those of us in training to be therapists are trained to ask the client with DID to create an internal special place for the children because usually the DID client already has an internal system that they may or may not be aware of that includes protector alters, alters that deal with emotions, alters that deal with certain situations, care taking alters.

Along with the make up of their internal system of alters there is a way in which the alters separate their shared and unshared information from each other (alters) and between the alters and the host (client with DID).

This automatic internal division of sharing and not sharing of information between each alter and between the alters and the host is called by many names. Walls, Rooms, Houses, apartments, Room dividers, planets, Realms, Castles, Fairylands, Lobby, lego land, Music land, the cake factory.. kids name their internal worlds many things based on what they feel safe with.

Eventually what happens is through therapy the client and therapist learn about the clients internal system of alters and how information is shared and not shared by use of these internal divisions.

In cases where the internal system is not known to the host we suggest to the host that they create their own internal safe places. This give the host a sense of being a part of the internal system and it also give the host a sense of control over their chaotic life. By creating an internal safe place for their self and their known alters they now have a way to self nurture when they feel out of control, feel unsafe, feel they need some down time.

We also suggest creating their own internal safe place because in a lot of cases what the host presently imagines to be a safe place for every body ends up being what their internal "walls, Rooms, Houses, apartments, Room dividers, planets, Realms, Castles, Fairylands, Lobby, lego land, Music land, the cake factory.." system of divisions between alters and between the alters and host turns out to be. Knowing what the internal structure is helps to facilitate co consciousness when the time comes and in some cases integration.

We have had cases in our work, and case studys to read about, where the host's present safe place turned out to be vastly different than the automatically created system too. When this happens its a bit more complicated to facilitate co consciousness but over time and discovering what the actual internal system is like co consciousness can happen.

From a personal point of view I loved the idea when my therapist suggested it. I grew up reading books about people who had "Den's" and "Parlors" in their homes and all I had was a shared bedroom with many brothers and sisters. I went all out. My partner and I located and rented a house so that we could set up a room for my partners hobbies and a room for my hobbies, my special room. Then I would go in there and sit and imagine what my internal world would be like. My consciously created world turned out to be vastly different than what my actual internal world was, but it sure was fun to do and created a sense of safety and order to my life.