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This is a kind, loving, detailed and truly informative book that explains what's likely going on inside a person who has suffered trauma, including ritual abuse and why their brokenness is so difficult to restore without the healing power of Jesus Christ. MPD/DID occurs in very young and intelligent people who suffered as children and whose personalities broke/split apart in order to contain and limit the emotional, physical and psychological damage that were inflected upon them. The author not only recognizes the reality of multiple personalities (the term disassociation is now preferred), but believes that every broken personality (alters, splits or fragments) needs to be respectfully treated as distinct and in need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Care must be made not to associate fragmented personalities and splits with demonic possession. While some do believe that demonization of broken parts may exist, Friesen suspects that many such splits may simply be under the influence and duress of demonic entities introduced through abuse or sin and that they are unable to escape the demons' lies and distortions because they are not aware of the truth of the power and love of Jesus Christ. When splits accept the help and truth of Jesus as their Lord, the demonic loses its control. Unnecessary harm can be done in a deliverance session if a broken part of a personality is perceived as a demon and ordered out of the person or otherwise treated as evil. Rather than pursuing wholeness through restoration, the deliverance minister risks alienating a broken part of the person into even greater hiding and remoteness.
The writing is crisp and accessible to the well-read layperson. Friesen is very up-front and honest on how his clinical experiences have forced his understanding and care of MPD/DID to evolve over time. Mistakes were made and new insights are constantly being revealed. His empathy for the afflicted individual is woven in his writing and it conveys hope on every page that healing can come, once the splits can put their trust into the right Counselor.
The book's biggest weakness is its age. It needs a new and updated edition in which Friesen--or a trusted colleague--review the original text and make needed modifications on the current state of the field. For instance, Friesen refers to his use of hypnosis to speak to alters and most Christian counselors today realize the dangers this may expose a patient to (John Sandford has brought awareness to this issue). Other Christian practitioners of MPD/DID therapy have written it may not be necessary to identify every personality and fragment alter to note their pain or their role in the individual's psychology and woundedness. It may be enough to allow the Guardian/Protector or other major personality splits to permit Jesus into the "system" and preach, teach and restore the alters. This is important because Freisen often notes the years it takes for a person to find wholeness. Too many victims of MPD may never experience healing if they can only obtain it through weekly therapy sessions for multiple years. Surely, Jesus can bring restoration in a much quicker fashion.
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