyanna we will solve some frequent doubts related to this psychological phenomenon.

Joyanna L. Silberg, on the process of child dissociation

For many child therapists the subject of child dissociation is still a great unknown . It is true that we can hear about dissociation in adults, but it is difficult to find literature about it in the children’s world.

We understand that we cannot transfer the same concept of the adult world to children’s brains, since a characteristic of childhood is the lack of integration of experiences, which is facilitated by the adults who accompany the child, to the extent that they mentalize the child’s states and put words into them. And this is precisely what does not happen in traumatic environments or in families that are constantly suffering and disrupted.

The child’s pain cannot be seen and cannot be soothed; this prolonged discomfort must be digested by the child himself, who does not have the maturity to do so. For this reason, it is good to understand the basic mechanisms of child dissociation, which we will discuss below with Joyanna L. Silberg.

Jonathan García-Allen: What can precipitate a state of dissociation in a child?

Joyanna: Children who are in extreme terror and have no one to help them calm the overwhelming state of trauma can go into a state of dissociation.

Jonathan García-Allen: What relationship can there be between the child’s type of attachment and dissociation?

If a child does not have a parent who is consistent in promoting healthy attachment, that child will be more likely to deal with dissociation. Children with disorganized attachment, who live with situations in which they are unable to predict how their parents will react to them, are most likely to develop dissociation in order to adapt to that uncertainty.

Jonathan García-Allen: What are the differences between the dissociation of children and adults?

When adults use dissociation to cope with a traumatic situation, it is the result of a lifelong form of learned coping defense that solidifies and is difficult to break.

Children are growing and their minds are developing, and therefore when you help them manage the discomfort of a situation by staying connected to them and facilitating a state of presence, they can learn to cope without dissociating themselves. It is easier for them to learn or relearn and treatment is faster.

Jonathan García-Allen: Is there a population profile that is more prone to dissociative states?

It seems that children who are more prone to fantasy, who are easily involved in fantasy and are absorbed by their own imagination, are the most susceptible to developing it, as they use the escape to the mind in a way that is natural to them.

Jonathan García-Allen: There are different treatments to work with child dissociation. Which therapies have better results?

Children should learn that the healthiest way to achieve an integrated state of mind is to be able to achieve a complete self, in which the different states are part of the same self and work together. They learn this to the extent that they are helped to respect all their feelings and all their states. Children connect with these ideas easily and have an inner drive towards healing.

Disrupting dissociative pathways in children can prevent the terrible morbidity of dissociative disorders in adults. Working with dissociative children gives therapists a window into the incredible minds of children, and brings a sense of great respect for the way in which young children learn to survive in the face of all obstacles.

To know more

Joyanna L. Silberg will give a workshop on intervention in child dissociation in Spain, from 26 to 28 October in Pamplona.
This course, organized by the Vitaliza psychology office, will be translated into Spanish and can be done online thanks to its streaming.

  • To find out about the complete programme, you can access Vitaliza’s contact details and its website from the file on this link.