Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Therapy & Treatment in Dallas, TX & New Mexico
Integrate Your Parts. Heal Childhood Trauma. Live with Wholeness.
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Who is this service for?
This therapy service is for individuals experiencing the presence of two or more distinct identity states, dissociative amnesia, or feelings of depersonalization/derealization. It helps those struggling with internal conflict, time loss, flashbacks, or intense shame related to complex trauma. We support anyone ready to integrate their "parts" and achieve greater wholeness.
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Do you experience distinct "parts" or lost time? Is confusion or intense internal conflict part of your daily life? Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a powerful survival adaptation. It forms from severe childhood trauma. We understand. At Kairos Counseling, we create a safe space for every part of you to heal.
About Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Therapy & Treatment
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a complex survival adaptation. It typically forms in response to severe, repeated trauma experienced during childhood. In DID, different "parts" or "identity states" emerge. These parts hold distinct emotions, memories, or roles. They formed to protect the self when the world was overwhelmingly unsafe or unpredictable.
“You did what you had to do to survive—and now, healing means making space for every part of you to be safe, connected, and known.”
Understanding DID involves recognizing these protective adaptations. Key features of DID include:
- Presence of Two or More Identity States: These distinct parts may have their own patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
- Dissociative Amnesia: Gaps in memory about personal information or past events.
- Depersonalization/Derealization: Feelings of detachment from oneself or from reality.
- Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD): A related condition with less defined identity parts.
Individuals with DID may experience various symptoms. These symptoms reflect the internal struggles and the impact of past trauma:
- Identity Confusion or Time Loss: Feeling unsure of who you are or losing periods of time.
- Internal Conflict Between Parts: Disagreements or struggles among different internal parts.
- Flashbacks, Somatic Pain: Re-experiencing traumatic events or unexplained physical pain.
- Emotional Flooding or Numbness: Intense, overwhelming emotions or a complete lack of feeling.
- Shame and Fear of "Being Crazy": Deep feelings of shame or fear about their experiences.
How Does Kairos Counseling & Family Therapy DID Treatment Work?
At Kairos Counseling & Family Therapy, we provide highly specialized care for Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Our approach is deeply informed by research and clinical best practices. We understand that healing DID requires patience, safety, and an integrative approach that honors every part of you.
Our comprehensive treatment integrates powerful therapy models and modalities:
- Attachment Theory: This identifies early relational ruptures that necessitated dissociation as a survival strategy.
- Polyvagal Theory: We use this to understand and support your nervous system's defensive shutdown states. Polyvagal-informed somatic work supports reintegration. (Reference: Porges, 2011)
- Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB): This guides the integration of fragmented neural networks. It helps create a more cohesive sense of self.
- Ego State Therapy: This provides foundational "parts work." It allows for internal dialogue and harmony among your distinct identity states. (Reference: ISSTD, Knipe, 2018)
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) with Phased Approach: This supports trauma reprocessing while maintaining safety. Phase-based EMDR is a gold standard for DID. (Reference: ISSTD, Knipe, 2018)
- DeTUR: This specialized EMDR protocol may help "protector parts" manage urges or risky behaviors.
- Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT): This calms distressing affect quickly. It helps discharge stuck emotions.
- Sandtray and Art Therapy: These modalities give symbolic voice to parts that struggle to use words. They allow nonverbal engagement of parts. (Reference: Malchiodi, 2020)
- IASIS Micro Current Neurofeedback (MCN): This improves cognitive coherence and calm. It supports nervous system regulation.
- Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP): This helps build nervous system safety. It supports increased social engagement and felt connection.
Benefits of DID Therapy & Treatment
Through specialized DID therapy at Kairos Counseling, you can:
- Integrate Your Parts: Foster greater internal communication and collaboration among your identity states.
- Heal Childhood Trauma: Safely process and resolve the severe past trauma that led to dissociation.
- Reduce Dissociative Symptoms: Decrease experiences of amnesia, depersonalization, and derealization.
- Increase Stability: Find greater emotional regulation and reduce internal conflict.
- Gain Clarity: Understand your identity and experiences with less confusion and more coherence.
- Build Trust: Develop greater trust in yourself and your capacity for healthy relationships.
- Find Wholeness: Move towards a more integrated and peaceful way of living.
Getting Started
Ready to begin a journey of integration and healing from Dissociative Identity Disorder? We offer a Free 15-Minute Consultation. This is available via Telehealth or in-person. It's a great way to see if our specialized approach for DID therapy is the right fit for you.
Frequently asked questions
Don't let questions stop you from receiving the care you deserve!
Dissociative Identity Disorder develops as the brain's protective response to severe, recurring childhood trauma, typically occurring before age 9. This complex adaptation creates distinct identity states that serve specific protective functions, often accompanied by dissociative amnesia where significant personal memories become inaccessible. At Kairos Counseling, we recognize DID as the mind's brilliant solution to unbearable circumstances - not as a pathology, but as evidence of incredible resilience. The condition manifests through alternating states of consciousness, each holding different memories, emotional responses, and sometimes even physical characteristics, all developed to help the individual survive what would otherwise be overwhelming experiences.
Our therapeutic approach to Dissociative Identity Disorder follows the gold-standard three-phase model endorsed by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. The initial focus establishes critical safety measures, develops healthy coping mechanisms, and strengthens internal communication between identity states before any trauma processing begins. We prioritize creating a secure therapeutic alliance where all parts feel heard and valued, using ego state interventions to facilitate cooperative functioning. The middle phases carefully address traumatic memories only when sufficient stabilization exists, while later phases focus on identity integration and life skill development. This meticulous, phased approach ensures sustainable healing while minimizing the risk of retraumatization or therapeutic overwhelm.
Kairos Counseling employs a carefully coordinated blend of trauma therapies specifically adapted for dissociative systems. Our foundation combines EMDR therapy modified for structural dissociation with Internal Family Systems-informed parts work. We integrate neurobiological interventions including the Safe and Sound Protocol for auditory processing regulation and IASIS microcurrent neurofeedback to enhance neural plasticity. For nonverbal trauma material, we incorporate sensorimotor psychotherapy techniques and expressive arts modalities. Each intervention is carefully paced and titrated to maintain stability while gradually processing traumatic material. This multimodal approach addresses DID at all levels - neurological, emotional, cognitive, and relational - supporting the system's natural movement toward integration and coherence.
Effective DID therapy generally requires a longer-term commitment than single-incident PTSD treatment, typically spanning three to five years for comprehensive resolution. The initial stabilization phase alone often takes six to eighteen months before trauma processing can safely begin. Treatment duration depends on multiple factors including trauma severity, current life stability, attachment history, and access to support systems. Throughout the process, we maintain rigorous safety protocols including ongoing dissociative symptom monitoring, crisis planning, and regular assessment of therapeutic pacing. Our clinicians are trained to recognize and respond to signs of therapeutic overwhelm, adjusting interventions to maintain the delicate balance between processing and stability that optimal DID treatment requires.