When Clients Won't Ground
Session 2 of the 5-Day Intensive Training for Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation
Practical Strategies for Working with Resistance, Dissociation, and Trauma Intrusions
Have you ever wondered why some clients seem to fight against the very interventions designed to help them? Why do they resist grounding, remain emotionally attached to traumatic experiences, or become overwhelmed despite your best therapeutic efforts?
This session tackles one of the most challenging aspects of treating complex trauma and dissociation: helping clients who struggle or even refuse to leave the world of trauma behind. Participants will explore the neuroscience and psychology underlying resistance to grounding and discover why dissociation, traumatic memories, and even crisis can become deeply adaptive survival strategies.
Building on the foundation established in Session 1, clinicians will learn practical, immediately applicable techniques for helping clients distinguish past from present, contain overwhelming traumatic material, and respond more effectively to persistent trauma intrusions. The session also explores compassionate approaches for working with clients who feel ambivalent about becoming safer, more present, or emotionally connected.
Through engaging clinical role plays, participants will observe interventions with clients who struggle to separate traumatic memories from present-day reality and with clients whose dissociative self-states create fear, conflict, or avoidance within the internal system.
These demonstrations illustrate how Finding Solid Ground provides clinicians with a clear roadmap for responding confidently to even the most complex clinical presentations.
Participants will leave with practical strategies they can immediately integrate into virtually any psychotherapy approach, helping clients become more grounded, more engaged in treatment, and better prepared for deeper trauma work while allowing therapists to feel more effective and less overwhelmed.
Participants will be able to:
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Apply the grounding methods central to the Finding Solid Ground program.
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Determine when and how to help clients effectively separate past from present.
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Use two practical containment strategies to reduce the impact of overwhelming traumatic material.
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Understand why some clients resist grounding and implement strategies that enhance motivation and readiness for change.
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Facilitate conversations that help clients resolve ambivalence about safety, recovery, and living more fully in the present.
Course Facilitators
Ruth Lanius, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Lanius is a Psychiatry Professor and Harris-Woodman Chair at Western University of Canada, where she is the director of the Clinical Research Program for PTSD. Ruth has over 25 years of clinical and research experience with trauma-related disorders. She established the Traumatic Stress Service at London Health Sciences Center, a program that specializes in the treatment of psychological trauma. Ruth has received numerous research and teaching awards, including the Banting Award for Military Health Research. She has published over 200 research articles and book chapters focusing on brain adaptations to psychological trauma and novel adjunct treatments for PTSD. Ruth regularly lectures on the topic of psychological trauma both nationally and internationally. Ruth has co-authored four books: The Effects of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease: The Hidden Epidemic, Healing the Traumatized Self: Consciousness, Neuroscience, Treatment, and Finding Solid Ground (textbook and workbook). Ruth is a passionate clinician scientist who endeavours to understand the first-person experience of traumatized individuals throughout treatment and how it relates to brain functioning.
Bethany Brand, Ph.D.
Dr. Brand is Emerita 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.
Continuing Education Credits
5 CE credits available for live attendance & recorded sessions
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Bridgepoint Psychology Center (BPC) is co-sponsoring Finding Solid Ground and is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
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You must be in attendance for the full live program or watch the full recording and pass a quiz to receive CE credit. Partial credit will not be available. BPC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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Please check with your governing board to verify your continuing education license requirements. For additional information regarding CEs, email: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are these courses accredited for CE credits?
Yes, our courses are through APA for continuing education credits. Please check each course description for specific accreditation details.
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How do I receive my CE certificate after completing a course?
Upon successful completion of the course and any required assessments, you'll be able to download your CE certificate directly from your account under the "Completed Courses" section.
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What is the process for reporting my CE credits to my licensing board?
We provide a CE certificate that includes all necessary details (course title, hours, provider information). Please submit this certificate according to your licensing board’s requirements. It's important to verify your board's guidelines to ensure proper credit reporting.
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How long do I have to complete the course and earn CE credits?
180 days
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Can I use these CE credits to meet my state licensure requirements?
While our courses are APA, CE credit requirements vary by state and licensing board. We recommend checking with your specific licensing board to ensure our courses meet their criteria.
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What are the technical requirements for taking the courses?
You will need a computer or mobile device with internet access, an updated web browser, and in some cases, specific software like Adobe Reader or Zoom for interactive sessions. A stable internet connection is recommended for smooth streaming of video content.
