Dissociation-informed assessment: Process-related guidance.

Abstract

Objective: There is a lack of training about how to recognize, assess, and treat trauma-related dissociation-a phenomenon that is prevalent in individuals with histories of complex trauma. This lack of training can cause mental health professionals to overlook dissociation, which can lead to underdetection, misdiagnosis, and possible prolonged suffering and misdirected treatment. Professionals seeking to improve their capacity to work effectively with clients with dissociation may face a paucity of training opportunities, particularly with respect to assessing trauma-related dissociation.

Method: This article provides process-level guidance for helpfully engaging clients who experience trauma-related dissociation, recognizing persistent dissociation, and noticing and managing dissociation as it arises during assessment.

Results: We emphasize the mental health professional's stance. We also review a variety of methods to detect and assess trauma-related dissociation, including behavioral observations and process-oriented questions and reflections, highlighting the complexity of dissociation-informed assessments, not only in treatment settings but also when these assessments are required for third-party evaluations.

Conclusions: We make a case for the vital importance of considering process-related issues not only in the treatment of dissociation but also in assessment. We argue that for best clinical assessment and treatment, training should emphasize collaborative rapport-building, professional reflexivity, and cultural responsiveness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).