Workshops

:: UPCOMING WORKSHOPS ::

4 Full-Day Workshop

Seminar: Dyadic Developmental Practice and Psychotherapy (DDP) – Level 1

In collaboration :

As an emerging knowledge base, the neuroscience of caregiving is critical to responding to the needs of traumatised and at-risk children and young people. An in-depth understanding of attachment and the process of therapeutic parenting has been used as the basis for the development of therapeutic foster care, residential and family group home programs. It is also at the heart of family support services that aim to strengthen parenting capacity through enhancing attunement and self-reflection.

Dr Dan Hughes has been at the forefront of using attachment and neuroscience in resourcing adaptive and positive connections between traumatised children and their parents or caregivers. His approach is family centred and offers very practical strategies for a wide range of professionals who work with vulnerable children and their relationship contexts.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is the model of intervention developed by Dan Hughes over the past three decades. It offers a treatment approach to trauma, loss, and/or other dysregulating experiences, that is based on principles derived from the theories and research of attachment, intersubjectivity, and trauma. Bridging Talents and Compass Seminars present the second official DDP Level 1 workshop for Singapore clinicians.

Speaker: Hannah Sun-Reid

Hannah Sun-Reid is a Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Play Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer. Hannah is a Certified DDP practitioner, consultant and trainer. Hannah has been working with children and families who experience developmental and emotional difficulties, trauma and loss for the last 30 years. She is a certified Child Psychotherapist and Play Therapist/Supervisor and training provider. She is also certified in Theraplay and has advanced training in Sandtray-Worldplay, EMDR and TIR. In addition to her clinical work and training for Play Therapists in Canada, she has been travelling to China to train clinicians since 2008 and has been introducing the PACE approach; and will be providing the first DDP Level One training in China in July 2018. Hannah is one of the first group of people trained by Dan Hughes in Canada in 2004. Hannah is grateful to have received guidance and mentoring from Dan Hughes and Sian Phillips her DDP journey, and the support from her local peer group named “Coldsprings Collective”. She enjoys learning and sharing with others and maintains a humble attitude of “I learn from everything I do.” Hannah is also an author of children’s books and therapeutic games. Hannah lives and works in Ontario Canada.

Course Outline

Overview of model

1. Introduction to DDP
2. Theoretical foundations
3. Theory, research and links between attachment, the impact of trauma and interpersonal neurobiology:
   • The impact of secure attachment on neurological, emotional, cognitive and behavioural development.
   • How developmental trauma (abuse, neglect, multiple losses) can create insecure and disorganised attachment patterns that impede normal development.
   • The impact of early trauma on the developing brain
   • The importance of creating a context of Safety for the child, and for the parent or caregiver
4. Intersubjectivity theory
5. Introduction to the principles of therapeutic intervention, effective communication and parenting:
   • Intersubjectivity - Shared affect, Shared attention, Complimentary intentions
   • PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy)

Core Components of DDP

1. The role of PACE in communication
   • Therapeutic interventions and parenting interactions to create safety, develop attunement, manage shame and engage in interactive repair
2. Affective-Reflective dialogue
   • How to engage and connect with children
   • The importance of voice tone and rhythm, paying attention to the non-verbal as well as the verbal communication
   • How to balance following the child’s interests with taking the lead
   • Interactive repair
3. Making sense of behaviour
   • Behaviour as communication and exploring under the symptoms
   • The balance between acceptance of the child’s thoughts, feelings, urges and motives and the need to provide consequences or follow-on responses to behaviour
4. Steps toward parent-child communication
   • “Talking About” the child
   • “Talking For” the child
   • “Talking With” the child
5. Understanding shame, fear and rage
   • Helping children regulate their emotions
6. Helping children create coherent narratives about their life
7. Working with resistance
8. Trying not to problem solve before connection’s have been made with, and between, child and parent or caregiver

Working with parents & caregivers

1. Assessing parents and caregivers
2. Engagement with parents. Establishing and maintaining a relationship
3. Parental work, both as a stand-alone intervention and as preparation for therapy with the parent(s) and the child together
4. Parenting and providing care based on principles of attachment theory and research and what is known about the impact of trauma
5. The importance of the adult’s own attachment history
6. PACE for parents: How to help parents understand what PACE is, why it is helpful and how they can put “Parenting with PACE” into practice
7. Venting: How to help parents who vent to communicate in more reciprocal ways
8. The importance of understanding and addressing Blocked Care
9. Working with parental difficulties in providing care.
10. Day-to-Day Parenting: Introducing a framework for parenting

Day-to-day Parenting, Application of DDP to different circumstances, Overview & integration of course. Final thoughts

1. Day-to-Day Parenting: a framework for parenting
2. Working with different client groups, populations and circumstances - Short term placements, residential care, birth families, individual children
3. Working with other agencies - Relationships with other professionals, such as health, social services and educational professionals
4. Opportunities to discuss participants individual work circumstances

Course Objectives

On completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. The impact of secure developmental attachment on neurological, affective, cognitive, and behavioural development
2. How developmental trauma (abuse and neglect) create insecure and disorganised attachment patterns which impede normal development
3. Principles of psychotherapy, effective communication and parenting that facilitate the development of attachment security
4. Specific strategies of parenting and communication that facilitate the development of a secure attachment and help children integrate past trauma and abusive experiences
5. How the caregiver’s attachment history and attachment patterns can be important factors when providing care for children who have experienced developmental trauma.

Who Can Benefit?

For professionals and therapists who have experience in communicating with and working therapeutically with children and young people and their families. It is focused on families and residential care homes when children have experienced past developmental trauma and have associated attachment difficulties.

Course Fees & Closing Dates

Registration Type	Closing Date	Fees (S$)
	22 Mar 2023	2,100
Normal	Till Full	2,300