In their presentation "From Mistrust to Trust: A Brain-Based Relational Model for Helping Defensive Children Learn to Trust", Dan Hughes and Jon Baylin presented a model of the change process in attachment-focused therapy that is based on social developmental neuroscience. With thanks to Jon Baylin and Dan Hughes for giving permission for their presentation to be reproduced here.
Dan Hughes's conference reflections are included here, particularly the importance of not forgetting the value of the core work of DDP - helping children to stay regulated and begin to experience the joy of reciprocal connections with their parent, caregiver and therapist. Also included here is the conference programme. Dan's profile is included as is Julie Hudson's as they both chaired the conference.
Edwina's presentation "Applying DDP principles and practices to residential settings" explored some of the opportunities and difficulties that are specific to developing and maintaining Dyadic Developmental Practice in residential settings.
All parenting/caregiving can be both joyful and challenging. Edwina explored questions such as How can multiple caregivers work and care together with an attitude of PACE to build the children and their families capacity for more secure relationships?; What organisational culture is needed?; How are the children and the worker’s support needs met?; "How can everyone’s stress be co-regulated? as well as Do we need to re-examine what being professional means?.
Edwina has also added her residential home version of Dan Hughes' Parenting S's
Joy shared some of her challenges in working with highly avoidant children who have been difficult to engage in DDP.
Joy's presentation looked at working with resistance, trusting in the process and building an inter subjective relationship. It also highlighted the importance of supervision.
Joy showed some clips of her work and shared some of her stories in working with avoidant children. Joy's presentation focused on her clinical work and so the downloadable slides below will primarily serve as a reminder to those who were present rather than stand-alone as a power point presentation.
Amicus is a Foster Care Agency that is striving to use a DDP approach in all layers of its service. Patricia McManamon, Thelma Huijgens and Suzanne McGalddery, social workers and AMICUS team members, presented their experiences and illustrated the realities and tensions of this approach in their day to day life within their roles.
Jan gave a parent’s experience of DDP therapy and therapeutic parenting of a child with complex needs both within a therapy session and during her daughter’s day to day life. Jan touched on ways that she and her daughter keep the lines of communication open when the spoken word is sometimes not possible.
DDP and Theraplay are complementary approaches and can often be used effectively in combination. In this presentation Vivien discussed various ways in which DDP and Theraplay® can be integrated and gave examples of work with different clients. Vivien's presentation focused on her clinical work and so the downloadable slides below will primarily serve as a reminder to those present rather than a stand-alone power point presentation.
The search for stories is at the heart of DDP and a natural extension of this is the creating of fictional stories as an indirect way to share experience with families. In this presentation Kim shared her reflections about finding stories in her work with children, families and practitioners. She introduced her book, published this summer, read us a story.
