ISSTD News

Category: Letter From The President

Letter From The President

The Functioning of ISSTD

As the result of assuming the Presidency of ISSTD this year, I have been looking at all the operating components of ISSTD and thought I would summarize how the various pieces come together. This is an organization that has grown steadily from its beginnings 30+ years ago as a professional society to advance the understanding […]

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Letter From The President

Welcoming a New Year

Dear ISSTD Community: It is a pleasure to write as the incoming President of ISSTD for 2024, and I am fortunate to have Michael Salter as the Past President and Michael Coy, as the President Elect to bookend my presidency.  It’s comfortable to know I can rely upon their wisdom and experience to guide me […]

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Letter From The President

2023 Holiday Message

Michael Salter – 2023 ISSTD PresidentWe’ve reached the close of 2024 and, as always, I’m struck by the tireless work of our members who are serving survivors of abuse, trauma and violence. This year, like all years, has been rife with interpersonal and political conflict that will draw on huge reservoirs of care and support […]

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Letter From The President

Trauma and Dissociation: Treatment is Prevention

Dear ISSTD Community, 25 November marks the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The theme this year is “invest to prevent”. Our responses to child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault have clustered at the so-called “tertiary” end, focused on trying to heal survivors after the fact, and hold perpetrators to account. […]

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Letter From The President

Mental Health: A Human Right

Dear ISSTD Community, World Mental Health Day was a few weeks ago now on October 10, and it aims to improve community awareness and reduce the stigma of living with mental illness. The theme of the day this year was that “Mental health is a universal human right”, recognising that mental health is a necessary […]

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Letter From The President

Reaching out to Victims of Human Trafficking

Dear ISSTD community, July 30 is the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a day that has been set aside to raise awareness about the plight of human trafficking victims. Although the term “trafficking” is used with increasing frequency, it is not always clear what it means. Indeed, the legal definition of trafficking has changed […]

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Letter From The President

Recognising Two Pioneers of Our Field

Dear ISSTD Community, This month, two pioneers in the field of complex trauma and dissociation retired: Professor Jennifer Freyd and Professor Ross Cheit. They were personal heroes of mine a long time before I had the chance to meet them. While each has made a distinctive contribution, I’ve been struck by their similarities. They are […]

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Letter From The President

Shift In Media and Culture at Large

Dear ISSTD friends, Our recent Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, was attended by a couple of journalists who are undertaking deep dives into abuse, violence and trauma. One of them was Janelle Nanos from the Boston Globe, who in July 2022 published a startling longform article called “Kate Price remembers something terrible”. The article chronicles […]

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