Dissociation Australia was established in 2004 as the Australian component group of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD ).
The purpose of the group is to provide Australian professionals, postgraduate students and the public with a central source of reliable and up-to-date information about dissociation and the dissociative disorders.
The specific goals of the group are to:
Dissociation Australia also provides members with information and opportunities for:
It is expected the goals and functions of the group will adapt to meet the needs of its members and the Australian mental health community.
Dissociation Australia is professional group and membership is open to Australian practitioners, researchers and postgraduate students working in the areas of trauma and dissociation. Membership is free and while concurrent membership of the ISSD is encouraged, it is not essential.
As a component group of the ISSD , Dissociation Australia will:
The imagery will be familiar to Australians and New Zealanders, however, the star formation in the Dissociation Australia logo - the Southern Cross - may require explanation for colleagues from the Northern hemisphere.
The Southern Cross is a small 5-star constellation visible only in the Southern hemisphere. The constellation played an important navigational role in the early years of European settlement and appears on one of the two national flags of Australia ; Australia's other national flag is the flag of Aboriginal Australia. The Southern Cross also appears on the New Zealand national flag.