Dissociation means you feel disconnected from your thoughts, feelings, memories, body, or surroundings. Your mind shifts away from the present to cope with stress, overwhelm, or reminders of past experiences. Some people notice it rarely. Others notice it often, and it affects daily life.
Dissociation you may notice in these ways…
- You lose time, you cannot recall parts of a day, a conversation, or a journey.
- You feel unreal, numb, far away, or “not here.”
- You feel detached from your body, as if you watch yourself from the outside.
- The world feels unreal, foggy, too loud, or visually “flat.”
- You feel confused about who you are in that moment, or you notice sudden shifts in mood, needs, or behaviour that feel unlike you.
The SCID-D is a structured clinical interview that helps a trained clinician map your dissociative experiences in a careful, step by step way. You answer guided questions, in your own words, at your pace. The interviewer focuses on five areas, amnesia, depersonalisation, derealisation, identity confusion, and identity alteration. The SCID-D supports clear understanding and, when needed, diagnosis. It can also
help you and your therapist plan treatment more accurately It can also help you decide what support to seek next, including psychotherapy for adults in Bromley.
WHAT THE SCID-D IS FOR
The interview focuses on five areas:
- Amnesia
- Depersonalisation
- Derealisation
- Identity confusion
- Identity alteration
People seek a SCID-D when symptoms feel confusing or when other diagnoses do not fully explain what happens day to day.
HOW LONG IT TAKES
The actual assessment is administered over one long or two longer assessment sessions over approximately six hours. You will not get a result on the day. Usually, a clinician needs time for scoring, review, and report writing so you may wait a few weeks or months for the final result.
HOW TO REQUEST A SCID-D ASSESSMENT ON THE NHS
Most people start in local NHS services.
PRIVATE SCID-D ASSESSMENT
You can also self-fund.
- Some services accept private referrals for SCID-D assessment. The Pottergate Centre and other specialist services offer private referrals
- Private costs vary by provider, location, and what the package includes. At time of writing, a SCID-D assessment costs around £1,400. This as a guide only, fees will vary.
- Bear in mind if you want NHS funded treatment following a SCID-D assessment, ask the assessing clinic how local NHS pathways handle private reports. Local commissioning decisions can still limit access and may not accept the report.
WHERE YOU CAN GET A SCID-D ASSESSMENT
I have listed the three most well-known and established specialist Clinics below…
- Clinic for Dissociative Studies, CDS.
- The CTAD Clinic, Cheshire Psychology.
- The Pottergate Centre for Dissociation and Trauma.
THE PROCESS
Most services follow steps like these…
- Initial contact and screening
You describe your concerns. The clinic often uses screening measures first - The SCID-D interview sessions
The clinician asks structured questions and follows up carefully. - Report and recommendations
- Treatment recommendations
WHAT THE REPORT USUALLY INCLUDES
WILL I GET TREATMENT AFTERWARDS?
An assessment can guide treatment and offer treatment recommendations, but it does not guarantee treatment.
Some specialist services offer assessment and also offer treatment pathways.
WHO CAN GIVE A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS IN THE UK?
In the UK, a formal diagnosis of a dissociative disorder usually comes from:
A psychiatrist. A psychiatrist trains as a doctor, specialises in mental health, and can diagnose and prescribe medication.
An HCPC-registered clinical psychologist, or another HCPC-registered practitioner psychologist who works within an appropriate scope of practice and governance to provide diagnostic opinions.
WHY I DO NOT OFFER SCID-D ASSESSMENTS IN PRIVATE
PRACTICE
I completed SCID-D training at the Pottergate Centre, so I can understand the process, read reports accurately, and help you prepare for what the assessment involves.
I do not offer SCID-D assessments as a standalone private psychotherapist for three practical reasons…
- Diagnosis and clinical governance
A psychiatrist or an appropriately practising HCPC-registered psychologist usually needs to provide the formal diagnostic opinion. I work in independent practice so am not able to offer this. - Report weight and service acceptance
Counsellors and psychotherapists can complete training, but training alone does not make the assessment report carry the same clinical weight as a report produced within a specialist diagnostic service. - Specialist clinics build deeper SCID-D expertise
Specialist clinics deliver SCID-D work routinely, often within teams that assess dissociation frequently. That daily practice usually builds more expertise than a single independent practitioner can offer.
Even if I offered the interview element and wrote up the report, it would not automatically help you access NHS funded treatment. NHS services typically rely on their own pathways and accepted diagnostic sign-off.
WHAT I CAN DO WITH YOU IN THERAPY IN BROMLEY
Should you want psychotherapy for adults in Bromley, and you are considering seeking a SCID-D dissociation assessment, I can still support you in a direct, practical way.
I can help you:
- Prepare for assessment sessions, including grounding and pacing
- Clarify what you want from assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, or both
- Work through small sections of the SCID-D themes inside ordinary therapy sessions when those themes matter for you
- Make sense of an existing SCID-D report and turn recommendations into a plan you can follow
FOR PROFESSIONALS
If you are a professional interested in the SCID-D, start with the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD). ESTD offers a Europe-wide professional home for clinicians and researchers working with complex trauma and dissociation, and it shares training and community links.
For SCID-D specific learning, look for training that covers administration, scoring, and clinical interpretation, and that reflects the 2023 update work linked with Marlene Steinberg and UK providers.
If you want primary source material, look for the SCID-D Interviewer’s Guide by Marlene Steinberg, which outlines how to administer, score, and interpret the interview.