Comments or feedback? Send us a text! What if dissociation isn't a disorder to be feared, but an extraordinary adaptation that once helped a child survive?In this episode of Thoughts on Record, Dr. Pete Kelly speaks with licensed marriage and family therapist Sally Maslansky about her memoir, A Brilliant Adaptation, and her remarkable journey of discovering that much of her childhood was inaccessible to memory. Together, they explore how developmental trauma can fragment identity, why dissociation emerges as a survival strategy, and what it takes to gradually integrate a life story that was once too overwhelming to remember.Drawing on attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and her own lived experience, Sally discusses dissociative identity disorder through a compassionate, evidence-informed lens. The conversation examines concepts such as structural dissociation, "fear without solution," autobiographical memory, and the importance of pacing trauma work. They also explore the central role of the therapeutic relationship, curiosity, embodiment, and emotional safety in fostering healing and integration.Whether you're a mental health professional, someone living with the effects of trauma, or simply interested in how the mind protects itself under overwhelming circumstances, this conversation offers a thoughtful and deeply human perspective on trauma, resilience, and recovery.Guest: Sally Maslansky, LMFTLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of A Brilliant Adaptation: A Therapist's Journey into the Hidden World of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related