Working with perpetrator-imitating parts

Chronic childhood abuse leads to shame, guilt, self-loathing or hatred and isolation as an adult. It often results in re-victimization such as rape,  violent partner relationships, traumatic abortions,  difficulties sustaining lasting relationships and raising children. Dealing with the immense shame, guilt and rage is a challenge for all survivors of childhood traumatization. These feelings are most often directed towards self.  

Vehement emotions, self-destructive behaviours and sometimes seemingly deliberate undermining of the therapeutic relationship in the treatment of chronically traumatised clients tends to be a difficult task for many treating physicians. In most clients with a dissociative disorder, the rage -and often also the guilt, shame and helplessness - is ‘held’ by dissociative parts that resemble the original perpetrators (so-called ‘perpetrator-imitating parts’) and directed towards self ( other dissociative)  parts. These parts wield a great deal of power within the system. They are usually not well-oriented in the present, they are stuck in the past and they view the present through the lens of the past. Initially, they are very critical or suspicious of the treatment or the therapist. These parts of the personality may evoke strong countertransference feelings in treating therapists, especially fear, helplessness and even anger. Instead of avoiding these parts, both the therapist and the client must learn to understand them and develop compassion for them. Only then will it become possible to break the internal vicious circle of (often sadistic) punishment and self-destructive actions.  

In this presentation, the significance is explained of these dissociative parts and their behaviour within the overall system of the client. Methods are suggested for the therapist to make contact with these parts and to help the client as a whole to break the vicious circles of self-destructive behaviour.