A dissociative identity disorder is a developmental accomplishment: Reply to van der Hart and Steele

In the theory of dissociation inspired by Janet, psychic processes are reif ied. The client is conceptualized as a victim-to-whom-things-happen. The de velopment of the higher mental functions and control systems that enable pe ople-including survivors of childhood abuse-to monitor their psychic functi oning is ignored. Indeed, the Janetian trauma treatment is intended to brea k down the client's higher mental functions: by re-experiencing horror, aut omatic processes of dissociation are reinforced; the client's spontaneous c ompensatory system is destroyed. This can lead to the legitimizing of inhum ane practices and cause iatrogenic damage. A Vygotskian therapeutic approac h, together with current constructivist theories, provide an alternative. T he development of the higher mental functions and 'abnormal' psychological tools are crucial for by-passing the original traumatic reactions and the d evelopment of human agency.