System Speak: Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders Guest: Dr. Chuck Benincasa (Part 2 of 3)
Sep 4, 2025
Dr. Chuck Benincasa, a clinical practitioner specializing in complex trauma and interpersonal violence, shares invaluable insights on trauma-informed clinical perspectives. He dives into how trauma can hijack values and keep victims stuck in harmful dynamics. Dr. Chuck discusses the importance of balancing clinician protection with client autonomy and emphasizes the wisdom of survival strategies. He reframes dissociation as an adaptive ability, advocating for authenticity and prioritizing well-being over mere symptom removal.
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Behavior As Need Meeting
- All behavior is an attempt to meet a need, including abusive behavior.
- Both partners in an abusive marriage may be driven by the same core need: not feeling good enough.
Superiority Masks Insecurity
- Some abusive or narcissistic behaviors mask a fear of being fundamentally flawed.
- The abuser's superiority acts to defend against a core belief of being 'not good enough.'
Hijacked Values Keep People Stuck
- Trauma hijacks our values and turns them into the glue that keeps people in harmful relationships.
- Feeling morally bound to 'do the right thing' can trap people because their values get co-opted by trauma programming.
