Trauma and Dissociation: An Introduction to Trauma Conversion Therapy

Patrick Poor, LMFT

Trauma Conversion Therapy (TCT) focuses therapy on what releases the pain, and the symptoms and treats the cause of the problem, not the symptoms and allows the client to heal much faster with relatively little pain. TCT is used with clients who have had at least one traumatic experience that still affects them in a negative way. It allows them to convert the experience they are still stuck in, into memory, and “The Pain” goes away. As the pain goes away, so do the symptoms. An undiagnosed and untreated Dissociative Disorder exists in a high percentage of clients with such disorders as: Substance Abuse, Personality, Gender, Sexual, Mood, Eating, Anxiety, Impulse Control, Reactive Attachment, Disruptive Behavior,… the list goes on!

Objectives:

To obtain basic awareness of how to:

1. Recognize presence of Dissociative Disorders

2. Treat persons with Dissociative disorders

3. Understand basics of theory and practice of Trauma Conversion Therapy.

4. Become more effective in treating clients with old pain

Bio:

Patrick Poor received his Masters degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Cal State University, Fullerton in 1991. He is licensed in California and Utah as a Marriage and Family Therapist. He has had specialized training and 16 years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of trauma and dissociative disorders. He also trains other therapists in this technique called Trauma Conversion Therapy. He is a CEU provider for the California State Board of Behavioral Sciences. He has three years teaching experience in Special Education and is knowledgeable about learning disabilities.

His professional affiliations include:

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation

American Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists

Patrick believes in treating the causes of symptoms, not the symptoms themselves. Symptoms can include: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, anger, violence, phobias, addictions, compulsions, obsessions, and many other thoughts and behaviors that people use to cover up the pain. Overreactions and feeling out of control at times can also be caused by old pain. His technique allows clients to convert the trauma they are still stuck in into memory and the pain is released. Hence the term Trauma Conversion Therapy. It is a simple process, very effective, and usually short-term (less than 20 sessions). Clients have described the technique as “quick,” “powerful,” “effective,” and “compassionate.”