The Cost of Advocacy: Impacts of Societal Denial on Helping Professions

This session is not available for CE credit.

Abstract
The societal denial of dissociation not only impacts those struggling with symptoms of dissociation but has a major impact on clinicians as well. Mental health professionals routinely find themselves in positions of advocacy for those struggling with dissociation and this ongoing advocacy in the face of such denial comes at a cost. The intention of this workshop is to hold space for professionals to process the impact of this work and to engage in mindfulness based movement and art based activities designed to support the processing of vicarious trauma. Participants will engage in discussion around the ethics of advocacy and how that specifically applies to the societal denial of dissociation. Participants will engage in small group discussion as well as journaling exercises to build their self reflective capacity around how working with complex trauma has impacted their own ability to be mindfully present in their bodies.