Bethany Brand, Ph.D.

A merit Psychology Professor at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She has over 30 years of experience in researching, assessing, and treating the impact of psychological trauma with a specialization in dissociation. 


Dr. Brand has been honored with the endowed Martha E. Mitten Professorship as well as teaching, research and clinical awards including the Outstanding Contribution to the Science of Trauma Psychology from the American Psychological Association. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. 


Dr. Brand has served on national and international task forces that developed guidelines for the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders. She has published over 130 peer reviewed papers and three research-based books about assessing and treating dissociation, The Concise Guide to Assessing and Treating Trauma-Related Dissociation, Finding Solid Ground: Overcoming Obstacles in Trauma Treatment and The Finding Solid Ground Program Workbook. 


Dr. Brand is the Principal Investigator on the largest treatment outcome studies to date of dissociative disorders (the TOP DD studies). She has delivered hundreds of clinical and research presentations at national and international conferences. In addition to treating patients in her private practice, Dr. Brand serves as a forensic expert in trauma-related cases including state, federal and capital cases and an international Supreme Court case.  

Assessment strategies for Dissociation and the Finding Solid Ground Program

Despite affecting 4% of the U.S. population, dissociation remains severely underrecognized and misunderstood in mental health practice. Highly dissociative clients present with complex clinical presentations, yet most professionals lack training in recognizing and treating dissociation, leading to missed diagnoses and poor outcomes. Standard trauma treatments often prove ineffective or even harmful without dissociation-specific modifications.


Join world-renowned expert Dr. Bethany Brand for this comprehensive overview of evidence-based approaches. Dr. Brand will clarify what dissociation is, its prevalence, and connections to trauma. Participants will learn practical assessment strategies including validated screening tools and structured interviews.


Dr. Brand will also focus on the phase-oriented treatment model and the Finding Solid Ground program—the first evidence-based treatment for complex trauma and dissociation, supported by an international randomized controlled trial. Attendees will gain practical, research-supported knowledge for assessing dissociation and become familiar with some of the stabilization interventions that can transform treatment outcomes for their most challenging trauma cases.

Learning Objectives

  • List how to assess three types of dissociative symptoms.

  • Identify two validated dissociation assessment tools that can be used in clinical practice.

  • Describe the rationale and methods used for grounding in the Finding Solid Ground program.

  • Describe the four main skills taught in the Finding Solid Ground program

Continuing Education Credits

  • Bridgepoint Psychology Center (BPC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  • You must be in attendance for the full program to recieve CE credit. Partial credit will not be available.

  • BPC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • Please check with your governing board to verify your continuing education license requirements.

  • For additional information regarding CEs, email: [email protected]

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