Therapy for Looked After and Adopted Children

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) by Kim Golding was originally developed by Dan Hughes as a therapeutic intervention for families who are fostering or have adopted children with significant developmental trauma. This means children who have experienced trauma from early in life and from within their birth family; as a result, they struggle to feel safe with parents and thus demonstrate attachment difficulties.

DDP is a therapy but it is also a broader approach for parenting and caring for children. Dyadic Developmental Practice provides a particular framework for helping children who are recovering from trauma through the parenting and support they receive. This support is supplemented by the therapy when appropriate.

Children who are adopted or fostered have often had experiences with parents that compromise their sense of safety in families. They develop ways of relating, often centred upon attempts to control relationships as a defence, a way of experiencing safety without relying on parents. These patterns of relating are brought with them into their new homes. Relationships based upon control become central to the way the children live within the families.

This means that children cannot enter the more healthy, reciprocal relationships within which children remain open to the influence of the parents. Relationships based on reciprocity are central to DDP. The therapist builds a relationship with the child and parents which helps increase feelings of safety and provides healing from earlier trauma.

You can find out more about DDP here or please contact us to discuss in further detail.

Who is non-violent resistance (NVR) training for?

NVR is a fantastic approach for any family where children or young people are showing violent, aggressive or destructive behaviours. NVR is a parent consultation approach, therefore we will work with parents/carers rather than directly with children.”

How does the Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) programme work?

Carers learn to resist the violence or controlling behaviour step by step, building on their experiences, support they receive, and their growing confidence. NVR is not a talking therapy and the young person is not engaged in any conversations about what may be causing him or her to feel angry or to lose control. The resistance uses action instead of talking. Talking is kept to a minimum and consists mainly of brief announcements or declarations, which are used to communicate what kind of action carers are taking and why.

There are four areas in which carers, with support, become active:

De-escalation – Carers develop strategies to manage risk, without getting involved in fruitless power struggles.
Breaking taboos – After months or years of ‘walking on eggshells’ and feeling they have to give in to their child’s demands if they wish to maintain peace in the family, carers learn to strategically ‘break the rules’ their child has set up for the family.
Taking non-violent action – Consequences and punishment no longer work. Carers raise their presence by carefully planned, delayed action within the home, and in the outside environment.
Reconciliation gestures – Certain gestures show young people that their families care about them. They help carers and children or young people relate to one another beyond the aggression.

Is this right for me or the family/carer I am supporting?

This process does need time and commitment from parents or carers for the 8 weekly sessions in order to be effective. Those parenting or caring as a couple are encouraged to attend together, single parents or carers are very welcome to bring a trusted friend or supporter.

Consent will also be required from the person/people that hold Parental Responsibility for the child and children in the household.

Sessions are most helpful for families or carers who can relate the material to a specific child or children in their care.

Sensory Integration Parent Consultations are offered by a fully qualified Occupational Therapist and Sensory Integration Practitioner and bring an attachment-informed perspective to the difficulties children and young people can have when trying to make sense of their sensory experiences.

Sessions are tailored to the child and family’s specific needs and provide a forum for parents and carers to more fully understand their child’s sensory issues, and together identify strategies and sensory opportunities to promote the development of sensory regulation and sensorimotor skills.

Benefits of this approach can include improved connectedness between parents / carers and their child, improved sensory and emotional regulation and enhanced abilities to engage fully in everyday activities leading to improved self-esteem and relationships.