CBD 2024: Dissociation in the World of Mindfulness: What are the Hurdles, Benefits, and Cautions with Christine Forner, MSW, RSW

It has been well established that therapeutic mindfulness practices are connected to benefits such as lower stress responses, greater awareness, and better regulation abilities, leading many to recommend mindfulness to everyone who experiences mental, emotional, and physical distress. Dissociation, on the other hand, is best understood as a mental health concern, ranging from moderately impairing to severely impairing, and is synonymous with high stress responses, less awareness, and difficulty with regulation. This has led many to assume that those who dissociate would be best assisted by learning to meditate. Dissociation is a neurobiological emergency cascade response to life-threat, and is an automatic, instinctual, and therefore extremely powerful, way for humans to protect themselves via neurochemical and neuroelectrical reactions. Prolonged dissociation, in essence, is a protective barrier to excruciating pain, both physical and psychological. Mindfulness is also a powerful neurobiological human trait connected to safety and security. It is, in so many ways, the opposite and rival state to dissociation. Discernment, caution, and sensitivity must be considered when introducing mindfulness to those who experience chronic dissociation. In addition to this lecture, Christine Forner is teaching a workshop on Nov. 2 titled Mindfulness, Dissociation, and Securefulness. You are welcome to attend both or one of the Summit sessions taught by Christine Forner.

Christine Forner, MSW, RSW, has over thirty-five years of experience in applying her specialties in traumatic dissociation and developmental trauma in work with individuals who have been inflicted with traumatic stress because of coercive control, domestic violence, sexual violence, and neglect. Christine is the foremost expert on the relationship between dissociation and mindfulness and how these two areas of human functioning inform us of the role that misogyny and the patriarchy play in the origination and perpetuation of complex trauma, dissociation, and the many layers of psychopathy. Christine is the author of Dissociation, Mindfulness and Creative Meditations: Trauma informed practices to facilitate growth (Routledge, 2017). She is also co-founder of concepts of Securefulness, Primal Isolation Anguish and Inside the Fire Circle. She was the President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation in 2019. Obtaining degrees in both Women’s Studies and Social Work, Christine also trained in EMDR and Havening and is certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Christine teaches nationally and internationally on dissociation and complex trauma. Her other passion is doing half and full-distance triathlons.

CBD 2024: Dissociation in the World of Mindfulness: What are the Hurdles, Benefits, and Cautions with Christine Forner is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 23 – Nov. 3, 2024.

The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.

Registration opens Sept. 19, 2024.