Title: COMPLEX TRAUMA AND DISSOCIATION: Phenomenology, Etiology, and Diagnosis

Presenters: Marianna Thomas, MA, MFT & Kevin J. Connors, MS, MFT

Description: Clients with a history of chronic and complex interpersonal trauma often present with diverse clusters of symptoms, relational issues and dissociative defenses that confuse even seasoned clinicians. For example, these clients often meet criteria for depression, bi-polar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, as well as presenting with multiple addictions. 

With such a complex array of emotional and behavioral difficulties, it is no wonder that these clients are so often regarded as “difficult” clients. Marianna Thomas, MA, MFT and Kevin J. Connors, MS, MFT will outline a conceptual framework grounded in current research in neurobiology, attachment theory, and trauma-informed therapy to help attendees understand the dynamics arising from the interplay of complex trauma, dissociative defenses and post traumatic stress disorder. The speakers will also offer diagnostic measures to help confirm an accurate diagnosis.

Speaker Bios:

Marianna Thomas became licensed as a marriage and family therapist in 1982 after receiving her MA from Pepperdine University. She practices in Costa Mesa, where she founded the Living Success Center, a counseling center for people who can’t afford private-practice fees. Marianna began learning about complex trauma and dissociation more than 20 years ago when she worked at an agency called Voices. There, she led incest-recovery groups for more than a decade. This experience led her to the Orange County Chapter of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. This study group provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about this fascinating field. Throughout her career as a therapist, Marianna has continued to learn from her clients and colleagues about the effects of early trauma on human psychological development.

Kevin Connors is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Long Beach, California. Kevin is currently Vice President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). A member of ISSTD since 1986, he was twice president of the Orange County Chapter of the ISSTD and a founding member of the Western Clinical Conference on Trauma and Dissociation. He served as chair of that conference committee from 1990 to1997. He is liaison between the ISSTD and the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, which annually holds a conference on family violence and sexual assault. He serves as the chair of that conference’s Adult Survivors of Childhood Maltreatment Track and co-chair of the Intimate Partner Violence Offenders Track. Kevin is currently exploring the role of shame and powerlessness in clients with complex trauma and dissociative disorders, as well as investigating the prevalence of dissociation among both victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence.

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