Christa Kruger, MBBCh, MMed(Psych), FCPsych(SA), MD

Dear ISSTD Members, Treating persons with complex trauma histories and dissociation is complicated, challenging, and at times dangerous. The complex relational nature of this work may result in vicarious traumatisation of therapists. Another difficulty for healing professionals arises in managing the therapeutic relationship within appropriate emotional, physical, and psychological boundaries. Consultation and supervision are essential […]

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Christa Kruger, MBBCh, MMed(Psych), FCPsych(SA), MD, ISSTD President

Dear ISSTD Members, Towards the end of 2019 ISSTD transitioned successfully from being managed by an external company, to managing ourselves. ISSTD now employs its staff directly. Mary Pat Hanlin, Executive Director and Bethany Bjur, Program Manager have been instrumental in facilitating the successful transition to ISSTD being a self-managed organization. We are grateful to […]

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Christine Forner – 2019 ISSTD President It is with such a full heart that I send you all a year end message. I have found this year to be an absolute labour of love. This year we have accomplished so much. We have been able to organize all of the committees and SIG mission & charges and the policies & procedures. We […]

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Christine Forner, MSW

My Fellow ISSTD Travelers, As this is one of my final letters to the membership, I find myself reflecting upon this year. My first notion is gratitude. I have had the most wonderful year leading, in my humble opinion, one of the most genuine group of clinicians and researchers in the world. We seem to […]

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Christine Forner, MSW

As I write this note, I am currently attending the European Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation’s biannual conference in Rome. I am finding this conference from our sister society to be full of interesting information, different perspectives, and new ideas. If you have never attended one of these conferences, I would highly […]

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Christine Forner, MSW

It is no secret that the ISSTD, and its members, have been fighting battle after battle for a long time. It is likely, in some cases, this has been happening since before our creation in 1983. We are a group of people who have continued to hold onto the notion that humans who are extremely […]

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Christine Forner, BA, BSW, MSW

Hello My Fellow Trauma Therapists and Researchers, Today I would like to visit the notion of volunteering for the ISSTD. We are quickly approaching that time of year where we begin to contemplate our next year’s Board and Executive Committee with our nominations. This is the time of year that we look towards our colleagues, […]

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Christine Forner, BA, BSW, MSW

This month I had the privilege of visiting the city of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. As one of the keynote speakers at the Trauma and Resilience in the Border Land Conference I was able to see and hear first-hand stories of what is happening at the Border. What I witnessed is both […]

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Christine Forner, BA, BSW, MSW

As I write this month’s Letter, I am struck by the mini-series: ‘When they see us.’ This mini-series leads me to examine the role of parents within the area of complex trauma and dissociation. What is really circling around in my mind is how much children need their parents and the consequences which occur when […]

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Christine Forner, President

May 16th was the International Day of Living Together in Peace and I thought this would be a timely topic to reflect on. I do not think that commenting on the state of the world is off limits for trauma researchers and therapists. I would actually reach out and make the statement that it is, […]

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