Therapeutic Parenting and DDP
'No one can know their own beauty or perceive their own worth until it has been reflected back to them in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.'
John Powell
Therapeutic Parenting is a therapeutic approach modelled on the early loving and responsive relationship between parents and children necessary for healthy child development and positive relational bonds.
When the bonding that supports emotional, physical and mental well-being is absent or missing due to adverse experiences in early life such as bereavement, separation, trauma or abuse, children may be unable to relate well to others or flourish in a family environment. They may resist new and loving parental relationships until they learn it is safe to trust and be cared for. The ethos of the Koru Project is to bring kindness, witness and presence through compassionate and nurturing relationship so that each person feels seen, heard and valued. These qualities are expressed in all specialisms and are a vital part of Therapeutic Parenting support.
The Koru Project provides therapeutic parenting support for families post adoption, in fostering and special guardianship and in a wide range of family and life circumstances. Practitioners work creatively with children and parents in an affirming and empathetic way to help restore and/or establish secure attachment between parents and children.
The Koru Project also offers a training in the theory behind secure attachment and the principles of therapeutic parenting for parents, guardians, foster carers, teachers and other professionals. Please visit the Foundations for Attachment training page for details: FOUNDATIONS FOR ATTACHMENT COURSE
As part of our provision The Koru Project offers Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy informed practice through our practitioners qualified to levels 1 and 2. The word ‘dyadic’ (between two) in DDP refers to the relationship between parents and children. DDP was founded by Dan Hughes in response to witnessing the effects of trauma on childhood development and family relationships. At the core of DDP informed practice is is the concept of PACE: PLAYFULNESS, ACCEPTANCE, CURIOSITY, EMPATHY.
During sessions with children and families, therapists embody the qualities of PACE to reflect, as Dan Hughes notes, ‘the rhythmic way of relating and turning to one another for support’, that is seen in all authentic and caring relationships.
The efficacy of Therapeutic Parenting and DDP is confirmed by research in neuroscience which shows that it is possible to calm the nervous system and overwrite the effects of trauma in the brain, through consistent safe, empathetic and validating interactions. This is described more fully in the book ‘Brain Based Parenting’ by Dan Hughes and Jonathon Baylin of the DDP Network.
Please visit our adoption and guardianship support page for more details. ADOPTION and GUARDIANSHIP SUPPORT