A New Therapy for Multiple Personality Disorder Helps a Woman with 12 Selves
Therapy for dissociative identity disorder has aimed to meld many personalities into one. But that’s not the only solution, a caring therapist shows
Rebecca J. Lester is chair of the anthropology department at Washington University in St. Louis, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma and eating disorders, and a past president of the Society for Psychological Anthropology. She is author of Famished: Eating Disorders and Failed Care in America (University of California Press, 2019). Credit: Nick Higgins
Therapy for dissociative identity disorder has aimed to meld many personalities into one. But that’s not the only solution, a caring therapist shows
We learn the story of “Ella,” a patient with 12 different personalities, or “parts,” and of her therapist, who helped her form a peaceful community—many selves in one body and mind...
Support science journalism.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Knowledge awaits.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.
Create Account