ABSTRACT
Neuroscientific evidence and infant research are reshaping understanding of what it means to be in relationship with clients. The effect of trauma on consciousness results in the disruption of a person's sense of continuity by retarding the linking of self-states in the course of development. Throughout the literature the terms splitting and dissociation are often used interchangeably and represent a range of meanings depending on one's theoretical frame of reference. One way to conceptualize splitting and dissociative process is to think about the psyche as being organized into relatively integrated or disconnected self-states. The art of verbally reflecting what the people notice when they see dissociative splits or fractures unfold within the clinical hour must be done in a caring, gentle, non-judgmental fashion. Speaking to the splits is a doorway into understanding how to heal and integrate dissociated parts of the personality that can be accessed through symbolic representations.
