A Couple of Multiples: The Reality of Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder
There’s never a dull moment for hosts, Drew and Garden System, who are a couple that have both been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. While they are navigating their healing journey, they continue to manage full time careers, raise four teenagers and a house full of pets. Not only do they aim to speak to people who have lived experience with DID and their supporters, but also therapists and anyone who wants to learn more. The podcast talks about Dissociative Identity Disorder in a way that someone who knows nothing about DID will be able to understand, and at the same time is designed to be a resource for therapists, while supporting and validating those with lived experience. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis that has been subject to many myths and misinformation over the years. These myths, along with highly-sensationalized media portrayals, have led to many who still believe this disorder is not real and simply created by therapists who impose themselves on highly suggestible clients. The goal of the podcast is to dispel these myths and educate the world at large the truth about Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the reality of what having this diagnosis really looks like. The brain had to find a unique way to cope in order to survive the trauma people with DID faced from a very young age. Also, this condition is not rare, although many reputable sources still cite it as such. People with DID are ordinary members in your community that you might encounter in your daily life. Drew and Garden System want to shed light on the challenging symptoms people with DID face and share how they have overcome those challenges and found the gifts of joy that all of their parts bring to each other.
A Couple of Multiples: The Reality of Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder
Playing with Sand Tray Therapy When You Have DID: An Interview with Dr. Elisa Niles Thorne
Drew & Garden System have a playful conversation about the benefits of sand tray therapy for those living with dissociative disorders with Dr. Elisa Niles Thorne (Dr, E). Topics include how sand tray can enhance internal communication between dissociative selves, how it can help nonverbal selves communicate, and how it can be used to process complex experiences. Whether you are a therapist or a client living with a dissociative disorder, you can learn so much from Dr. E's knowledge about the sand tray.
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Dr. E is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida. She is a Board Certified Counselor and a qualified supervisor for mental health interns and marriage and family therapist interns. Dr. E is a recipient of the National Board of Certified Counselor- Minority Fellowship Program (2016). She completed her education at the University of the Virgin Islands 2002, 2005 and Argosy University in 2009. She completed her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University. Her dissertation examined the Impact of Trauma on Re-occurring Homelessness in the U. S. Virgin Islands.
Her Specializations include: Christian Counseling; Clinical Supervision; Dissociative Disorders; Play Therapy; Trauma/Complex Trauma; and Women Issues
She has presented at local, state, and national conferences. She is now a published contributing author in the textbook: Fazio-Griffith, L. J., & Marino, R. (Eds.). (2021). Techniques and Interventions for Play Therapy and Clinical Supervision. IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-4628-4
Dr. E currently works as an associate professor at Hodges University in Fort Myers, Florida. She is the Founder and Owner of SoundMind Counseling and Consulting Services, LLC.
Dr. E hails from the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, and has also lived in Jamaica and Antigua.
Sand Tray Training Resources:
Florida Sandplay Therapy Association
Southern Sandtray Institute
Free Online Sand Tray by Dr. Karen Fried
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