Eli Somer

Eliezer "Eli" Somer (; born 1951) His research focuses on trauma, dissociation, childhood abuse, and the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders. Somer is a former president of both the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) and the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD), and has received several awards for his contributions to trauma psychology and dissociation research.

Biography Early life and education Somer was born in Israel on 26 August 1951 to parents who were Holocaust survivors. He completed his military service in the Israel Defense Forces before studying psychology at the University of Haifa, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1976 and a master's degree in 1980. He earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Florida in 1984 under the supervision of Carolyn M. Tucker. His doctoral dissertation examined the influence of marital adjustment and patient engagement on treatment adherence among individuals receiving chronic hemodialysis. Following his doctoral studies, Somer completed postdoctoral training in traumatic stress and clinical psychology before returning to Israel. He later served as Professor of Clinical Psychology and was subsequently appointed Professor Emeritus.

His work has combined academic research with clinical practice, focusing on trauma-related disorders, dissociation, hypnosis, childhood abuse, and imagination-related psychopathology. Somer is certified by the Israeli Ministry of Health as a supervisor in both clinical psychology and hypnosis and has continued to work as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor while maintaining an active research program. He also has served as scientific adviser to Trauma and Dissociation Israel and has held leadership positions in several international professional organizations devoted to trauma and dissociation.

Research Somer's research focuses on psychological trauma, dissociation, the outcome of childhood maltreatment, and the clinical assessment of trauma-related disorders. His early work examined delayed disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, therapist misconduct, dissociative experiences, psychosocial stress, and the psychological consequences of terrorism and armed conflict. He has also contributed to research on hypnosis, attachment, emotion regulation, and cross-cultural aspects of trauma.

Somer is best known for introducing the concept of maladaptive daydreaming (MD) in 2002 , describing a pattern of extensive fantasy activity that may become compulsive and interfere with education, employment, relationships, and everyday functioning. His original qualitative study established the theoretical foundation for subsequent research into the phenomenon, which has since become an international area of investigation involving researchers from psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience.

Following the introduction of maladaptive daydreaming, Somer collaborated with researchers worldwide to develop diagnostic criteria and psychometric instruments, including the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Maladaptive Daydreaming (SCIMD). His later studies examined the prevalence of maladaptive daydreaming, its relationship with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dissociation, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum conditions, and behavioral addiction. His work also explored source-monitoring deficits, emotion regulation, and the role of immersive fantasy as a coping mechanism following psychological trauma.

During the late 2010s and 2020s, Somer's scholarship expanded into longitudinal and cross-cultural investigations of maladaptive daydreaming. He has also contributed to international position papers discussing the current evidence, diagnostic challenges, and future directions for maladaptive daydreaming research.

Alongside his journal articles, Somer has authored and edited books on psychotherapy, trauma, dissociation, and mental health. His 1999 book on dual relationships in psychotherapy examined ethical issues surrounding therapist-client sexual exploitation, while Mental Health in Terror's Shadow (2005), co-edited with Arieh Bleich, explored the psychological impact of terrorism in Israel. In 2026, he published Trapped in Fantasy: When Fantasy Takes Over Life a Hebrew-language volume synthesizing more than two decades of clinical and scientific work on maladaptive daydreaming, bringing together current knowledge on its assessment, treatment, and relationship to trauma and dissociation.

Professional leadership Somer has held leadership positions in several international organizations devoted to the study and treatment of trauma and dissociation. He served as president of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) from 2005 to 2006 and of the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD) from 2009 to 2011. He has also served as scientific adviser to Trauma and Dissociation Israel (TDIL), contributed to professional education and clinical training, and participated in editorial and advisory activities related to trauma, dissociation, and psychotherapy.

Somer has also contributed to professional and public education on trauma through lectures, workshops, and media interviews. His research on maladaptive daydreaming has received coverage in international media and has helped increase public awareness of the phenomenon among clinicians, researchers, and the general public. As a specialist in trauma and dissociation, he has participated in professional advisory activities concerning psychological treatment, trauma-informed care, and mental health policy. He has studied delayed disclosure of abuse, dissociation, therapist sexual misconduct, and the psychological consequences of interpersonal violence. His research on therapist–client sexual exploitation examined survivors' retrospective accounts and informed discussions of professional ethics and patient protection.

Outside academia, Somer has contributed to public policy and legislation concerning sexual offences, including legislative initiatives relating to intra-familial sexual abuse and prohibitions on sexual relationships between therapists and patients. He has also trained mental health professionals, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and rape crisis volunteers on the psychological effects of trauma and dissociation.

Outside the courtroom, Somer has contributed to public policy discussions on sexual abuse and trauma. He has advocated extending limitation periods for childhood sexual abuse offences and has aided the legislation process prohibiting sexual relationships between psychotherapists and their patients. His research on trauma, delayed disclosure, and therapist misconduct has informed professional training for mental health practitioners, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and victim-support organizations.

Articles

Awards and honors

1984 – President's Award, University of Florida. 1984 – Inducted into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, University of Florida. 2001 – Honorary Fellow, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. 2006 – President's Award, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. 2012 – President's Award, European Society for Trauma and Dissociation. 2014 – Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Trauma and Dissociation Research, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.