Approved for 4 EMDRIA Credits

Fantasies can provide wonderful momentary escapes from reality that resource and inspire us, improving our lives. They can provide alternative explorations of secure attachment and healing. However, with clients who have been affected by complex trauma, an internal fantasy world may have been created to escape and disengage from their harsh reality. Over time, these clients may use fantasies maladaptively and they may become prisons, driving maladaptive expectations and behaviors and avoiding reality. We will discuss the roles of both conscious and unconscious fantasies in clients with complex trauma, and their intersection with maladaptive daydreaming. We will explore the role of fantasy in the development of dissociative parts of self. Participants will learn how to recognize both conscious and unconscious fantasies and discuss these with their clients in a nonjudgmental and curious way. We will then explore ways to resolve the central conflicts and avoidance of reality in these fantasies.

Presenter: Kathy Steele