Integration Work
Integration Work is at the heart of my services. I am trained in the groundbreaking "Step Behind the Curtain" process developed by Keith Redford in his decades-long quest to help his wife who suffered from multiple personality disorder.
A fragmented personality develops as a result of early childhood stress or trauma. To cope with the situation, the child's spirit splits into pieces designed to carry out specific tasks necessary for the child to get through the experience. The image below is a fairly simple diagram of the process that I will walk through in our first appointment. The most important aspect of it is that it shows that throughout the process, that none of the alters are lost, left out or disappear in the process. Multiple groups of alters are gradually combined until they are finally reunited with the host.
At the top of the diagram is the original spirit of the person. Once it fragments, it often develops pieces known as "task doers" and "emotion holders" - the task doers have the job of doing very specific tasks for the host. For instance, if the person in question is a married woman who is also a physician, she may have a task doer that has the job of being a wife, while another one is the physician, and the another one is the organizer, etc. Emotion holders help hold emotions - giving the task doers the freedom to perform their jobs without having to be bogged down by the burden of difficult emotions like anger, grief or rejection.
Every system (this is what the system of unique personalities found within a person is referred to) is unique. It is impossible to tell the level of division that has occurred within a person until we are able to get within the system and start speaking to the personalities or alters.
Not everyone with a fragmented personality will experience a complete switch of an identity when an alter shows up. Most often, the host will remain completely conscious during the situation while an alter takes the passenger seat and starts to drive the "vehicle" along with the host. Have you ever had a situation where you behaved in a way that surprised you or seemed out of character? It doesn't necessarily have to be in a negative way either. Maybe it could be an intensely stressful or demanding situation that you somehow mustered strength or energy you didn't know you had and somehow you made it through with flying colors.
Whatever your level of fragmentation, this process works for all of them - including the most severe cases of abuse or neglect. It is important to note that this isn't therapy and doesn't replace therapy. Therapy may still be necessary to help an individual develop the tools they need to successfully navigate life. The integration process, though, will help reduce or eliminate problems with self sabotage created by resistant alters and restore full agency to the host.
As we introduce light into the system and reduce negativity and darkness, we are able to get the alters to start to merge until we ultimately end up with two at the very end of the process. Then, during what we call the quickening process, we merge those final two into one complete being. All alters will finally be fully the body together and fthe person will finally be functioning in life as a whole, complete being. You will be surprised at how much more at peace and in control of your life you will feel after the process!
Who is Integration Work For?
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People with a history of childhood abuse or neglect
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People diagnosed with Dissociative Identity or Multiple Personality Disorder
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Anyone with an attachment style that is Anxious, Dismissive Avoidant, or Fearful Avoidant (Disorganized)
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Someone who suffers from ADHD, Anxiety, or Depression
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Someone who has been diagnosed with Bipolar
Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder
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Someone who struggles with people pleasing, boundaries, or is a workaholic or over-performer
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Someone who experiences mood swings, has lapses in memory, and/or often has struggles in relationships
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Someone who struggles with addiction of any kind