Megan W. Spinks, LCSW, ACSW, Inc.
 

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is a psychotherapeutic treatment method for families that have children with symptoms of emotional disorders, including Complex Trauma and disorders of Attachment. It was originally developed by psychologist Dr. Daniel Hughes as an intervention for children whose emotional distress resulted from earlier separation from familiar caregivers.

 

As noted on DDP Network, Dyadic developmental psychotherapy involves creating a "playful, accepting, curious, and empathic" (PACE) environment in which the therapist attunes to the child's "subjective experiences" and reflects this back to the child by means of eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and movements, voice tone, timing and touch, "co-regulates" emotional affect and "co-constructs" an alternative autobiographical narrative with the child. Dyadic developmental psychotherapy also makes use of cognitive-behavioral strategies. The "dyad" referred to must eventually be the parent-child dyad. The active presence of the primary caregiver is preferred but not required.

 

 

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