Dissociation is a common human experience most of us will experience at some point during our lives. However, for individuals who experience severe and/or ongoing childhood trauma, dissociation can become an ingenious, if somewhat limited, coping strategy, that if not recognised and managed, can develop into potentially severe mental health conditions (including DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder) later in life. There is increasing awareness in our community of the prevalence of childhood trauma, yet the mental health sector has been slow to recognise the prevalence, and diagnosis, of dissociative conditions. This presentation, by 2 individuals with lived experience of dissociation, and experience working in the mental health sector, will help you to better understand this experience, and how to assist people who dissociate.

- Overview of dissociation & dissociative disorders
- How dissociative disorders can manifest
- Link with childhood trauma & abuse (including Ritual Abuse)
- Key differences from other conditions
- How it feels to have a dissociative disorder
- Suggestions to support clients who experience dissociation
- What helps
- What doesn't help
- The value of creative therapies
- Crisis management
- Importance of ongoing self-care
- Advanced care planning
- Grounding
- Where to find out more

Sonia Neale, who has a recovered lived experience of BPD, is the recipient of the inaugural Barbara Hocking SANE Australia Fellowship 2014. Her application was based solely on creating new BPD services and programmes for Australia. She travelled to the UK, USA and Canada to study and research BPD specific programmes, services and organisations.
In England she visited The Haven Project, a BPD dedicated therapeutic community, non-clinical, service user driven, crisis/safe house, funded as an alternative to emergency department presentation, with easy access, 24/7 staff and crisis line and a taxi voucher transport system. She also visited BPD consumer and carer support groups in the USA and Canada. On her return to WA, she has started up the first peer facilitated BPD consumer support group through Uniting Care West, Perth, and is currently working with the Mental Illness Fellowship of WA to bring the Haven model to WA.
Her aim is to present the findings of her SANE Fellowship Study Tour so people will understand that there are effective and workable overseas BPD specific, non-medical programmes, services and organisations. Her mission is to recreate these services within Australia to help people with BPD find the help, support and treatment they deserve.

Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) is typically chronic and pervades every aspect of an individual’s life, regardless of occupation and attempts to control it. A brief Google search was conducted using the terms ‘trichotillomania’ with Australian cities and states to ascertain the availability of specialist psychological treatment for trichotillomania in Australia as the internet is likely to be the first tool individuals with trichotillomania will use in seeking help. Further, the scientific literature regarding: the fluctuation of symptoms; sub types; psychological models; and psychological treatments was reviewed. In Australia two support groups were found, along with an annual weekend retreat, internet support groups are easily accessible and identified. The Australian Clinical Psychology Association website listed 79 psychologists who provide treatment for trichotillomania. Yet there are approximately 231,300 individuals who experience trichotillomania in Australia. Only two published articles discussing trichotillomania were found that originate from Australia. The fluctuation of symptoms often used to describe trichotillomania needs to be contextualised. Research on focused and automatic hair pulling subtypes high light the need for to clinician’s to be aware of increasing shame and depression as clients become more knowable about their behaviours. Psychological models of trichotillomania require integration of advances in understanding trichotillomania.