Exploring Models of Dissociation: Scoping out potential psychological processes involved in the maintenance of dissociation.

Dawant, Déborah;Philippot, Pierre;Douilliez, Céline
(2025) “EABCT (European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies) - People Make Glasgow: Connections Drive Change: Celebrating CBT in Europe” — Location: Glasgow (4.September.2025)

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Abstract
Dissociation is a complex psychological phenomenon with limited evidence-based therapies. Current research emphasizes the need for a transdiagnostic approach to understand and address dissociation eectively (Ellickson-Larew et al., 2020). The objective of a process-based approach in CBT is to target psychological factors maintaining diculties, rather than focusing solely on diagnosis and symptoms reduction. A relevant therapeutic target must be central to the patient's diculties–meaning it should be a core maintenance factor, presently modiable , and accessible through specic, evidence-based therapeutic interventions (Philippot et al., 2018). A scoping review was performed (see OSF pre-registration : https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AKW2H), aiming to synthesize existing models of dissociation and to identify key psychological factors that maintain dissociation and may serve as promising targets for future interventions from a processoriented perspective. Emotional regulation diculties, for example, have been shown to be an important maintenance factor in dissociation (Cavichiolli et al., 2021), and represent a modiable element in psychotherapy, with well-established evidence-based interventions that could be adapted for individuals experiencing dissociation. Drawing on the results of this scoping review, a process-based conceptualization of dissociation will be presented. The presentation will illustrate, and aims to demonstrate how research can inform future clinical applications by highlighting theoretically promising therapeutic targets for processoriented interventions for dissociation. Additionally, implications for future research will also be briey outlined, highlighting the critical role of empirical validation of case conceptualization in psychotherapy.
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Dawant, D., Philippot, P., & Douilliez, C. (2025). Exploring Models of Dissociation: Scoping out potential psychological processes involved in the maintenance of dissociation. “EABCT (European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies) - People Make Glasgow: Connections Drive Change: Celebrating CBT in Europe”, Glasgow. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/281225