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An examination of structural dissociation of the personality and the implications for cognitive behavioural therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2011

Simon Harper
Simon Harper*
Affiliation:
Maple House Business Centre, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK
*
*Author for correspondence: Mr S. Harper, Maple House Business Centre, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5JS, UK. (email: [email protected])
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Abstract

The aim of this review was to ascertain whether an examination of the theory of structural dissociation of the personality (TSDP) and its treatment may lead to recommendations in the treatment of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and other trauma-related disorders utilizing CBT. An analysis of the neurobiology of trauma will aid this process. The literature review considers a variety of literature on TSDP. Several themes were identified which suggested that dissociation refers to a structural dividedness of the personality and that there is a psychobiological pathway for all trauma-related disorders. Additionally the role of bottom-up vs. top-down processing was explored. Recommendations for the treatment of trauma-related disorders using CBT have been made.

Keywords

Bottom-up vs. top-down processingCBTDIDstructural dissociationtrauma
Type
Review
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 53 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2011

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References

Recommended follow-up reading

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