“I almost thanked you for teaching me something about survival back there, but then I remembered that the ocean never handed me the gift of swimming. I gave it to myself.”
We at Beauty After Bruises know all too well that the current resources available for survivors, supporters, and therapists are few and far between. It's hard to know who is providing well-researched, trustworthy, up-to-date information versus those who may be referencing outdated theories, received an inadequate or stigmatizing education, or may even be perpetuating misinformation intentionally. While it's part of our mission to broaden the number of resources available, in the meantime, we'd like to supply you with the resources we feel pass the test and hold our stamp of approval. However, with that approval, we can't guarantee that all content is without flaw, nor can we endorse the text, treatment methods, or any future changes in viewpoint or content their respective authors may share. Please use your discretion. And, if you feel unsure on your own, please reach out and ask questions; we can parse through it together. These lists will likely be updated frequently as we discover more commendable people, media, and organizations fighting the good fight.
Note: We kept these lists somewhat brief with intention, choosing those we feel stand out above the rest. We know that staring at long lists of materials, particularly ones you’re unfamiliar with, can be intimidating. They can overwhelm the senses, leave you with no clue where to begin or which to invest your time/money on first, cause you to dissociate, or make you just want to give up. If you have a particular focus, topic, or format you're interested in, please feel free to contact us and we'll gladly provide you with a more complete list of resources we know to exist. The inpatient list however is, sadly, exhaustive at this time.
Informational Websites
Beauty After Bruises' Blog — Yes, our very own website has an entire section dedicated to psychoeducation, coping skills and techniques, boundaries and healthy relationships, topically-relevant conversations as they relate to current events, and much more. It is a slightly more informal and easily-digestible approach to helping survivors, their loved ones, and anyone else who'd like to understand more about complex trauma and its healing.
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) — A professional association whose main goal is education and furthered research. They provide an extensive database of trauma-dedicated therapists and clinicians, consolidate countless resources for survivors and loved ones, and host seminars and trainings for aspiring trauma professionals.
Sidran Institute — An education and advocacy group that provides information and support to survivors, loved ones, professionals, and the general public. They have developed and provide comprehensive training materials, courses, and educational resources for trauma interest at every level.
Blue Knot Foundation — An Australian-based national resource for all things complex trauma. They focus on advocacy and provide direct support to survivors, loved ones, clinicians, and the general public on personal and professional levels. They also maintain a Helpline and National Counseling and Referral Service.
An Infinite Mind — A survivor-focused, lived experience-founded and -led, organization who is increasing awareness and proper education of dissociative disorders (particularly DID). They host a vital annual conference, bi-weekly speaker series, and maintain a well-vetted resource list of materials on trauma and dissociation.
System Speak — A rich podcast series, hosted by Emma Sunshaw - former doctorate level clinician and survivor with lived experience of DID. The podcast features a wide array of trauma professionals, clinicians, and more, as it humanizes, educates, and compassionately reduces stigma of complex trauma and dissociation.
Carolyn Spring (formerly PODS UK) — A UK-based resource that educates, trains, and provides support to survivors, therapists, and the public. She provides an abundance of educational materials, courses, podcasts, books, and more.
Multiplied By One — An international nonprofit based in Canada that focuses on trauma, all dissociative disorders, and survivors' loved ones. They provide a robust collection of self-supportive access points via online support groups, a magazine, an incredibly helpful and carefully curated therapist directory, a new therapeutic app for survivors with dissociative systems, symptoms, and more.
DID Research — A website dedicated to providing the most current, accurate research on trauma, structural dissociation, dissociative identity disorder, and more in a very accessible and approachable way. This author also supplied the "clinical perspective" on our C-PTSD page.
End RA — A website hosted by Dr. Ellen Lacter that demystifies ritual abuse while providing additional resources for, evidence of, and support to survivors of organized abuse (OA) and RAMC. It is particularly useful for clinical education.
Survivorship — A website and private community that provides resources, healing, and community for survivors of extreme child abuse - including sadistic sexual abuse, ritualistic abuse, mind control, and torture. They provide community outreach and training, and raise awareness about these difficult issues.
Hesed Place — An international nonprofit focused on developing a Community Model for Trauma Recovery. Current efforts include an online psychoeducational/ relationally-based community for trauma survivors, trauma-informed-care training for communities, a local “Wanna Heal?” Conference for community residents, referral services, and the local ENGAGE Community Program (which focuses on partnering meaningful sensory-based activities with more traditional therapies in order to maximize holistic healing).
Books and workbooks
Growing Beyond Survival - A Self-Help Toolkit for Managing Traumatic Stress | A Workbook | Elizabeth Vermilyea
Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists | A Workbook | Suzette Boon, Kathy Steele, Onno van der Hart
The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization | Onno van der Hart, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis and Kathy Steele
The Body Keeps the Score | Bessel van der Kolk
Becoming Yourself: Overcoming Mind Control and Ritual Abuse | A Workbook | Dr. Alison Miller
Healing the Unimaginable: Treating Ritual Abuse and Mind Control | For Therapists | Dr. Alison Miller
Me, Not-Me, and We: A Lived Experience Workbook for Phased Recovery from Complex & Relational Trauma with Dissociative Identity Response | A Workbook | Emma Sunshaw
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Guidebook for Survivors and Practitioners | Lindsay Schofield
A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse | A Spiral-bound Adult Coloring Book and Workbook | Dr. Ellen Lacter
Amongst Ourselves - A Self-Help Guide to Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder | A Workbook | Tracy Alderman and Karen Marshall (An older publication, but still very valuable content)
Dear Little Ones: A Book about Dissociative Identity Disorder for Young Alters | An Illustrated 'Children's Book' | Jade Miller (You can also listen to her reading of it, and see the pages, here on YouTube)
Staying in the Room: Managing Medical and Dental Care When You Have DID | CathyAnn Collyer
One Soul, Multiple Expressions: Poems by the Parts | Adrian A. Fletcher, PsyD (A beautiful and encouraging collection of poetry by the parts of Dr. Fletcher, a familial trafficking survivor with the lived experience of dissociative identities)
A Different Kind of Super Hero | Tracy Werner (A unique story to enable parents living with Dissociative Identity Disorder to engage their children in thoughtful conversation about DID)
The Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation - The Hidden Epidemic | Marlene Steinberg, M.D. (Most helpful for loved ones/supporters of those with dissociative disorders; an older publication needing an update but can still be valuable)
The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook | Deborrah Haddock (Also helpful for survivors and their support network despite some additionally outdated material)
A Fractured Mind | Robert B. Oxnam (An autobiographical tale of a successful male with DID and his journey to discovering his condition in a time where information on DID was quite rare and male complex trauma survivors were discussed just as minimally)
A resource we've not yet read ourselves but have heard fantastic things about:
Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders: DSM-V and Beyond | Paul F. Dell and John A. O'Neill (The most current, up-to-date research-based approach to dissociative disorders, covering many perspectives)
*For a more in-depth description of a few materials, visit our Apply for Aid page where we further elaborate on their content, as well as share the role workbooks can play as not only an adjunct to therapy but the only option when no therapy is available to you.
film and audio
Petals of a Rose — a short-film produced by Dylan Crumpler as an answer to the inaccurate and negative portrayals of DID in film and television. It is aimed to educationally and thoughtfully depict a day-in-the-life of a woman with DID on an activated day.
CTAD Clinic — a professional, educational video channel run by Dr. Mike Lloyd of the Complex Trauma and Dissociation Clinic, aimed to improve public and clinical understanding of complex trauma and its resulting conditions.
System Speak Podcast — a podcast series - hosted by Emma Sunshaw, former doctorate level clinician and survivor with lived experience of DID - featuring conversations with trauma professionals, clinicians, and related trauma-focused organizations.
ISSTD DID Awareness Day Series — hosted publicly on YouTube, you can now enjoy the newly-annual DID Awareness Day Webinars; a conversation amongst top complex trauma-focused charitable organizations, each of them led by survivors and professionals with dissociative identities.
**Note: We are currently only featuring professionally-run video and audio content. We do not include any personality-based or lived experience-only channels and/or other uncompleted works that cannot be properly vetted for content and reliability. Safety for all parties always comes first in recommended resources.
Psychiatric hospitals trained in trauma and dissociation
This list is in constant flux as trauma programs are frequently being removed, relocated, and/or considerably altered with regard to services provided. We try to keep this list updated, but note that even if their websites are still active, their units may no longer be. Please reach out to us to help determine what is available and to get you connected.
River Oaks Hospital: The New Orleans Institute | New Orleans, LA
Dominion Hospital: TraumaSci Complex Trauma Disorders | Falls Church, Virginia
McLean Hospital: Dissociative Disorders & Trauma Inpatient Program | Belmont, MA (*stabilization-only, 3-10 day stay average)
CURRENTLY CLOSED: Sheppard Pratt Hospital, UBH Denton (formerly Timberlawn), Colin Ross Institutes, Del Amo’s Inpatient Trauma Recovery Program (IOP only), Forest View Hospital Trauma Treatment, and several other formerly well-known programs.
*This is only a current list of inpatient facilities. There are some other locations that offer residential care, acute stabilization (3-5 days), or solely PHP/IOP. If you are interested in knowing more about these options, please contact us for what we know to be available. Residential care and similar acute care programs are frequently changing and tend to be more unstructured, less regulated, smaller in size, considerably more expensive, and very rarely accept any insurance. But, if you are in need of some kind of treatment, have the financial means, and inpatient options are unavailable to you, we will happily help assist you to see which residential facilities may be right for you.
IOP/PHP trauma programs may provide more structured, crisis-prevention benefits, as well as insurance coverage.
**Different from the ‘stamp of approval’ we are able to give websites, books, and similar completed materials, this is an exhaustive list of hospitals with active inpatient units specializing in the treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders. Each facility has had its fair share of both rave and negative reviews independently. We cannot and do not endorse any one facility, nor would we discourage anyone from looking into others.
Because resources are so scarce, preference rarely gets a voice here - and safety is key - so it is best to know of all options available to you. If you are considering hospitalization and feel overwhelmed by the choices, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to let you know more about each program, and help you make a more informed, confident, and personalized decision for yourself and your treatment.
