Repeated experiences of her father’s entering a trancelike state when she becomes distressed will have a profound impact on the development of his daughter’s ability to tolerate and regulate her own intense emotions. These experiences with her father teach her that intense emotion is disorganizing. His overly emotional state creates a disconnection that keeps her from making sense of her own internal and interpersonal world. His entry into a preoccupation with his own unresolved traumas leaves her alone at a time when she desperately needs connection. His nonverbal signals, such as holding her
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