CDS UK’s CEO Mark Linington, Clinical Director Emma Jack and Deputy Clinical Director Matt Bordonada were interviewed for their expertise for an article in the i Newspaper, published on 31st March 2024. The article touches on an honest and insightful account of living with DID, and collaborates with the CDS UK team to recount the injustice of lack of access to treatment within the confines of the UK ‘postcode lottery’ and a society that often does not support the existence of DID.

You can read a copy of the article here: ‘Multiple people live within this body – I am only one of them’ – inews.

2023 marks 25 years since the Clinic for Dissociative Studies was first established. To celebrate and build on the groundbreaking work that has been done over that time, we will be hosting a series of seminars and events that will develop skills and provide new opportunities for Associates across the country to meet each other. Contact us for more information – and watch this space.

CDS was delighted to be able to organise for Suzette Boon to come to the UK from the Netherlands to deliver a 2-day CPD training at the end of May 2023. Drawing on her enormous experience of working in clinical settings with complex dissociative disorders as well as her writing and lecturing expertise, Suzette provided an excellent opportunity for both CDS Associates and external practitioners to learn from findings drawn from over 30 years of work. CDS has made these training materials (presentations and video recordings) accessible to all Associates via the shared drive.

The next ESTD conference is in Brussels in March 2023.

Its title is “When Attachment Meets Trauma:

Disorganization and Dissociation From Childhood to Adulthood”.

Preconference Workshops and Conference

DoubleTree Brussels Hotel, 9-11 March 2023 – Brussels

Click on this link for more information

https://www.estd-aftd2023.brussels/English/

CDS UK will be collaborating with the Bowlby Centre on the 26th John Bowlby Memorial Conference, entitled “Exploring DID – an Attachment-based Approach”.

The conference will take place from 9am-4pm on Saturday 25th February 2023.  Speakers from CDS UK will include CEO Mark Linington and Clinical Director Emma Jack, as well as founder/patron Dr Valerie Sinason and founding psychotherapist Adah Sachs.  Other speakers include Orit Badouk Epstein, Catherine Holland, Melanie Goodwin and Michelle Jewett.  The event will be chaired by Sue Richardson.

For more information and to book tickets, visit https://thebowlbycentre.org.uk/events/2023-john-bowlby-conference/.

We are delighted to report that the book Trauma and Memory: the Science and the Silenced, co-edited by the Chair of CDS UK’s Board of Trustees Dr Ashley Conway and founder and patron Dr Valerie Sinason, has been awarded the Frank W Putnam Prize, announced at the ISSTD conference in Seattle on 2nd April 2022.

Congratulations to our esteemed founder Dr Valerie Sinason, who in November 2021 received the British Psychoanalytic Council Award for Innovative Excellence for her work with children and adults who have experienced trauma, disability, dissociation and ritual abuse.

Chair of CDS UK’s Board of Trustees Dr Ashley Conway and founder and patron Dr Valerie Sinason have edited this important publication to assist mental health experts and professionals, as well as the interested public, in understanding the scientific issues around trauma memory, and how this differs from other areas of memory.

It is available from many bookshops and at Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trauma-Memory-Silenced-Valerie-Sinason/dp/1032044292

Our Senior Consultant Psychotherapist Graeme Galton has a chapter in this fascinating new book.  Using attachment theory as a lens for understanding the role of food in our everyday lives, this book explores relationships with other people, with ourselves and between client and therapist, through our connection with food. Enriched throughout with diverse clinical case studies, this edited collection illuminates how relationships to food can be a rich source of insight and understanding for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and other counselling therapists working today.

The book is available from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Attachment-Relationships-Food-Cradle-Kitchen/dp/0367561301/ref=sr_1_2?crid=8AVASI2HTLD1&keywords=from+cradle+to+kitchen&qid=1671204758&sprefix=from+cradle+to+kitchen%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-2

Notice Regarding COVID-19

CDS UK (Clinic for Dissociative Studies) remains open and our therapists and therapeutic teams continue to support their patients. In most most cases this will be online or on the phone. We are following all NHS and Government guidelines with regard to safer working.

We recognise that everyone is under more strain at this very difficult time. We know that this current situation will be having a significant impact on people’s mental health as well as potentially their physical health. We aim at CDS UK to continue to offer our support to people throughout this time.

We will continue to be available for contact with professionals and potential patients wishing to discuss possible referrals and we will continue to support funding requests to Clinical Commissioning Groups.

When funding for assessments is agreed, our clinical management team will consider whether we can offer an assessment on a case by case basis.In most instances we will have to delay assessments until the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. Online assessments will be considered, where appropriate safety measures can be put in place.

We are still accepting applications (via a CV and covering letter) for those professionals wishing to register to work with us.

Our accounts team may take a little longer to respond to queries. Calls to the clinic will still be answered. However, we may be able to respond more quickly to queries by e-mail at info@clinicds.com.

Referrals – Please send through all referrals via email to info@clinicds.com as our staff are currently working from home and the post will be checked less frequently than normal.