Envisioning and Embodying Empowerment in Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Case Illustrating the TwoPart Film Technique

This paper describes and illustrates the Two-Part Film technique (TPF; Krakauer, 2006), an intervention characteristic of the Collective Heart model (CH; Krakauer, 2001), a phase-oriented approach to treating dissociative disorders highlighting the client’s access to inner guidance. A clinical case is presented to illustrate the central role of the TPF in transcendence of shame in the treatment of a young woman with polyfragmented Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) reporting extensive incest and ritual abuse in childhood and adolescence. Assumptions are presented regarding the perpetuation of distorted posttraumatic beliefs and self-defeating behaviors—a common source of gridlock in the treatment of DID—and claims are articulated regarding the role of the TPF in helping the client obtain accurate information about her inherent value and her power to heal and thrive. The TPF procedure is described, with special attention to amplification and attenuation of affect and sensation, followed by a detailed case presentation featuring verbatim descriptions of the client’s experiences. Finally, the author’s rationale for developing the CH model and the TPF technique are elaborated, evaluations of the efficacy of the technique by the client and therapist (author) are presented, significant features of the TPF illustrated by the clinical case are highlighted, cautions regarding utilization of the model and technique are noted, and further development and empirical assessment of the approach are discussed.