Healing My Parts: Real Talk on Dissociative Identity Disorder and Complex Trauma

Polyfragmentation and Coming Back to the Body

Episode Show NotesHealing My Parts Podcast — with Body Wise: Many Selves, One BodyThis episode sits inside the lived reality of DID—specifically polyfragmentation—and what healing looks like when the body becomes part of the work, not just the story.We’re joined by Body Wise: Many Selves, One Body, a polyfragmented system and somatic trauma therapist, who shares openly about system discovery, co-consciousness, and the slow, often non-linear process of building safety in the body.There’s honesty here about how hard this work is.And also… a grounded kind of hope.In This Episode* What polyfragmentation can actually look like from the inside* Discovering DID suddenly—and skipping denial* Living as a co-conscious system (and holding a lot of memory)* Why somatic work can feel terrifying—and still be essential* How healing often happens in very small, tolerable steps* Trusting the internal intelligence of the system* What helps (and what doesn’t) in therapy for complex systemsTimestamps00:00 — Opening + podcast intention01:18 — Meet the guest (polyfragmented system + therapist)02:29 — Sudden DID discovery05:01 — Understanding polyfragmentation + subsystems07:28 — Co-consciousness and holding memory11:33 — Why somatic work changed everything17:22 — Healing slowly: building safety in the body21:02 — Trusting your system’s internal guidance33:04 — Somatic flashbacks + coping tools43:49 — Rewriting trauma through the bodyFor ListenersIf your experience doesn’t match what you’ve seen elsewhere, remember:There isn’t one way to be a system.There isn’t one way to heal.ResourcesConnect with Body Wise Many Selves One Body on their Instagram: bodywise.manyselves.onebodyConnect with them at their Natural Holistics Practice website.For more resources visit: healingmyparts.orgHealing My Parts Substack@healingmyparts on InstagramThank you for listening! 🩷🫶💜 Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe

The Biology of Survival with Dr. Frank Putnam

What happens when trauma doesn’t just shape memories — but reshapes the body itself?In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Frank Putnam, one of the most influential researchers in the field of childhood trauma and dissociation. For more than four decades, Dr. Putnam has studied how early maltreatment affects development, health, and survival across the lifespan.His groundbreaking Female Growth and Development Study has followed survivors of childhood abuse for more than 35 years, revealing something profound: trauma doesn’t only affect the mind. It changes biology, aging, health, and even the next generation.Together we explore how dissociation develops in childhood, why trauma survivors often experience earlier physical illness, and what the science actually tells us about healing.This conversation bridges research, clinical care, and lived experience — offering a rare look at the long arc of trauma and the resilience of those who survive it.Key Moments03:20 — How childhood trauma can accelerate biological aging09:45 — Dissociation as a survival strategy, not a disorder18:10 — The origins of the Female Growth and Development Study32:40 — The “tentacles” of trauma across physical health and development46:15 — What clinicians often misunderstand about dissociation58:30 — Why stabilizing daily life must come before trauma processingAbout Our GuestFrank W. Putnam, MD is a professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and one of the leading researchers on childhood trauma and dissociation.His newest book, Old Before Their Time: A Scientific Life Investigating How Maltreatment Harms Children and the Adults They Become, brings together decades of research on the lifelong impact of childhood abuse.Who This Episode Is For• Survivors navigating dissociation, DID, or complex trauma• Clinicians working with trauma and dissociative systems• Anyone interested in the intersection of science, trauma, and healingResources📘 Old Before Their Time — Dr. Frank Putnam 📩Contact Dr. Frank Putnam 🌀About Dr. Putnam 🌐 healingmyparts.org Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe

🎙️ DID Is a Brilliant Adaptation-With Sally Maslansky, LMFT — author of A Brilliant Adaptation

What if dissociative identity disorder is a brilliant, life-saving strategy?In this moving and grounded conversation, therapist and author Sally Maslansky shares her lived experience of DID and the therapeutic relationship that changed everything.Diagnosed in the 1990s (when it was still called MPD), Sally entered treatment during a cultural moment steeped in fear and shame. But her therapist, Dr. Dan Siegel, offered something radically different:Not “What’s wrong with you?”But “What did your mind do to survive?”From disorganized attachment to learned secure attachment.From fragmentation to fluidity.From terror without context to memory with meaning.⏱ Timestamps00:04 – Romania, terror, and the shock of not remembering childhoodAdoption awakens something she can’t ignore.08:58 – The diagnosis in the 90sFrom “Am I crazy?” to “This is a brilliant adaptation.”11:33 – Disorganized attachment: fear without solutionHow the brain fragments to survive.14:37 – Parts as verbs, not nounsWhy dissociated states are processes — not separate people.21:46 – What healing actually feels likeMemory intact. Suffering over.33:55 – Implicit vs. explicit memory“If I’m hysterical, it’s historical.”If you’ve ever feared that healing means losing your parts, this episode offers another picture.Memory intact.Suffering over.Safety carried securely from the inside.Links & ResourcesSally’s WebsiteSally’s Book A Brilliant Adaptation Sally at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium March 20th Sally & Dr Dan Siegel Speaking March 11thThe Wheel of AwarenessDr Dan Siegel’s WebsiteDr Ruth Lanius WebsiteDr. Bethany Brand’s WebsiteHealingMyParts.org Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe

Cheryl Rainfield on Cult Torture, Programming, and Healing DID with Compassion

In this deeply nuanced conversation, we’re joined by author and survivor Cheryl Rainfield to explore the realities of cult torture, dissociative identity, and the layered impact of organized abuse.We unpack what it means to reclaim the word torture, how cult-created programming functions inside dissociative systems, and how healing unfolds when compassion replaces fear.We explore:• Why some survivors reclaim the term cult torture• How programming operates — and how it can be gently dismantled• The distinction between cult-created parts and other trauma-based or persecutory parts• Subtle indicators that may suggest a history of organized abuse• Why relational repair, attachment, and emotional responsiveness matter profoundly in treatment• What therapists often misunderstand about working with survivors of organized abuse• How systems can begin building trust with cult created partsThis conversation does not sensationalize. It names. It clarifies. And it holds hope.Cheryl speaks candidly about what survivors need most: to be believed, to be heard, and to be met with steady compassion.Whether you are a survivor, clinician, or someone seeking to better understand complex dissociation, we hope this episode offers clarity, validation, and thoughtful guidance.Time Stamps00:00 – Introduction + reclaiming the term “cult torture”08:40 – What programming is and how it functions21:15 – Cult-created parts vs. persecutory/trauma parts36:20 – Subtle signs of organized abuse histories52:10 – What therapists need to understand1:06:30 – Modifying modalities (EMDR, grounding, attachment needs)1:20:45 – Community, writing, and reclaiming voice1:32:00 – Hope for survivors + practical next stepsContent NoteThis episode discusses organized abuse, dissociation, and suicidality. Please listen at your own pace and care for yourself as needed.Connect with CherylCherylRainfield.comCheryl’s BooksCheryl’s Social MediaTikTok @CherylrainfieldInstagram @CherylrainfieldFacebook Cheryl RainfieldYouTube Cheryl.RainfieldSubstack Cheryl RainfieldCheryl’s ArticlesSome Signs and Symptoms of Cult Torture and How To Help:Article on cult torture and programming:Cheryl’s Links to Resources on Cult torture and DID Cheryl’s Recommended Books on cult torture/RAMCOA:Becoming Yourself by Alison Miller Healing The Unimaginable by Alison Miller Demystifying Mind Control & Ritual Abuse Safe Passage to Healing by Chrystine Oksana. Cheryl’s Recommended Websites:Survivorship.orgra-info.orgritualabuse.us endritualabuse.org grassroots-ra-mc-collective.org Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe

Business Boundaries & Being Plural with Cyndi Bennett

In this episode, our guest, Cyndi Bennett, speaks publicly about their system for the first time and shares parts of their personal journey before turning toward their work supporting trauma survivors in professional spaces. We talk about business boundaries, nervous system capacity, internal consent, and what it means to navigate careers and leadership as a plural system. This conversation is for systems thinking about work, sustainability, and how to make decisions that honor more than one internal voice.⏱️ Timestamps * 00:02:15 – Cyndi introduces themselves and their plural system* 00:06:45 – Building a coaching practice as a system* 00:14:20 – On boundaries, burnout, and protecting your bandwidth* 00:21:00 – Why coaching isn’t therapy (and why that matters)* 00:33:40 – Internal communication tips from Cyndi’s own parts* 00:42:55 – Reflections on authenticity, professionalism, and trust* 00:55:30 – Final thoughts: honoring all parts, including the messy onesConnect with Cyndi: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe