ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews interventions that begin the EDUCATE sequence of therapeutic steps, which include the E, “Educate”, and D, “Dissociation Motivation.” Key psychoeducational principles that teach children how to understand dissociation serve as a foundation for the remaining work. Five key principles of psychoeducation include: 1) Trauma causes disconnections of the mind; 2) The healthy mind has the most connections; 3) The whole self must work together; 4) Voices are feelings, reminders, or signals; and 5) No part of the self can be ignored. In order to motivate the child or teen for treatment (the D—Dissociation Motivation in the EDUCATE model), it is important to enlist their sense of hope about the future, while simultaneously being realistic about the ultimate consequences of repeating destructive or unsafe behavior. Clearly confronting the ongoing need for dissociation by developing a “pro-con” list may help the adolescent client become more motivated for treatment. The therapist and family must require the child or teen to begin to take personal responsibility for their own behavior, thus reinforcing the concept of the unity of the self from the very beginning. The child survivor may be unable to dispense with dissociation if still exposed to maltreatment or more subtle binds in the environment. Therefore, a careful analysis of barriers to dispensing with dissociation will need to become part of the treatment.
