Completing the Practicum and Certification

4. Completing the Practicum

  • You continue submitting recordings until your Primary Consultant considers your practice shows good skills in all areas of the core components of DDP.
  • You will need to submit a minimum of 10 recordings and often more than 10 is required.
  • Your final recording as decided by your Primary Consultant, will also be reviewed independently by your Secondary Consultant.
  • Your final review needs to be of a complete session, involving a parent and child. Your final review needs to be of a complete session and, as with the mid-point review, involve the appropriate family members for your particular practice certification. Your consultant will provide you with written reviews and completed DDP Rating Scales. You are given both your Primary and Second Consultants reviews.
  • You complete the practicum when your Primary and Second Consultants agree that you have reached the required standard of practice.
  • If your Primary and Second Consultants do not agree on the recommendation then the DDPI Board Review Committee, whose decision and recommendations will be final, will review the final recording and written materials.
  • If it is felt that sufficient progress has not been made, the DDPI Board Review Committee will make recommendations, such as further supervision prior to continuing with the practicum.

5. Certification  – What happens when I have successfully completed the Practicum?

All new applicants and those who started from the middle of 2020 will use this process. If unsure please contact your Consultant.

Step 1. Provide your Renewal Declaration and Supervision information

Once you have completed the practicum you will be contacted by email separately to supply your Renewal Declaration and Supervision information (number 10 on the Application Materials list in the DDP Practitioner Practicum Application form).

Download form below;

Declaration concerning Renewal of Certification for DDP Practitioners

This should be filled in and sent to your Primary Consultant.

Step 2. Pay the Final DDPI Practitioner Certification fee

You will be contacted separately by email to pay your Final Practitioner Certification Fee. All current fees can be found at the link below;

Details of all DDPI Fees

DDPI Practitioner Certification fees are now collected online, the Final Practitioner Certification Fee is paid via your Practitioner in Training account on DDP Members.

Please refer to your payment request email and the Terms of Service page ‘SECTION 5.2 – PAYMENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND CERTIFICATION FEES TO DDPI & DDP CONNECTS UK’ for more information on paying your fees.

DDP Newsletter and Google Group Signup

You can use this form to sign-up to the ‘DDP UK & Ireland’ and ‘DDP USA, Canada & Global’ email newsletters and the DDPI Google Group/Listserv If you haven’t already done so.

Making your Practitioner profile public

If you previously chose to hide your Practitioner profile, you can select to make it public on the Find a DDP Practitioner pages on the DDP Network, using the same online payment form.

Step 3. You are now a Practitioner in DDP and will receive your DDPI certificate

After final approval you will become a Practitioner in DDP, and receive your Practitioner Certificate valid for 4 years.

This certificate will include the DDPI trademark, your DDPI membership number, and the dates your certification runs for. It will name your Primary and Second Consultants and will be signed by Dan Hughes, founder of DDP.

If you are certified as a Practitioner in DDP you can undertake all areas of practice.

If you are certified as a Practitioner in DDP (Parents and caregivers only) – You must state this in your DDP-related title and all advertising related to your DDP practice. If you omit this and advertise yourself as being certified by DDPI to work in all areas of practice, this will be taken to the DDPI Board and your certification may be rescinded.

If you previously chose to make your Practitioner profile ‘Public when Certified’, it will now be visible on the Find a DDP Practitioner pages on the DDP Network.

Your Primary Consultant will invite Dan Hughes to welcome you to the DDP Community on the DDPI Google Group/ Listserv.

Step 1. You will need to pay the final DDPI Practitioner Certification fee
$ USD£ GBP
$100£64

To pay your final Practitioner Certification fee please contact your Primary Consultant. Only those living in the UK may pay their fees in GBP.

Details of all DDPI Fees

Step 2. You will be sent a DDPI certificate that states the title you can use in your practice
  • This certificate will include the DDPI trademark, your DDPI membership number, and the dates your certification runs for. It will name your Primary and Secondary Consultants and will be signed by Dan Hughes, founder of DDP.
  • If you are certified as a Practitioner in DDP you can undertake all areas of practice.
  • If you are certified as:
    • A Practitioner in DDP (Parents and caregivers only)

    You must state this in your DDP-related title and all advertising related to your DDP practice. If you omit this and advertise yourself as being certified by DDPI to work in all areas of practice, this will be taken to the DDPI Board and your certification may be rescinded.

Step 3.Your successful certification will be published on the DDP Institute Google groups list serve
If you are not already a member ask your consultant about this.
Step 4. You have the option of being listed as a certified Practitioner in DDP on the ddpnetwork.org website
When you finish the practicum and with your permission, your name, profile and contact details can be added to the list of certified practitioners on the ddpnetwork.org website. We reserve the right to exclude or remove your profile from the website at any time.
Step 5. Declaration concerning Renewal of Certification for Practitioners

You will read, complete and sign The Declaration concerning Renewal of Certification for Practitioners.

Declaration concerning Renewal of Certification for DDP Practitioners

Please return this document to the DDPI-Approved Consultant who is providing your clinical supervision. 


6. How to convert a ‘Parent Only’ certification to one that includes parent and child work

The certification process allows for a practitioner who is working primarily with parents to become a certified DDP Practitioner for parent only work.

If circumstances change and the individual would like this certification to be extended to include work with children and parents, they will need to request further supervision from a DDP Consultant. It is desirable for this Consultant to be the one that did their original practicum, but if this person is unavailable another consultant can provide this supervision.

The requirement for any individual converting from a parent only certification to one including child work is review by the primary consultant of a minimum of six recordings of parent and child work. Further sessions may be required. The completion of the practicum will be when the primary and second consultants are satisfied that the individual has the skills needed to work with child and parents together alongside parent work. The end point will be supported by the completion of the DDP Rating Scale with recommendations from both consultants.