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DDP

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

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WHAT IS

DDP?

Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) is an attachment based treatment developed by Dan Hughes for families and children struggling with trauma-attachment bonds. The treatment model used is an interactive and experiential relationship-building therapy designed to understand the impact of early childhood trauma.  DDP is designed to teach, model and support healthy relationships. Focus of treatment is in helping the child to feel safe and trust their parent(s) The principles of DDP are set out on www.ddpnetwork.org.

WHO CAN

DDP HELP?

Children who have not had their needs attended to may come to believe that they are not worthy, lovable or adequate and they may act out and sabotage offerings meant to show them otherwise. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy offers a framework of safe boundaries and works using Playful Acceptance Curiosity and Empathy (PACE)  to help build family attachments.

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WHAT ARE THE

GOALS OF DDP?

1. Create Boundaries & Safety

2. Affect Development

3. Self-Discovery

4. Accepting Connection & Comfort

5. Emotional Communication

6. Relationship Repair

7. Build Secure Attachment Relaitonships

WHAT WILL A

SESSION INCLUDE?

  • Connections with Parent and Child

  • Boundaries and Safety

  • Understanding of the child's experience

  • Playful, acceptance, curiosity and empathy Parental psycho-education offering resources to develop understanding of DDP

  • Processing the child and family’s trauma history

  • Processing grief and loss 

  • Validation for child’s feelings

  • Role-playing  to explore current and/or past events using supportive interactions

  • Reparation of early and present relationships

  • Talking for the child, talking about the child, and with the child to support emotion development

  • Use of expressive arts to deepen affective development and expression

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM

DDP SESSION

 Parent Sessions

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  • To build a trusting working relationship 

  • To create joint intentions for the work

  • To explore the impact of parenting 

  • To understand parental attachment history

  • To develop empathy for their child 

 

Then alternate Parent child sessions and parent sessions 

 

When your child is present Nikki will explore ways to help her to understand your child better. This may involve using puppets, toys art or play. 

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