A specialized treatment for children diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), or who have experienced developmental trauma, Dyadic Development Psychotherapy (DDP) is an integrated method of psychotherapy. At EquiTeam, we use DDP to treat children and youth who experience serious psychological problems related to complex trauma and the continuing inability to attach to individuals in their lives.
Most of these clients reside in foster homes, adoptive homes or residential treatment centers.
Children and Families Who Benefit from DDP
DDP can help children who have been hurt and/or neglected within their families in their early years. Children can be traumatized by those experiences and find it difficult to feel safe and secure. This is sometimes called developmental trauma.
These children may struggle when receiving normal, healthy parenting. The children are afraid and develop a range of ways to manage these high levels of fear. Parents may find it hard to manage the child’s behavior and to connect emotionally to their children. These scenarios are best understood as:
- Difficulties in attachment: the children find it hard to feel comfortable with their parents.
- Difficulties in intersubjectivity: the children find it hard to give and take in relationships.
Attachment/Disorganization Issues stem from:
- physical, sexual or emotional trauma
- childhood neglect, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse or repeated placements (foster care, residential facilities, etc.)
EquiTeams’ DDP specialists offer these services in an office setting and, when appropriate, combine EAP and DDP methods.
Executive Director Ellie Williams is a certified practitioner in DDP, one of only 23 in the entire United States providing DDP services to this population. Susan Scott utilizes DDP techniques in her therapeutic interventions at EquiTeam and is moving toward DDP certification. She works with the close supervision of Ellie Williams.
