
DDP was created by Dan Hughes, a Clinical Psychologist from Pennsylvania. It is a family-based therapy and is focused on helping children develop a secure attachment with their adoptive and/or foster parents. Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy, known as PACE, is used to help children regulate their feelings about their past and create new meanings in the child's life story.
I completed Level 1 training this month and was completely fascinated by this type of therapy. After 7 hours of listening and comprehending this new therapy, I was exhausted and just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed as soon as possible. But on the drive home, I decided I would to try this out with my son, who is adopted. He is frequently asking me to play with him and I usually am busy doing something else. But this time I got down on the floor and played with his LEGOs letting him lead the way (using Playfulness). An hour later it was time for bath, books, and bed, which is usually a source of frustration for my son and my husband and me. I cannot tell you how smoothly this particular night actually went! We were thrilled that just that little amount of attention helped him to listen to us. I will stress that Playfulness doesn't always mean physically playing with your child. My husband is great at having a playful voice and matching our son's playful intensity.
If your foster or adoptive child isn't attaching like you expected due to developmental trauma, contact me and we can work together to help you both learn a new way to communicate. Here is more information on DDP: https://ddpnetwork.org/.
I completed Level 1 training this month and was completely fascinated by this type of therapy. After 7 hours of listening and comprehending this new therapy, I was exhausted and just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed as soon as possible. But on the drive home, I decided I would to try this out with my son, who is adopted. He is frequently asking me to play with him and I usually am busy doing something else. But this time I got down on the floor and played with his LEGOs letting him lead the way (using Playfulness). An hour later it was time for bath, books, and bed, which is usually a source of frustration for my son and my husband and me. I cannot tell you how smoothly this particular night actually went! We were thrilled that just that little amount of attention helped him to listen to us. I will stress that Playfulness doesn't always mean physically playing with your child. My husband is great at having a playful voice and matching our son's playful intensity.
If your foster or adoptive child isn't attaching like you expected due to developmental trauma, contact me and we can work together to help you both learn a new way to communicate. Here is more information on DDP: https://ddpnetwork.org/.