JOYANNA SILBERG, Ph.D.
PAST PRESENTATIONS
Online Training: The Impact of Social Media on Dissociative Youth
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: December 5, 2022 / Login to Zoom 8:30 am ; Training 8:45 am-4:15 pm (EST)
Where: Online (Zoom)
Cost: $179, 6 CEUs
As online groups for dissociative identity disorders have proliferated and media portrayals in movies have features of characters with “inside parts,” familiarity with dissociation portrayals in their environment may influence young people to imitate or internalize these phenomena. For the careful diagnostician, trained to look for chronic and severe early developmental trauma, it can be very confusing when trying to unravel the cultural influences and the traumagenic influences that lead to severe dissociative presentations.
In this workshop, the presenter, an expert in dissociation in youth, will help to parse the various dissociative symptoms that may present themselves in young people to assist with diagnostic accuracy. The theoretical model presented will emphasize the interaction of both trauma-related factors and cultural and interpersonal influences to help understand individual clients. Through case histories, and presentation of some of the evolving phenomena related to dissociation in the self-help world (such as “fictives,” or internalized media characters) the participants will learn how to assess dissociation in youth and learn to enter the client’s own unique dissociative world to move them towards healthier functioning. The workshop will address the question of whether alternate views of the self can be a normative variant or whether our understanding of conventional “health” is the goal for children and adolescents.
The Assessment and Treatment of Dissociation in Traumatized Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: April 11-12 (3-7pm) and May 4-5 (3-7pm)
Where: hosted in Turin, Italy (online webinar)
This 2 day presentation delivered in four parts will introduce a developmental understanding of dissociation and describe how early symptoms of trauma and dissociation are manifest in young children and adolescents. The first section will emphasize theory with an introduction to the Affect Avoidance Theory of Dissociation. The second topic to be covered will be how to assess childhood and adolescent dissociation using existing tools and careful interview. In the third section a treatment model will be presented that moves logically through education about trauma symptoms through teaching affect regulation and mastering traumatic memories. Children's artwork and writings will be presented that help to illustrate the impaired sense of identity that traumatized children may experience. Case presentations and videos will enrich the didactic content. The presenter will introduce ways of communicating even to young children that will help them understand the effects of trauma and how to use skills to overcome the disabling effects of their experiences. In the final section of the course participants will have opportunities to learn about complex management issues and to share case questions. Also included will be a discussion of the effect of online commercial exploitation of children, and how to work with families to rebuild attachment after trauma.
Memory and Amnesia among Traumatized Children
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: February 21, 2022
Where: Italy
In this presentation, Dr. Silberg will review current developmental research on memory processes in children, and then highlight what is known about memory among traumatized children. The lecture will cover first minor problems in memory and then discuss children who have total amnesia for their own behavior or for traumatic events. These highly dissociative children may engage in actions particularly violent ones, for which they have limited ability to recall. A view of memory as on a continuum will be discussed so that participants understand memory as a fluid and constructive phenomenon. Dr. Silberg will discuss the most serious amnestic issues faced by the most dissociative children and how to address these. The importance of motivating the young person both with outside incentives and internal motivations will be discussed, as well as how to help youth access previously unaccessible memories through various mental exercises. These techniques include "listening in", becoming a detective about one's own life through context clues, destigmatizing feelings of shame, and families working together to support children's memory. The difference between autobiographical memory and traumatic memory will be highlighted.
Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to describe how memory works on a continuum, and there is always a capacity to access what has been previously inaccessible.
2. Participants will be able to describe how to avoid power struggles with young people who claim to have no memory for their own aggressive behavior.
3. Participants will be able to describe how to set up both external motivations and internal motivations to assist with recall of autobiographical memory.
4. Participants will be able to list four techniques for helping severely traumatized young people to access autobiographical memory.
Learning points:
1. There are mixed research findings regarding the association between trauma and memory.
2. There are a variety of cognitive theories that can explain amnesia, but "motivated forgetting" is a helpful theory.
2. There is a subsection of severely traumatized, dissociative children with extreme deficits in autobiographical memory.
3. The restoration of memory requires both extrinsic and intrinsic reinforcement and incentives.
4. There is an important clinical distinction between autobiographical memory and traumatic memory, and restoration of autobiographical memory is essential for functioning.
5. There are a variety of techniques to help dissociative youth access autobiographical memory.
6. It is important never to shame or stigmatize to the child for the feelings associated with unremembered actions.
7. The young person can come to use notebooks, and interviewing strategies to try to reconstruct behavior they cannot access.
8. The young person can be taught to "listen in" or "shine a flashlight:" on previously hidden parts of their memory.
9. Engaging the family to assist the young person is an essential strategy.
10. Overly punitive approaches can backfire. Consequences can be logical and no punitive.
11. Autobiographical memory can be restored in dissociative children.
12. The accessing of traumatic memory must wait for the child's therapeutic readiness, solidification of attachment, and ability to avoid triggering.
14. Global forgetfulness may occur among traumatized children as a result of constantly practicing "pushing out" painful information from consciousness.
Online Training
Navigating Life with COVID-19 Stress: Creative Ways to Foster Family Resilience
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD and Dahlia Rifkin, MA, LPC, BC-DMT
When: Friday, October 15 (8:45 AM - 4:15 PM EDT)
Cost: 6 CEUs | $169
In this workshop, the presenters will discuss how the trauma of the global pandemic affected and continues to affect children, families, schools, and professionals, and what to expect as families and children transition to this new academic year with ongoing COVID-19 stress. Research tells us that creative activities help coping following community disasters, and in this workshop we will present some creative interventions using movement and visual arts to foster expression of feelings and build family and community cohesion.
Grieving for what was lost continues as the world starts to return to a new normal. We will discuss how to process reactions of grief, anxiety, fear, and depression, as children, teens, and families begin to transition to this new academic year.
Interventions will focus on helping children, families, schools, and mental health professionals understand what they HAVE, who they ARE, and what they CAN DO. Telling narratives that involve highlighting mastery and self-efficacy will be discussed.
This workshop is appropriate for therapists working with adults, families or children and for school personnel who will be interacting with children as they return to school.
From A to Z: The Course of Treatment with 3 Traumatized Youth
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: Fall 2021
This seminar will describe in-depth the full treatment of two contrasting clients with symptoms of complex post traumatic stress and dissociation. Key sessions where major breakthoughs occurred will be highlighted, and the method of continuing goal assessment to see how to address ongoing needs of the client. Discussion of issues in incest cases as well as survivor of organized abuse will be addressed. Dr. Silberg will describe her EDUCATE sequence for addressing dissociation in children and teens. Participants will be able to apply key concepts learned in this class to their own caseloads to identity where they are in treatment and what goals to address.
Insights from Work with a Cohort of Child Victims of Organized Abuse
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: April 11, 2021 (10:00 AM – 11:30 AM)
Where: Zoom Webinar
In this presentation, Dr. Silberg will review her therapeutic work with a cohort of children who have been victims of organized abuse. She will describe the symptom presentation and how the abusers accessed the victims. She will describe key principles that she utilized in this work including emphasis on past vs. present, dealing with compulsive behaviors, handling attachment dilemmas, handling extreme confusion about beliefs and identity, and techniques for work with the unusual self-states that presented. She will address the question of how to best characterize this population and the ways that their therapy may differ from therapy with other dissociative children and teens.
XFiles Series: Complex Clinical Cases with Children
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: April 16, 2021 (12PM-2:15PM ET)
Where: Zoom Webinar
Join us for this unique and extraordinary series where you can watch and learn from some of the best experts and master teachers in the field as they navigate through some of their most complicated child cases. You will be exposed to multiple theoretical frameworks and ways of looking at the clinical landscape of children with complex clinical presentations. What theories and what approaches guided their clinical decision making and case conceptualization as well as the treatment strategies they used that proved effective will be presented. These master clinicians will share with us the dilemmas and intricacies they faced and how they resolved them as well as what they discovered from working with these cases that we all can learn from and utilize. A one-of-a-kind Online experience that students and practitioners should attend. This is an incredible opportunity to dive into the heart of clinical practice accompanied by some of the very best!
THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC SOCIETY OF GREATER WASHINGTON: The Impact of Pandemic on the Mental Health of Children
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: March 24, 2021 (7PM ET)
Where: Zoom Webinar
This presentation will review current research and clinical observations about how the pandemic has effected the mental health of children. We will discuss anxiety, depression, hopelessness, somatic symptoms, separation anxiety, agoraphobia, sleep disorders, loneliness, family conflict, interpersonal violence and other mental health implications of
our current environment. Emphasis will be placed on resiliency factors in children and families, and some therapeutic ideas that can be initiated on telehealth will be discussed.
Treatment of Dissociative Children: The Complex Challenges of Treating Child and Adolescent Dissociation
Presenters: Frances Waters, DCSW, LMSW, LMFT and Joy Silberg, PhD
When: February 17, 2021 (9:00 AM PST to 3:00 PM PST)
Where: Zoom Webinar links will be sent via email
During this 6 hour 2 day workshops, the presenters, leaders in the field of dissociation will describe some of the unique challenges presented by these difficult clients.
Issues will include, dangerous aggression against family members, life-threatening eating disorders, therapy resistance or refusal, self-harming behaviors, enuresis and encopresis, uncontrolled switching, psuedoseizures and conversion disorders.
The presenters will address the current challenges in families homebound during this pandemic and using telehelath interventions. The use of virtual sand tray interventions and puppet shows using small finger puppets that are visible on zoom will be demonstrated.
Opportunities will be provided for case consultation at the end of the workshop, and some group work among participants.
This program is geared to clinicians with basic knowledge of child trauma and dissociation.
What to Do Now? How to Overcome Resistance in Treatment of Dissociative Children
Presenters: Frances Waters, MSW, DCSW, LMSW, LMFT and Joy Silberg, PhD
When: March 15, 2020 (1:30 PM - 5:00 PM)
Where: Cathedral Hill, San Francisco
One of the biggest factors to successful treatment of children with disruptive behaviors and intense emotions is how to overcome resistance to treatment. Resistance is natural when change is required. Yet, underlying resistance is a fear of change and of the unknown that accompanies change. In particular, treating traumatized and dissociative children is an even more delicate and challenging process given the unique dynamics related to the child’s heightened sense of fear, the child’s often chaotic internal system and stress on the family environment. Therefore, a critical goal for the therapist is to be a master of overcoming resistance with children and their parents because that is often a primary cause for treatment failure
This workshop will examine five main factors that can influence resistance in treatment of dissociative children and adolescents: how safe the child feels in therapeutic relationship, how safe the child’s internal system feels toward one another and toward the therapist; how safe the child feels in his/her own environment, and contingent upon that is how open or resistant the parents are to receiving treatment for their own histories of trauma that interfere in the child’s safety, and finally, how the therapist manages countertransferences to resistance. These obstacles can be narrowed down to emphasizing the goal of healing that can help to mitigate resistances. Many effective interventions and creative solutions will be described throughout the therapeutic process with case examples that will help to overcome the different levels of resistance and emphasize the goal of healing at criticial junctures. Artwork and clinical videotapes will illustrate these points.
Where to start first? Treating dissociative youth with high rate of comorbidity
Presenters: Frances Waters, MSW, DCSW, LMSW, LMFT, Joy Silberg, PhD, Adrian Stierum, MD
When: March 16, 2020 (1:30 PM - 6:00 PM)
Where: Mission, San Francisco
Dissociative children and adolescents often present with a plethora of comorbid symptoms that can cause severe impairment in attention, relationships, school adjustment, and self-control. Some disturbing behaviors, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and destructive, suicidal or homicidal behaviors, can be very dangerous and often difficult to manage. These behaviors can take center stage in the treatment trajectory and be very resistant to typical interventions. Often, these children’s placements are disrupted, and they cycle through residential, psychiatric hospitals, foster and adoptive homes with little improvement. Increased dosages and varied medications are prescribed with little efficacy.
This workshop will describe when and how to target these disturbing and resistant symptoms while exploring dissociative mechanisms that are driving the symptoms. Examining internal dynamics of often hidden states, origin of past, unresolved traumas and environmental stressors that contribute and perpetuate these symptoms will be discussed. Creative Intervention strategies that uncover and treat these symptoms will be described. A careful analysis of the use of medications that targets the most disruptive symptoms with consideration of internal and external dynamics impacting the behaviors, and how to administer them safely will be described. Clinical vignettes, artwork, and videos will illustrate the process of treatment.
Social Justice for Victims of Internet Child Pornography: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Presenters: Joy Silberg, PhD, James Marsh, Esq, Kathleen Faller, David Corwin
When: March 25, 2020
Where: Huntsville, Alabama
This presentation will provide data on characteristics of internet child pornography, its impact on victims and their families, legal interventions, treatment models, and innovative interventions.
Dr. Silberg will present her research on a cohort of 70 victims of child pornography with video clips of children's disclosures and the overwhelming community denial that followed these disclosures.
Creative Movement Interventions for Traumatized Families
Presenters: Joy Silberg, PhD, Dahlia Silberg, MA, LPC, BC-DMT
When: April 29, 2020 (8:15 AM - 8:45 AM; Training 8:45 AM - 4:00 PM)
Cost: $169.00
Where: Woodholme Country Club, 300 Woodholme Ave., Pikesville, MD
In this experiential all-day workshop the presenters will demonstrate with audience participation various creative movement interventions that can be used with families that have experienced trauma. These interventions allow clients to embody in action, dance, and psychodrama healing metaphors of therapeutic change. The didactic portion of the program will review neurobiological theories on how trauma affects initiative, motor movements, sensation, proprioception, and somatic experiences in families and discuss why creative movement interventions aimed at the whole body’s experience of trauma can be particularly helpful in healing. The participants will have an opportunity to create a movement intervention for a ”stuck” family in their practice by applying principles learned in the workshop. Issues such as dissociative responses, rage reactions, misattunement, cognitive distortions, and emotional dysregualtion will be addressed and creative exercises that target these issues will be demonstrated. At the end of the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to use these interventions to work on their own vicarious trauma and to deal with any self-critical cognitions that can interfere with their therapeutic effectiveness.
Assessment and Treatment of Complex Trauma and Dissociation in Children and Teens
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: May 16-17, 2020
Where: Glasgow, Scotland
Sponsored by TTIS, Trauma Training In Scotland
Joyanna Silberg is a clinical child psychologist in private practice who is also the President of the Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence. Her psychotherapy practice specializes in children and adolescents suffering from dissociative symptoms and disorders, and her forensic practice specializes in child sexual abuse.
In this two-day workshop, Dr Silberg will cover the highlights of her EDUCATE model which takes young clients through a systematic sequence of steps that leads to healing from severe trauma and dissociation. Theoretical points will directly relate to interventions so that the participants can understand how theory directly leads to the choice of interventions.
The workshop will include active demonstrations of therapeutic techniques such as the “time machine method”, “thank you note” exercises, and creating “mixed feeling charts”.
Special emphasis will be placed on how to assess progress and stuck moments in therapy and how to prioritize interventions at any given time. When is a family session important? When is it important to find the traumatic source of a trigger? When is it appropriate to uncover hidden trauma? When working with traumatized youth it often feels like there is so much to be done, and difficult to know where the key points of intervention are. Dr Silberg will address how to assess the most important areas to address as treatment progresses.
There will be an opportunity for participants to present case material and utilize material presented in the workshop to problem solve new solutions.
Trauma-Informed Parenting & Custody Examinations
Presenters: Philip J. Kinsler, PhD and Joy Silberg, PhD
CE credits: 3
Live webcast and on-site workshop fees: Member: $65; Non-member: $80
Psychologists working in family court matters often have to assess and manage disputes where issues of psychological trauma are central to the cases. Issues of possible child sexual and/or physical abuse and/or domestic violence arise repeatedly. Issues such as alleged "parental alienation" or "high conflict parenting" are placed before courts with little attention to the evidence-based trauma literature. The presenters will first discuss the evidentiary base for some common trauma myths… Are children easily coached to claim sexual abuse when there has not been any? Are children easily subject to misinformation and leading questions by child abuse interviewers? Are children able to remember abusive events, and at what ages? Is child sexual abuse actually traumatic and harmful? An enormous body of experimental and clinical literature has developed on these questions, which the workshop will review. This workshop presents how this evidence base is reflected in the formal guidelines for child custody evaluations, for evaluations in child protection matters, and in the guidelines developed for evaluation of cases involving psychological trauma. The presenters will specifically attend to allegations of parental alienation or high conflict parenting, and discuss the effects of such charges on children and families.
This workshop is designed to help you:
1) Comprehend and incorporate child-abuse research into your work.
2) Comprehend and incorporate up-to-date findings on child suggestibility in interview situations into their your and reports.
3) Gain awareness of proper protocols for interviewing children about possible child abuse.
PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER 2013 SYMPOSIUM
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
There are few clinical experiences as disconcerting and heartbreaking as sitting with a traumatized child experiencing dissociation. What do you do when a child or teenager seems frozen or dazed, hears illusory voices, and seems to have lost any connection to his or her customary identity? This comprehensive workshop will provide not just the theoretical and developmental background to understand the phenomenon of childhood dissociation, but also the specific tools and strategies needed to help these clients heal. You’ll learn the EDUCATE model, an approach that leads patients step-by-step from psychoeducation through affect regulation to trauma processing. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how to approach dissociative symptomatology in young people to promote healthy development and self-awareness.
The 35th ISSTD Annual International Conference
Creative Movement Interventions with Traumatized Families
Facilitated by: Joyanna Silberg, PhD and Dahlia Silberg, LPC, BC-DMT
When: April 1, 2019 (1:30 PM - 6:00 PM)
Where: Sheraton New York Times Square, New York, NY
In this experiential four hour workshop the presenters will demonstrate with audience participation various creative movement interventions that can be used with families that have experienced trauma. These interventions allow clients to embody in action, dance, and psychodrama healing metaphors of therapeutic change. The didactic portion of the program will review neurobiological theories on how trauma affects initiative, motor movements, sensation, proprioception, and somatic experiences and discuss why creative movement interventions aimed at the whole body’s experience of trauma can be particularly helpful in healing. The participants will have an opportunity to create a movement intervention for a ”stuck” family in their practice by applying principles learned in the workshop. Issues such as dissociative responses, rage reactions, misattunement, cognitive distortions, and emotional dysregualtion will be addressed and creative exercises that target these issues will be demonstrated. At the end of the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to use these interventions to work on their own vicarious trauma and to deal with any self-critical cognitions that can interfere with their therapeutic effectiveness.
Individualizing Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Complex Trauma and Dissociation
Facilitated by: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: June 4, 2019 (Breakfast 8:30am-8:45am; Training 8:45am-4:00pm)
Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 1726 Reisterstown Road Baltimore, MD 21208
Course Fees: $159; 6 CEUs
In this workshop, Dr. Silberg will review current treatments that deal with complex trauma in children and adolescents and show how one can integrate in an eclectic way key components so that the individual needs of these special clients are addressed.
This workshop will also address the complexity of timing in interventions as children fluctuate in their readiness for various interventions.
A special focus will be placed on how to address dissociative patterns which lead children and adolescents to avoidance, and how treatment resistance manifests itself in hyperactive responses, numbing or “Pseudo-health.”
Assessment & Treatment of Traumatized Children & Adolescents - Online
Instructors: Joyanna Silberg, PhD, Frances S. Waters, DCSW, Sandra Baita, PhD & Renée Potgieter Marks, PhD
When: January 16 - June 14, 2019
Course Fees: $644 for ISSTD members; $694 for non-members
This course begins with a brief historical perspective of childhood dissociation, an explanation of the effect trauma can have on infant/child neurobiology, and an introduction to theories of dissociation. The course then covers dissociative warning signs, differential diagnosis, methods of assessment, assessment tools, dissociative pathology across the spectrum. Psycho-education about trauma and dissociation to children and parents that illuminates an understanding of child’s confusing behaviors will be explained. Family dynamics that contribute to dissociative pathology in children and ways to work effectively with the family while building positive attachment between child and parents will be highlighted. Creative techniques that promote internal awareness/communication between self-states, stabilization, emotional regulation, somatic awareness, and management of triggers will be described. Special attention will be given to working with the varied societal systems (schools, social services, legal system) with which the family is involved. A variety of treatment modalities and innovative techniques will be presented for processing trauma safely and furthering integration of the dissociative child. Extensive case studies and specific examples will be used throughout the course to enrich the leaning. Participants can present case studies from their own practices to enhance discussion.
Participants finishing this course will have a comprehensive understanding of how to intervene with the traumatized child with dissociation to promote resolution of trauma, integration and healing.
Trauma Frozen in Time: The Online Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Bergen, Norway
When: October 17, 2018
This course will discuss cutting edge research on the harm of exploitation of youth on the internet. This kind of exploitation includes the documented sexual abuse which is traded and sold online; online streaming; luring children and adolescents into relationships where they willingly send nude pictures; and organized sex rings use the material for creation of child sexual abuse material.
The conference is approved by the Norwegian Psychological Association to give 7 hrs credit as continued education in clinical psychology.
The Hidden Dangers of the Internet to Vulnerable Youth
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Chester, England
When: June 23-24, 2018
Price: 1 day: £155 | 2 days: £300 (by April 30); 1 day: £175 | 2 days: £340 (after May 1)
On the 23rd-24th June 2018, CTC Psychological Services and the International Society for the Study of Trauma (ISSTD) will be co-hosting a conference on Developmental Trauma and Dissociation. The conference will be held at the beautiful and luxurious Chester Grosvenor Hotel, right in the heart of the historic city of Chester. CTCPS and ISSTD have joined together to create this exciting new conference on Developmental Trauma & Dissociation in children & adults. The two-day conference will consist of expert key speakers and exciting workshops, where you can learn and develop your knowledge and skills. Presenters, parents, adopters & professionals provide workshops exploring techniques and themes; PTSD, EMDR in children, Parenting Strategies, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Yoga & Dissociation.
The 13th Annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference
"Custody Litigation, Trauma, and Recovery"
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Albany, New York
When: May 4-6, 2018
Sunday, May 6 (8:30am-9:30am); Keynote Address: Joy Silberg, Ph.D.: Glimmers of Hope
Joy will discuss some good news from the front lines of the family court system.
The Hidden Dangers of the Internet to Vulnerable Youth
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Cong. Keter Torah, New Jersey (USA)
When: April 22, 2018
There is no couvert for this event. Reservations can be made at www.projectsarah.org or call 973-777-7638. Walk-ins are welcome.
Treatment and Assessment of Traumatised and Dissociative Children
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Glasgow, Scotland
When: March 26-28, 2017
Tickets/Cost:
Members early bird rate: £190
Members full rate (after 27/01/17): £210
Non members early bird rate: £225
Non members full rate: £250
Course Description:
This three-day presentation will introduce a developmental understanding of dissociation and
describe how early symptoms of trauma and dissociation are manifest in young children and adolescents. A treatment model will be presented that moves logically through education about trauma symptoms through teaching affect regulation and mastering traumatic memories. Children's artwork and writings will be presented that help to illustrate the impaired sense of
identity that traumatized children may experience. Case presentations and videos will enrich the didactic content. The presenter will introduce ways of communicating even to young children that will help them understand the effects of trauma and how to use skills to overcome the disabling effects of their experiences. Participants will have opportunities to practice skills and share case questions. Also included will be a discussion of the effect of online commercial exploitation of children, and how to work with families to rebuild attachment after trauma.
2017 ISSTD Conference
Symptoms and Treatment History of 70 Children Abused in a Child Pornography Ring
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg PhD, Primary Presenter; Richard J. Loewenstein, MD, Co-Presenter; Judith Gerstenblith, Co-Presenter
When: April 2, 2017
Description:
This presentation will describe the symptom presentation of 70 children presumed to have been abused in an organized child pornography ring. The treatment protocol used for these children, many of whom showed severe dissociative symptoms will be presented. The challenges of working with this population, including political and public relation challenges, will be discussed with an opportunity for the audience to discuss these findings, and offer solutions for improving widespread knowledge about this form of abuse.
Trauma and Dissociation in Children and Teens with Gender Issues: A Panel Presentation
Presenter: Frances S. Waters, LMSW, DCSW, LMFT, Chair; Na’ama Yehuda, MSC SLP, Primary Presenter; Joyanna Silberg, PhD, Co-Presenter; Frances Doughty, MFT, MFT, Co-Presenter
When: April 3, 2017
Description:
Gender issues in children and teens markedly increase risk of trauma, rejection, shaming, maltreatment, and bullying. The high prevalence of trauma also increases risks for dissociative coping and dissociative disorders in this population. This panel will discuss the clinical relevance of gender issues and influence of dissociation in assessment and treatment of trauma in children and teens who are gay, bisexual, transgender, or do not identify as either gender. The increased vulnerability to trauma that gender non-conformity brings on will be described, along with resulting clinical realities of dissociation, attachment impairments, disavowed parts of self, numbing, acting out, suicidal ideation, social isolation, academic issues, and selfharm that children and teens with gender issues bring into the therapy. Complicating factors and possible solutions in the treatment of trauma and dissociation in children and teens with gender issues will be identified, and ways to work with dissociated self-states, shame, disowning, and attachment risks and disruptions will be suggested. Panelists will look at sociological, psychological, psychotherapeutic, family-dynamics, and clinical perspectives of gender issues and trauma, along with developmental, social communication and coping perspectives. The potentially dissociogenic aspects of cultural, social, and parental/familial rejection will be presented along with possible pathways to their healing.
2017 Trauma and Attachment Conference
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: The conference will be held at the St. Catharines Golf Club, 70 Westchester Ave, St. Catharines, ON Canada (approx 10 minutes from Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake)
When: April 4, 2017
Tickets/Cost:
Full 5-Day conference. Early registration: $700 + HST. After March 01, $800.00+ HST
Day 1 & 2 ~ April 1 & 2: Understanding the Foundations of Trauma and Attachment & Day 2 Phase-Based Clinical Applications to Promote Healing and Integration of Trauma and Attachment Dysregulation – with Presenter: Lori Gill
*Required for certification as trauma specialist.
Day 3 ~ April 3: Childhood Abuse, Brain Development, Psychopathology and Addictions with presenter: Dr. Martin Teicher
Day 4 ~ April 4: Treating the Child Survivor with presenter: Dr. Joyanna Silberg
Day 5 ~ April 5: Expressive Arts Therapies to Promote Healing Following Trauma
Early Bird Rate available until March 01, 2016
*Price is inclusive of morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and lunch on site
Trauma Frozen in Time: The Online Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 1726 Reisterstown Road Baltimore, MD 21208 United States
When: April 28, 2017
Tickets/Cost: $159.00, 6 CEUs
Course Description:
This course will discuss cutting edge research on the harm of exploitation to youth from the internet. This kind of exploitation includes the creation of child pornography which is traded and sold online; online streaming; luring children and adolescents into relationships where they willingly send nude pictures; and organized sex rings used for creation of child pornography.
Research on this burgeoning area of harm to children and adolescents is only beginning, but it is important for therapists to be updated about those current trends, the harm that can come to youth from this source, the widespread nature of this type of exploitation and some of the legal ramifications. Through case examples, the participants will learn trauma treatment principles that are effective and those that are not as effective with this population, and the special problems that can arise from working with these victims who feel that their trauma never ends as the pictures of their abuse can remain online indefinitely.
Missing and Exploited Children Conference 2017
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
When: May 16-18, 2017
Tickets/Cost: $325 until April 30, 2017 and $350 thereafter
The Uses and Misuses of Psychological Science in the Study and Assessment of Sexual Abuse:
In this presentation Dr. Silberg will show common mistake often made in the assessment of sexual abuse based on misunderstandings of how to assess evidence of abuse, and misconceptions about the prevalence of false accusations.
These types of errors often occur in the context of custody situations where allegations of children and protective parents are viewed as strategies instead of signs and symptoms of abuse.
Are you a bystander?
In this presentation, Dr. Silberg will review some of the pressures professionals face when assessing the presence of sexual abuse, that may lead to denial or avoidance of evidence. This presentation will discuss ways to combat the pressures that lead professionals to overlook important evidence based on scientific findings about signs and symptoms of abuse and its prevalence.
2 Day Conference with Dr. Joyanna Silberg on Trauma and Dissociation in Children
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: ORT House (Camden), 126 Albert Street, London, NW1 7NE
When: 15 & 16 September 2016: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Tickets/Cost: Regular: £225 / 5% Discount: Book 5-9 / 10% Discount: Book 10 or more / Pay over several months: £250 (total)
Course Description:
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Intensive 2 day training on working with traumatised children.
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You will gain an improved understanding about the role of consistent attachment in treating dissociation in children.
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You will learn about the importance of accepting negative aspects of “the self” or healing from trauma.
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You will learn how to practically apply a developmental approach to understanding dissociation.
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Invaluable insight into helping children who suffer from severe trauma and/or dissociation.
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2 Days (14 hours) of CPD points awarded
When Children Are Caught in the Middle: Trauma and Divorce
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Pikesville, MD
When: March 29, 2016 (8:45am-4:00pm)
Cost: $149
This workshop will look at both the trauma of divorce itself and what happens to children in the system when they are abused within the family and the family goes through a divorce. Concepts such as parental alienation, and coaching regarding sexual abuse will be covered. Working with families to minimize the trauma will be emphasized, and learning to differentiate between situations of high conflict and situations of abuser-victim dynamics.
Please Note: If you are a Level II participant, please register and indicate that you will pay by check so that you will not be charged the full fee.
Building Attachment Across States:
Healing the Spectrum of Dissociative Symptoms in Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Knoxville, Tennessee
When: March 5, 2016 (8:30am-12:15pm)
This presentation will begin with a historical overview of clinical manifestations that may now be best understood as dissociative symptoms, and a theoretical model will be presented that integrates neuroscientific findings with developmental theories. Dr. Silberg will highlight techniques that can be used to help children with dissociative symptoms become more receptive to treatment, and help bypass the avoidance strategies that lead to shutdown states, amnesia, and identity confusion.
The largest data base available on traumatized children from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network indicates that dissociation predicts risky behavior, disrupted placement and hospitalization and that these children often receive a diagnosis of psychosis. However, the new evidence-based treatments for complex trauma do not yet directly address dissociation. Dr. Silberg will demonstrate creative techniques for using art, play and visualizations that promote children and adolescents to return from this ultimate loss of self. Vivid case examples will help illustrate the points.
2015 ISSTD Australia/New Zealand Regional Conference
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
When: Nov. 27-29, 2015
Assessment and Treatment of Complex Trauma and Dissociation in Children and Adolescents (9am-5pm, Nov. 27): This presentation will introduce a developmental understanding of dissociation and describe how early symptoms of trauma and dissociation are manifest in young children and adolescents. A treatment model will be presented that moves logically through education about trauma symptoms through teaching affect regulation and mastering traumatic memories. Children's artwork and writings will be presented that help to illustrate the impaired sense of identity that traumatized children may experience. The presenter will introduce ways of communicating even to young children that will help them understand the effects of trauma and how to use skills to overcome the disabling effects of their experiences.
The Childhood Roots of Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders (9am-10am, Nov. 29): This presentation will examine how trauma in early childhood affect development and how severe trauma is manifested in the symptoms of young children. Example of early dissociative phenomena in children will be presented with an emphasis on how to distinguish pathological dissociation from normative fantasy in young children. The presentation will introduce some basic concepts in the treatment of childhood survivors of severe trauma.
A Step by Step Approach to working with Dissociative Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joy Silberg, PhD
Where: Anchorage, Alaska
When: October 2, 2015
This all-day workshop begins introduces a step by step approach to treating dissociative children with histories of complex trauma. The workshop begins with a theoretical introduction to dissociation in children and adolescents which is an integration of developmental theory, affect theory, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology. Participants will come to understand affective experiences as the “psychic glue” of identity. The presenter will introduce the EDUCATE model for approaching therapy with dissociative youth which organizes a sequence of carefully paced interventions that move from psychoeducation, through affect regulation to trauma processing. The therapy approach emphasizes focusing on transition moments that precede the onset of automatic dissociative responses. Therapists can amplify the client’s affective experiences at those moments and thus enhance the client’s sense of personal effectiveness and self-determination. This workshop will also address how to reduce the attachment dilemmas of dissociative children who harbor parts of the self that have not attached to their current caregivers. Participants will learn techniques for looking at difficult symptoms such as self-injury, trance states, rage reactions and sexual acting out. Clinicians finishing this workshop will have a better understanding of how to approach dissociative symtpomatology in young people, and how to intervene with the traumatized child with dissociative symptoms to promote healthy development and self-awareness.
Treating Dissociative Children and Adolescents: Treatment Resistant Symptoms
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: Tuesday, May 19, 2015 (8:30AM - Registration/Breakfast; 8:45AM-4:00PM - Workshop)
Cost: $149
Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 1726 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208
This is a class for practitioners with a trauma background who would like to focus on some of the most difficult childhood symptoms like rage reactions, shutdown states, and somatic symptoms.
Click here for details about this training.
Please Note: If you are a Level II participant, please register and indicate that you will pay by check so that you will not be charged the full fee.
For information about The Institute's other trainings and workshops, or how The Institute can come to you, go to our website at www.lisaferentz.com or emaillisa107107@aol.com.
18th Annual Conference on Critical Issues Facing Children and Adolesents
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, Keynote Speaker
When: Thursday October 23, 2014
Where: Salt Lake City, Utah
8AM-9:15AM: Keynote Address: Identifying Dissociative Symptoms in Children & Adolescents: Frontier Treatment in Trauma
10:45AM-12PM: Intervention Techniques for the Child Survivor
1PM-2:15PM: Children Who Fall Through the Cracks: Finding Solutions for Under-Served Children
3:45PM-5PM: Commercial Child Exploitation: The Lifetime Effects on Victims of Child Pornography
A Step by Step Approach to Treating Dissociative Children and Adolescents
When: October 10, 2014
Where: Delta Hotel 101 Lyon Street N, Ottawa
Register: CTSACT Members $150; Regular Fee $195; Student Rate (full time student) $100
This all-day workshop begins introduces a step by step approach to treating dissociative children with histories of complex trauma. The workshop begins with a theoretical introduction to dissociation in children and adolescents which is an integration of developmental theory, affect theory, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology. Participants will come to understand affective experiences as the “psychic glue” of identity. The presenter will introduce the EDUCATE model for approaching therapy with dissociative youth which organizes a sequence of carefully paced interventions that move from psychoeducation, through affect regulation to trauma processing. Clinicians finishing this workshop will have a better understanding of how to approach dissociative symptomatology in young people, and how to intervene with the traumatized child with dissociative symptoms to promote healthy development and self- awareness.
Protective Parenting: Custody Issues in Spousal and/or Child Abuse Cases
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: September 18, 2014
Where: Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP1129 20th Street, N.W., 4th Floor
Register: RSVP by April 18th to Britt Curtis at bc@ftlf.com
Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell Family Law team invites you to an evening of sharing, dialogue and learning on: Protective Parenting: Custody Issues in Spousal and/or Child Abuse Cases.
- Identifying the Issues
- Understading Their Relevance
- Developing a Plan of Action
Arkansas Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: September 10, 2014
Where: Embassy Suites, 11301 Financial Centre Pkwy, Little Rock, AR 72211
Children Who Are Victims of Child Pornography (General Session: 1 hour)
Clinicians are seeing a new form of abuse in their practices. With the widespread availability of webcams, perpetrators are filming their victims and profiting. This form of exploitation is harmful to children in a variety of ways that magnifies the sequelae of child sexual abuse. Because it is difficult for these images to ever be removed from the internet, these children suffer a virtual, continual revictimization. This workshop will address the unique effects of this form of abuse and offer some treatment recommendations.
Treating Dissociative Symptoms in Children and Adolescents (3 hours)
The presenter will introduce the EDUCATE model for approaching therapy with children and adolescents with dissociative symptoms. This treatment model organizes a sequence of carefully paced interventions that move from psychoeducation, through affect regulation to trauma processing. The therapy approach emphasizes focusing on transition moments that precede the onset of automatic dissociative responses. Therapists can amplify the client’s affective experiences at those moments and thus enhance the client’s sense of personal effectiveness and self-determination.
19th International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma
The Backlash Against Child Abuse Victims & Their Advocates
Presenters: Ross Cheit and Joyanna Silberg
When: September 9, 2014
Ethics of the Family Bridges Program and other Reunification Programs for Alienated Children
Presenters: Alan Rosenfeld and Joyanna Silberg
When: September 9, 2014
What Can We Learn From Turned-Around Cases
Presenters: Joyanna Silberg, PhD and Stephanie Dallam
When: April 30, 2014 (2PM-3:30PM)
Where: an online webinar
In this presentation, new information will be presented about the results of a case analysis of 27 custody cases involving the abuse of children. In these cases, a judge initially ordered the children into unsupervised contact with an abusive parent and then a later judicial decision protected the children from abuse. This sample is illustrative of failures common in family court where signs of child abuse are ignored and theories which blame the mother, such as accusations of parental alienation are relied upon. The case analysis shows that it is often the court-ordered custody evaluators who recommend access to the unsafe parent and experts in child abuse and domestic violence who correct the information for the court. This presentation will present recommendations derived from this case analysis about how to approach allegations of abuse in contested custody cases so that children are more consistently protected.
A Step by Step Approach to Treating Disssociative Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: June 9, 2014 (8:30AM-4PM)
Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 1726 Reisterstown RoadPikesville, MD 21208
Cost: $149
This all-day workshop begins introduces a step by step approach to treating dissociative children with histories of complex trauma. The workshop begins with a theoretical introduction to dissociation in children and adolescents which is an integration of developmental theory, affect theory, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology. Please Note: If you are a Level II participant, please register and indicate that you will pay by check so that you will not be charged the full fee.
Assessment & Treatment of Traumatized Children & Adolescents
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: Jan 11, 2014 through June 17, 2014
Where: Online
This comprehensive course taught in an online format is geared for practitioners who work with traumatized children. Taught by a team of experienced international clinicians, this course will familiarize therapists with approaches that target dissociation in traumatized children including techniques for stabilization, processing trauma, dealing with memory deficits, interfacing with systems, and working with families.
Click Below for more information.
The ISSTD 30TH Annual International Conference
The Surprising and Counter-intuitive Lessons I Learned about Therapy for Child Dissociation
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: November 14, 2013
Where: Hilton Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland
In this workshop, Dr. Silberg will cover some of the key insights that led to her theoretical model and treatment approach. Each of these insights will be illustrated with clinical material that will have applicability to practice with children and adolescents. Issues covered will be --how chaotic systems stabilize, how dissociative states should be seen as processes and not "entities", the important role of attachment in the resolution of dissociative states, the roles families unwittingly play in the encouragement of dissociation, the natural course of the disorder with and without intervention, and the necessary and contradictory stance of the therapist who must believe simultaneously that the client both can and cannot change. These major points will be illustrated with clinical vignettes and client's art work, writings and clinical work. This workshop is appropriate for all clinicians at all levels of skill.
The ISSTD 30TH Annual International Conference
Difficult Cases, Creative Solutions - Working with Complicated Cases of Dissociation in Traumatized Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD, Na'ama Yehuda, and Frances Waters
When: November 17, 2013
Where: Hilton Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland
18th International Conference & Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma
Improving Outcomes for Children in Family Court:
Updated Findings from Turned-around Cases
Where: Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, CA
When: September 8 (2:00pm – 5:30pm)
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
Clinical Issues & Forensic Realities in Child Protection & Custody
When: September 10 (1:30pm-3:30pm)
Presenters: Joyanna Silberg, PhD, Dr Philip Kaplan, and Cynthia Cheathem
Understanding Dissociative Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Developmental Trauma
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
Where: Hartford Room, Commons Building, 200 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
When: June 6, 2013
This presentation will highlight techniques that can be used to help children with dissociative symptoms become more receptive to treatment, and help bypass the avoidance strategies that lead to shutdown states, amnesia, and identity confusion.The largest data base available on traumatized children from the Northwestern University for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) indicates that dissociation predicts risky behavior, disrupted placement, and hosptiliziation and that these children often receive a diagnosis of psychosis. Yet, the new evidence-based treatments for complex trauma do not yet directly address dissociation. Physicians need to recognize that hallucination, both visual and auditory, may be evidence of dissociative flashbacks and indicative of PTSD, rather than psychosis and can be addressed with psychotherapy. This prsentation will help practitioners recognize what the new DSM5 dissociative subtype may look like in children and adolescents.
The District of Columbia's Regional Conference on Children Exposed to Violence
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
Where: Pryzbyla Center, 3rd Floor conference rooms, located on the campus of Catholic University of America at 520 Michigan Avenue NE in the District of Columbia
Abused Children in Family Court: An Unprotected Population?
When: June 5, 2013 (8:30AM)
Abused children whose parents are going through a divorce and custody proceedings sometimes fall through the cracks in the system, as the animosity between the parents becomes the focus, and the children's symptoms are misunderstood as "litigation strategy." Because of this many children are exposed to violent parents as a result of custody orders. Dr. Joyanna Silberg and her team under the auspices of DVLEAP and the Office on Violence Against Women have been collecting a sample of cases that have "turned around. " This means that while the child is a minor, the courts have recognized that the child was incorrectly placed with an abuser and corrected the decision, or the child has found his or her own way to freedom from abuse. This presentation will review the current findings, showing the significance of the misdiagnosis of parental alienation, and the key importance of custody evaluations that miss red flags of abuse. The innovative approaches of families that have turned around these cases will be highlighted as well as the errors in custody evaluations. This presentation will highlight red flags of abuse that are sometimes missed and correct some of the myths that lead to these erroneous decisions.
Healing the Spectrum of Dissociative Symptoms in Children and Adolescents
When: June 5, 2013 (10:10AM)
Children who have suffered developmental trauma often present with hard to manage symptoms include rage reactions, forgotten behaviors, flashbacks, and dissociative shutdown states. In this workshop, Dr. Silberg will discuss these hard to manage symptoms and present practical interventions for work with children, families, and treatment centers that can help children gain control of these symptoms and move forward. This workshop will be filled with vivid case examples.Practitioners need to recognize that hallucination, both visual and auditory, may be evidence of dissociative flashbacks and indicative of PTSD, rather than psychosis and can be addressed with psychotherapy. Participants will recognize that dissociative adaptations are common in populations with early developmental trauma. Participants will distinguish between imaginary friends in normal children and the voices, imaginary presences, and shifting identity states in dissociative children. Participants will recognize that a dissociative child embracing what feels foreign and shameful will lead to integration and health.
Practical Interventions for Traumatized and Dissociative Children
When: Monday, March 18, 2013
8:30 AM - Registration/Breakfast
8:45 AM - 4 PM EDT - Workshop
Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 1726 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
Cost: $139
CE Credits: 6
Children who have suffered developmental trauma often present with hard to manage symptoms include rage reactions, forgotten behaviors, flashbacks, and dissociative shutdown states. In this workshop, Dr. Silberg will discuss these hard to manage symptoms and present practical interventions for work with children, families, and treatment centers that can help children gain control of these symptoms and move forward. This workshop will be filled with vivid case examples, and time will be given for participants to brainstorm about their own difficult cases.
For information about The Institute's other trainings and workshops, or how The Institute can come to you, go to our website at www.lisaferentz.com or email lisa107107@aol.com
Check Lisa Ferentz's calendar for additional trainings on trauma
A STUDY OF TURNED-AROUND CASES
Presenter: Joyanna Silberg, PhD
When: May 10, 2013
Dr. Joyanna Silberg and her research team under the auspices of DVLEAP and the Office on Violence Against Women have been collecting a sample of cases that have "turned around. " This means that while the child is a minor, the courts have either recognized that the child was placed with an abuser and corrected the decision, or the child has found his or her own way to freedom from an abusive court order that becomes sanctioned by the court. This presentation will review the current findings, showing the significance of the misdiagnosis of parental alienation, and the key importance of custody evaluations that miss red flags of abuse. The innovative approaches of families that have turned around these cases will be highlighted as well as the errors in custody evaluations. This presentation will offer preliminary suggestions that emerge from studying these data.