DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER SPECIALISTS IN SAN CLEMENTE & ACROSS CA

Restore your sense of self and reconnect with the present.

Dissociation therapy for adults, children, and teens.

Dissociation therapy for adults, children, and teens.

Dissociation can make life seem like it’s slipping through your fingers.

It often feels like you're watching things happen from behind a glass wall or floating just outside your body, with hours or days passing without realizing where they went. Your inner critic is constantly at full volume, telling you you're not doing enough or are failing to keep it all together.

We understand how challenging, frustrating, and isolating dissociation can feel. We’re here to help you make sense of your experiences and find ways to feel more grounded, connected, and a part of your own life again.

Sometimes dissociation can look like:

  • Memory gaps or “losing time”

  • Negative inner critic or mental chatter

  • Living in a fog, feeling detached from the present moment

  • Overwhelming feelings of shame or fear

  • Trouble feeling anything or a numbness

  • Flashbacks or nightmares

  • Feeling like you’re “faking it” or being misunderstood

  • Struggling with identity or conflicting parts of yourself

  • Avoiding situations or people to protect yourself

Feeling disconnected doesn’t mean you’re broken.

How we can help

Dissociation is your mind’s way of protecting you—it’s a coping skill, not a flaw.

Our approach starts with understanding you. Dissociation can look different for everyone, so we begin by providing psychoeducation to help you explore where you fall on the dissociation spectrum. Whether this is a new concept for you or something you’ve been navigating for a long time, we’ll work at a pace that feels right for you.

We’ll also help you identify your unique triggers and responses to dissociation, always exploring things with a sense of curiosity and self-awareness rather than judgment. From there, our therapists use parts work to map out and connect with the different parts of yourself. This process encourages communication and understanding among those parts, without forcing integration as the ultimate goal—your personal goals are what guide us. As you begin to turn toward your experiences rather than avoiding them, you can begin to see a growing sense of stability and compassion for yourself.

Together, we’ll create a space where you can feel more grounded and connected, embracing your full, authentic self with care and understanding.

Before & after therapy

Like you’re constantly at war with yourself

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Starting to find peace within

When it feels like different parts of you are pulling in opposite directions, no wonder you struggle to feel at ease. In therapy, we’ll help you understand these parts and facilitate communication between them, so you can find more harmony in your life.

Not knowing what’s happening

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Finally understanding what’s going on inside

Dissociation can be confusing, and it might feel like something’s wrong with you. Therapy helps you see that dissociation is actually a coping mechanism—your mind’s natural response to protect you. Once you understand it, you can feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

Feeling like you don’t deserve support

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Realizing you’re worthy of care and compassion

If you’ve been struggling with self-doubt, therapy will help you recognize that you’re worthy of kindness—both from others and from yourself. You don’t have to carry everything alone.

Reacting to triggers without thinking

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Starting to feel more in control

Triggers can feel like they come out of nowhere, but therapy helps you understand why they happen and how to manage them. With this insight, you can find a sense of groundedness and feel less reactive.

Stuck in unhealthy habits

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Learning healthier ways to cope

If dissociation has led to self-destructive behaviors, therapy can help you break free from those patterns. We’ll work together to find healthier, more supportive ways to cope with difficult emotions or circumstances.

Bridge the gap between mind and body to feel like you again.

Questions?

FAQs

  • Common signs of dissociation include memory gaps, feeling detached from your body or surroundings, experiencing time loss, or feeling numb. If you’ve noticed these symptoms affecting your daily life, it may be helpful to explore dissociation in therapy.

  • DID exists on a spectrum with varying degrees of severity and not everyone who dissociates has DID. Dissociation can vary from mild to more intense experiences, and therapy can help you understand where you fall on that spectrum.

  • Absolutely. We help you identify the triggers that lead to dissociation and work with you to understand how to manage them. We’ll also help you process flashbacks and other distressing experiences in a safe, controlled way.

  • Parts work is a therapeutic approach that focuses on understanding the different aspects or "parts" of yourself. These parts might feel like they’re at odds with each other or disconnected, especially when you’re experiencing dissociation. Through parts work, we explore these parts with curiosity and compassion, helping you understand them better and learn how to communicate between them. This process allows you to create more harmony within yourself, rather than trying to change or "integrate" these parts all at once.