ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author aims to use the term dissociation and discusses qualitatively distinct types: it is pathological vs. non-pathological, in which detachment from unbearable memories of trauma is considered as a healthy and appropriate defence against fragmentation or compartmentalization. Distinctive of dissociations is the level of awareness and consciousness that is perceptive and offers penetrating relief in response to external cues to protect the internal world. Even an unhealthy dissociation is not a simple negation of the self, but a negation of the part of the self affected by the trauma and its memory. Dissociation, both healthy and unhealthy, the author considers the most important concept in working with traumatized people. She asserts that the two types of dissociation, a healthy dissociation, which is linked to resilience, and an unhealthy dissociation, which is indicative of vulnerability, are equally important in provision of therapy to people who have endured trauma.
