Bridging research and practice in the conversational model of psychotherapy

The core pathology in borderline personality disorder is dissociation, according to Russell Meares, and that BPD involves failure of higher order, prefrontal inhibitory mechanisms, particularly evident in the right hemisphere. Trauma causes stress to the mind-brain system and a descent down the hierarchy of mental life. the implicit memory system influences behaviour and is not available for immediate recall; exerting a self-perpetuating bias for interpreting later experiences in a light consistent with past experiences. Consciousness is no longer continuous, or singular - it does not flow; coherence is no longer present. The therapist in the Conversational Mode aims to reverse this hierarchical descent, foster the emergence of a larger a-dualistic consciousness i.e. the ability to be aware of one's effect on others and others' effect on self. How does the therapist do this? This presentation will describe using the model in borderline and dissociative pathology.

WORLD DREAMING: WORLD CONGRESS FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY
24-28 August 2011 Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Darling Harbour, Australia.
Visit The World Council for Psychotherapy at http://www.worldpsyche.org