⚠️Important!⚠️: This article is part of the Keys methodology and written with professionals in mind. Self-treatment is not recommended! Want to know more? Read Key methodology: a practice-based approach to DID

Introduction 
Research suggests that the strong parallels between traumatic flashbacks and traumatic attachment can be treated with EMDR (Barazzone et al., 2023; Wesselmann & Potter, 2009). In this perspective, transference (projection of old fears onto people who are safe or neutral in the present) in therapeutic and social relationships is understood as a form of traumatic charge, treatable with techniques such as EMDR and exposure therapy.

Reflective case study. 
When I first realized these parallels, I was lying paralyzed in bed, overwhelmed by intense separation anxiety surrounding a person I was deeply attached to. As an experiment, I applied EMDR to my separation anxiety in bed by flashing forward to the most catastrophic scenario my child parts feared: "That person leaving, being angry, never coming back, and hating me." 
The level of dysregulation (SUD) was extremely high (I think it was a 12 on a scale of 0-10). By repeating EMDR focused on this fear, the SUD dropped to a 4, significantly reducing the emotional charge. This allowed my child parts to internalize and emotionally sustain a new, more mature narrative, resulting in greater inner peace and resilience. Eventually, through the EMDR treatment for their separation anxiety, my child parts were able to say to someone they were deeply attached to, "If you want to leave, you can leave, I won't hold on to you, you're free." The integration of the child parts with the adult narrative brought the SUD to around 0-2.

Theoretical basis 
Transference from insecure attachment can be understood as a traumatic event, which is similarly characterized by anxiety and can therefore be treated with trauma-focused methods. The emotional dysregulation that occurs in important relationships, especially with key figures (people to whom the client is attached and to whom transference is visible in their interactions), resembles reactions associated with a phobia and can therefore be addressed with exposure-like interventions.

Treatment approach examples from my case: (fear can of course vary from person to person, it's all tailor-made!)

Dissociative part with clinging attachment 
Recognizable by the fear of being abandoned. 
Treatment: Flashforward EMDR focused on the catastrophic scenario of abandonment. 

Dissociative part with avoidant attachment 
Recognizable by the fear of trauma recurrence due to proximity. 
Treatment: Exposure focused on initiating contact, despite fear. 

Dissociative part characterized by a lack of boundaries in contact 
Recognizable by the fear of not being seen. 
Treatment: Flashforward EMDR focused on the catastrophic scenario

At first glance this might seen cruel. But the adult version of the DID-client often isn't able to connect in a mature way, because of these underlying parts hijacking the adult's experiences. 

Additional reflective case study from me: trauma-related paranoia
I dealt with my paranoid symptoms, which emerged early in my trauma processing, in a similar way. These turned out to stem from anxious childhood parts that couldn't distinguish between the past and the here and now, causing the trauma I wasn't fully aware of at the time (I hadn't yet gathered enough keys) to seep through as a constant threat.

Conclusion:
This approach proposes viewing transference and insecure attachment not simply as relational phenomena, but as directly treatable manifestations of traumatic activation. It can thus offer a hopeful perspective for clients with DID, for whom traditional treatment models are perceived as inadequate. It aligns with existing scientific knowledge on the application of EMDR to trauma and attachment, but in this way, it is translated from a practice-based perspective into treatment strategies that are also workable for clients with complex dissociative problems.

References:
Barazzone, N. A., Santos, I., McGowan, J. F., Crowley, M., Chamberlain, A. R., & Donaghay-Spire, E. G. (2023). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy and Change in Attachment Security: A Pilot Study. Journal Of EMDR Practice And Research, 17(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1891/emdr-2022-0053

Wesselmann, D., & Potter, A. E. (2009). Change in adult attachment status following treatment with EMDR: Three case studies. Journal Of EMDR Practice And Research, 3(3), 178–191. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.3.3.178