Type Nonprofit Organisation Headquarters Zeist, Netherlands | Founded April 28, 2006 | |
Key people Suzette Boon, Eli Somer and Remy Aquarone | ||
European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD) is a nonprofit organisation, established by and for professionals to share information about chronic traumatization and its effects, and about dissociation in general and dissociative disorders in particular.
Contents
History
ESTD was formally established on April 28, 2006 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Members in the organisation include psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, psychotherapists, counselors, art therapists, researchers, advocates, clergy, and others with an interest in the study and treatment of psychological trauma and dissociation. These members come from a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings in Europe and other areas, including public health facilities, private practice and universities. The ESTD administration is currently operating from Zeist, Netherlands.
The first meeting of ESTD's founders was convened by Ellert Nijenhuis and took place in Hilden, Germany in July 2005. The society was officially registered as a professional nonprofit organisation in 2006. The idea of establishing a European society for trauma and dissociation was first conceived by ESTD's past presidents Eli Somer and Remy Aquarone during their service on the board of directors of the United States-based International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) with the vision of developing the ISSTD as a United Nations-like organisation composed of continental, regional and national societies. Although the two organisations maintain close professional links, they have become administratively separate.
The field of trauma seems to be split in Europe, as it is elsewhere. Explorations for possible mergers with other European trauma societies, such as the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (interested primarily in the outcome of single trauma) and EMDR-Europe (interested primarily in a specific treatment technique) have not come to fruition, however, the ESTSS and the ESTD have established an affiliate relationship.
ESTD has invested resources in promoting knowledge about trauma and dissociation in Eastern Europe (e.g., Romania) and is endorsing activities by national component organisations (e.g., Trauma and Dissociation Israel).
ESTD has national representatives in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom.
Presidents
Conferences
Committees
On November 2010, the ESTD launched "ESTD News", a quarterly newsletter under the editorship of Martin Dorahy and Onno van der Hart.
Aims and objectives
A fundamental objective of the ESTD is to provide professional education about dissociation and trauma in Europe. The society's first bi-annual two-day conference was held in Amsterdam on 17-19 of April 2008, and on December 3, 2011 it held its first bi-annual one-day conference in Paris, France.