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Atkinson Secure Children’s Home

Helping young people to understand and manage their emotions

Why are we using Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy?


We have recognised that most of our children and young people have experienced some form of trauma which affects their emotional and social development. As a result we have to ensure our staff have the knowledge and skills to manage our children therapeutically.

Following research and consultation with our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) colleagues we believe the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) approach best meets the needs of our children and young people.

All staff will have completed the Level 1 DDP (28 hours) training by May 2016. We are also committed to developing  this further by staff completing the Level 2 course. We are the first secure children’s home in the country to adopt the DDP model.

DDP was originally developed by Dan Hughes as a therapeutic intervention for families who were fostering or had adopted children with significant developmental trauma and insecurity of attachment.

It is called DDP to focus attention on to the importance of child and parent working with the therapist. Together they can provide the child with a corrective developmental experience that will help them to grow and heal emotionally.

This therapy is theoretically based on the models of attachment theory and intersubjectivity, and is consistent with the needs of children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma.


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