The concept of dissociative parts occupies a structural and clinical center of gravity within the depth-psychology literature on trauma, most fully elaborated in van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele's theory of structural dissociation of the personality. This framework, deeply indebted to Pierre Janet's nineteenth-century psychology of action, posits that overwhelming trauma produces a rigid division of the personality into functionally distinct parts: Apparently Normal Parts (ANPs), oriented toward daily life action systems, and Emotional Parts (EPs), fixed in defensive action tendencies and saturated with traumatic memory. The corpus documents not merely the phenomenological variety of these parts—their degrees of emancipation, elaboration, amnesia, and mutual phobia—but insists on their systemic interdependence within a single organism. Courtois extends this framework clinically, emphasizing that therapeutic work must address the whole personality even when engaging individual parts, while Ogden approaches the same terrain somatically, attending to how dissociative parts carry procedural and implicit memory in the body. A sustained tension runs through the literature between the imperative to recognize parts as experientially real to the patient and the clinical necessity of neither reifying nor dismissing them. Integration—understood not as mere fusion but as synthesis, realization, personification, and presentification—is the governing therapeutic telos. The phobia of dissociative parts, and its treatment through graduated exposure and systemic intervention, constitutes one of the field's most technically elaborated therapeutic challenges.
In the library
25 passages
The first is the degree of emancipation (Janet, 1907), of separation and autonomy one dissociative part has developed from other parts of the personality. The second is the degree to which a dissociative part develops complexity and scope
This passage defines the two constitutive dimensions—emancipation and elaboration—by which dissociative parts acquire autonomy and complexity, establishing the developmental taxonomy central to structural dissociation theory.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentthesis
Dissociative parts of the individual that are mediated by daily life action systems, and that thereby need to avoid reminders of the trauma, are called the Apparently Normal Parts of the Personality (ANPs). Parts fixated in defensive action tendencies are called the Emotional Parts of the Personality (EPs)
This passage formally defines the ANP/EP typology, distinguishing dissociative parts by their governing action systems and establishing the clinical prototypes derived from Charles Myers's wartime observations.
Courtois, Christine A, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders (Adults) thesis
works directly and indirectly with dissociative parts of the individual, and with their major and minor manifestations, neither ignoring nor reifying them, using a systemic perspective to foster increasing integration
This passage articulates the core therapeutic stance toward dissociative parts: engaging them systemically without either dismissing or hypostatizing them, always in service of integration of the whole personality.
Courtois, Christine A, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders (Adults) thesis
Overcoming the phobia of dissociative parts requires high level mental actions, not only in the patient, but also in the therapist. All interventions are directed toward helping the patient engage in actions that promote synthesis and realization within the personality as a whole.
This passage frames the phobia of dissociative parts as the key treatment target, requiring high-order integrative action from both patient and therapist across the whole personality system.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentthesis
when both are necessary, particularly for long periods of time, some individuals develop a rather rigid division of their personality to deal with these very discrepant goals
This passage grounds the emergence of dissociative parts in the evolutionary incompatibility of daily-life and defensive action systems, explaining structural dissociation as an adaptive but rigid developmental response to chronic threat.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentthesis
the action systems of daily life, such as exploration, attachment, caretaking, and sexuality, which are found in a single ANP in primary and secondary structural dissociation, are now divided among several ANPs
This passage describes how, in tertiary structural dissociation (DID), even the ANP function becomes pluralized, with daily-life action systems distributed across multiple dissociative parts.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentthesis
most dissociative parts are even more phobic of persecutory EPs. These EPs are based on introjected perpetrators and typically direct rage inward and traumatic reenactments toward other parts.
This passage identifies persecutory EPs—parts structured around introjected perpetrators—as the most avoided dissociative parts, illustrating how evaluative conditioning between parts perpetuates structural dissociation.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
many dissociative parts in DID patients never gain executive control, but work primarily through 'passive influence' (Kluft, 1999). Some of these parts are not at all elaborate, while some have intricate lives within a rich internal fantasy life.
This passage differentiates dissociative parts by their mode of influence—executive control versus passive influence—and by their degree of elaboration, complicating any monolithic account of DID's internal structure.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
Implicit memories of trauma are often contained in dissociative parts, so when various memories are activated, dissociative parts are also activated. Often the adult part of the client may express a desire to work with traumatic memories, but then is unable
Ogden locates implicit traumatic memory within dissociative parts, explaining why destabilization accompanies memory processing and why stabilization of parts must precede or accompany memory work.
Ogden, Pat, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Interventions for Trauma and, 2015supporting
Some dissociative parts strongly inhibit affect: Many ANPs inhibit their mental contents at least to some degree. They are numb, depersonalized, and avoidant of conflicted, painful, or very pleasurable feelings and sensations.
This passage maps the spectrum of affective inhibition across dissociative parts, contrasting the numbing characteristic of ANPs with the vehement emotional flooding characteristic of EPs.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
Dissociative parts may not attend sufficiently to feedback from their own actions or to those of other parts, so they cannot adequately evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. They may ignore or avoid their body
This passage describes how the informational isolation of dissociative parts impairs adaptive feedback loops, including somatic awareness, undermining the completion of action cycles necessary for integration.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
daily life itself is overwhelming. The main dissociative part of Etty, a DID patient, was severely traumatized and could function at a low level only with much effort and much suffering.
Through the case of Etty, this passage illustrates how severely EP-biased personality organization collapses the distinction between traumatic and daily-life functioning, producing pervasive disability.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
dysregulation, switching of parts or intrusions of sensations, images, thought, or emotions from dissociative parts, are all moments when dual awareness could be invaluable. However, dual awareness often requires greater integrative capacity than clients with dissociative disorders might currently possess.
Ogden identifies dissociative switching and intrusion as opportunities for dual-awareness practice, while acknowledging the paradox that such practice requires integrative capacity that dissociative parts may differentially lack.
Ogden, Pat, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Interventions for Trauma and, 2015supporting
Discrete alternations of affect (as well as accompanying thoughts, sensations, and behavior) may accompany switches among various dissociative parts of the personality because they may each encompass different affects and impulses.
This passage explains affective alternation as a symptomatic marker of switching among dissociative parts, each carrying a distinct psychophysiological configuration, linking somatoform symptoms to structural dissociation.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
Various traumatizing events may induce different sets of EPs. Each group of EPs usually experiences and contains traumatic memories related to a specific cluster of traumatic experiences.
This passage demonstrates how distinct traumatic contexts generate distinct EP clusters, each organized around a specific set of traumatic memories, producing the heterogeneous internal systems characteristic of complex dissociative disorders.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
Fostering Fusion Ultimately overcoming the phobia of dissociation parts should involve fusion, 'the act or instance of bringing together two or more [parts of the personality] personalities or fragments in order to blend their essence into a single entity'
This passage positions fusion as the ultimate telos of overcoming the phobia of dissociative parts, defining it as the blending of previously separate parts into a unified personality.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
the survivor as ANP may want to share information with the goal of getting help, but an EP internally forbids it, with the goal of staying safe by not telling.
This passage concretely illustrates goal conflicts between dissociative parts during clinical assessment, showing how inter-part tensions produce observable behavioral signs that the clinician must recognize and manage.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
The therapist wondered if there existed 'a part of her mind' (i.e., dissociative part) that for some reason felt the need to keep the hand in this position. As ANP, Mary thought this might be a possibility.
Through the case of Mary, this passage illustrates how somatoform symptoms such as contracture can be understood as expressions of dissociative parts, bridging somatic and structural-dissociation frameworks.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
dissociative parts fixed in animal defensive reactions and the accompanying vehement emotions can become better regulated and develop a sense of the present. Many emotions will emerge in Phase 2 and can then be regulated through bottom-up approaches.
Ogden describes how phase-based sensorimotor work progressively regulates EP-fixed dissociative parts through bottom-up somatic approaches, enabling them to orient to the present rather than the traumatic past.
Ogden, Pat, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Interventions for Trauma and, 2015supporting
The two parts of the personality are first introduced to each other and then helped to become empathic toward one another and to cooperate in accomplishing actions that will benefit the person as a whole
This passage describes the graduated relational work between dissociative parts—introduction, empathy-building, and cooperation—as the intermediate therapeutic step prior to tackling traumatic memories.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentsupporting
it remains for the field to agree that all dissociative symptoms are manifestations of some degree of structural division of the personality.
This passage critiques the fragmented nosology of dissociation, arguing that all dissociative phenomena should be understood as expressions of structural personality division rather than categorically distinct syndromes.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentaside
Clinically, it is imperative to note whether depersonalization and derealization phenomena occur without structural dissociation, or are a manifestation of structural dissociation, because treatment interventions will be different
This passage calls for differential diagnosis between depersonalization as a standalone phenomenon and depersonalization as a symptomatic expression of dissociative parts, with direct implications for treatment selection.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentaside
The phobia of trauma-derived mental actions is a generalized form of the specific phobias of traumatic memories and dissociative parts.
This passage situates the phobia of dissociative parts within a broader hierarchy of trauma-derived phobias, linking avoidance of parts to the more general inhibition of conflicted mental action.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentaside
In dissociative patients, one part typically synthesizes certain stimuli that other parts do not. But when a dissociative
This passage explains dissociative symptom formation in terms of differential synthesis across parts, showing how the failure of one part to synthesize particular stimuli underlies alterations of consciousness.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentaside
Discuss with a caretaker part how needy parts might be more effectively addressed internally (encourage the integration of action systems for internal purposes; foster social action tendencies, including mentalization)
This passage presents a repertoire of clinical techniques for fostering inter-part communication and cooperation, rooting them in a tradition of permissive hypnotic and mentalization-based approaches.
Hart, Onno van der, The Haunted Self Structural Dissociation and the Treatmentaside