ABSTRACT
Specialist practitioners working with clients with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) typically place considerable importance on screening, assessment, and diagnosis and will sometimes repeat tests throughout therapy to see how clients are progressing. However, the most important reason for a strong focus on assessment and diagnosis relates to practitioners’ awareness of clients frequently receiving incorrect diagnoses. Kluft reported that the average length of time it takes for a client to receive a diagnosis of DID is just short of seven years. However, certain symptoms may come to light as therapy progresses, such as trance states and signs of regression. Inconsistencies in the client’s story may be one of the first signs that a client has DID. The assessment can be undertaken at the initial assessment and can be used to reassess clients at further pertinent stages of treatment. Diagnosis is achieved through an assessment of the constellation of symptoms.
