Showing posts with label Attachment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attachment. Show all posts
May 11, 2013
Early Neglect and Child Development
Early Neglect and Child Development:
Randomized trail compares children in institutions with those in foster care
Summarized by Arthur Becker-Weidman, PhD
Severe neglect and institutional care cause significant difficulties in attachment, biology, cognitive functioning including executive and neuropsychological functions, and behavioral and emotional regulation. Studies of children in Romanian orphanages and other settings have demonstrated the pervasive and negative impact of such neglect on various domains of child development. Those of us who work with such children know the complexities of helping families with these children. Their difficulties may include disturbed patterns of attachment, sensory-integration dysfunction, various neuropsychological impairments, mental health issues, and problems with emotional and behavioral regulation. These children are extremely challenging to work with and their families need comprehensive and supportive treatments.
The Bucharest study, led by Charles Nelson, III, Nathan Fox, and Charles Zeanah, Jr., is a randomized trial comparing the emotional and physical well being of institutionalized children with those place in foster homes. The study involved 136 children in orphanages in Romania. The average age was 22 month, ranging from 6 to 31 months of age. All children selected were free of neurological, genetic, and other birth defects based on a study-team pediatrician's examination. The children selected then has a series of baseline physical and psychological assessment. Half the children were randomly assigned to foster care while the other half remained in the institution. The children placed in foster care were placed in homes that had been recruited, trained, financed, and maintained by the study team. This would be considered high quality foster care. The study team also recruited a third group of typically developing children who lived with their birth families and who had never been institutionalized. The study went on for ten years.
One important finding that has significance not only for institutionalized children, but for all children who experience maltreatment is that there sensitive periods during which environmental influences are particularly powerful. The study found that the average IQ of the institutionalized children, measured at thirty, forty, and fifty-two months was in the low to middle 70's while it was ten points higher for the children in foster care. In other words, after only between eight and thirty months longer in an insitutional setting, there was about a 12.5% drop in IQ. The average IQ for the group of children never institutionalized was 100; or about 20% than the children in foster care. Or, to put it differently, about two years in an institution is associated with a 30% lower IQ. The sensitive period seems to be the first two years. The study found that a child placed in a home before two years of age had a significantly larger gain in IQ than a child placed in foster care after two years of age.
The study measured attachment and found that the institutionalized children displayed incompletely formed and aberrant relationships with care-givers. However children place in foster care, at 42 months of age (after an average of 20 months in foster care) displayed major improvements in making emotional attachments. About half the children in foster care demonstrated secure attachments while only eighteen percent of the child in institutions demonstrated secure attachments. Sixty-five percent of the children never placed in institutions displaced secure attachments. This seems to demonstrate the capacity of healing relationships to help remedy these significant early deficits. However, as with IQ, children placed in foster care before two years of age were more likely to form secure attachments when compared with children placed after two years of age.
Foster care had a major influence on levels of anxiety and depression; reducing their incidence by half. The more secure the attachment between the child and foster parent, the greater probability that the child's symptoms would be reduced.
The study examined brain activity using an EEG. They found that infants in institutions has significant reductions in alpha and heightened theta waves, which they stated reflect delayed brain maturation. When measured eight years later they found that children placed in foster care before two years of age showed no difference in EEG when compared with children never in an institution. Children who remained in the institution and those placed in foster care after two years of age showed EEG patterns reflecting delayed brain maturation. Institutionalized children had smaller brain volumes.
Finally they examined telomeres, regions at the ends of chromosomes that provide protection from the stresses of cell division and which are shorter in people who have experienced extreme psychological distress than in those who have not experienced such stresses. Children who spent any time in an institution had shorter telomeres than those who had not.
REFERENCES
Almas, A., et. al., (2012). Effects of Early Intervention and the Moderating Effects of Brain Activity on Institutionalized Children's Social Skills at Age 8. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, 109 (2), 17,228-17,231.
Nelson, C., (2007). Cognitive Recovery in Socially Deprived Young Children: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Science 318, 1937-1940.
Scientific American (2013). How Adversity Affects Young Children www.ScientificAmerican.com/apr2013/orphans, accessed May 11, 2013.
Apr 22, 2012
Attachment-Focused Treatment Institute
A collaboration between the Academy for Human Development's Graduate Counseling program (a University in Singapore) and the Center for Family Development. This Institute provides training and certification in Attachment-Focused Therapy, Attachment-Focused Family Therapy, and certification as an Attachment-Focused Professional (for residential treatment center milieu staff, teachers, therapeutic foster parents, occupational therapists, and others who wish to use attachment-facilitating methods in their work.
In addition, the Institute providers certification for organizations (Group Homes, Foster Care agencies, Residential Treatment Centers, Wilderness Program, and Therapeutic Boarding Schools as a Certified Attachment-Focused Organization.
See the Institute's Facebook page.
Feb 21, 2012
Presentation at CALO
I Will be presenting at CALO in April as their keynote speaker for their annual conference. See:
http://caloteens.com/blog/post/Professional-Conference.aspx
This is their annual conference and will be held April 12 & 13 2012.
http://caloteens.com/blog/post/Professional-Conference.aspx
This is their annual conference and will be held April 12 & 13 2012.
Feb 12, 2012
Working with culturally diverse groups
I've been reading and thinking, recently, about work with culturally diverse groups and wonder if any of you do and what your experience has been.
In thinking about treatment it seems that family and DDP therapists (who are primarily European-American) may tend to:
* Allow and encourage expressing emotions freely and openly
* View each member as having a right to the member's own unique self: to individuate from the family as a primary unit of identity
* Strive for equal division of labor among members of the family
* Consider egalitarian role relationships between spouses as preferred
* Focus on the nuclear family as the standard.
* Value a present-future time perspective
A variety of other cultures have differing values and orientations (Asian, South-Asian, Black American, First Nations/Native American, Hispanic, to name a few).
It might be interesting to have a discussion about working with culturally diverse groups...if any of us do work with such groups (I do, so that's what prompted my readings and thinking).
regards
art
In thinking about treatment it seems that family and DDP therapists (who are primarily European-American) may tend to:
* Allow and encourage expressing emotions freely and openly
* View each member as having a right to the member's own unique self: to individuate from the family as a primary unit of identity
* Strive for equal division of labor among members of the family
* Consider egalitarian role relationships between spouses as preferred
* Focus on the nuclear family as the standard.
* Value a present-future time perspective
A variety of other cultures have differing values and orientations (Asian, South-Asian, Black American, First Nations/Native American, Hispanic, to name a few).
It might be interesting to have a discussion about working with culturally diverse groups...if any of us do work with such groups (I do, so that's what prompted my readings and thinking).
regards
art
Feb 5, 2012
Attachment Therapy Companion
The book I wrote with 2 colleagues, Attachment Therapy Companion, will be out in July an is now listed on the Norton website:
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Attachment-focused-Therapy/
The book is meant to be a statement of best practice in the provision of attachment focused therapy. It described the theory base for this approach, appropriate and evidence-based principles for evaluation and treatment, and ethical principles of practice.
It is a must read for anyone practicing treatment grounded in attachment theory.
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Attachment-focused-Therapy/
The book is meant to be a statement of best practice in the provision of attachment focused therapy. It described the theory base for this approach, appropriate and evidence-based principles for evaluation and treatment, and ethical principles of practice.
It is a must read for anyone practicing treatment grounded in attachment theory.
Oct 23, 2011
New Book on the Practice of Attachment-Focused Therapy
Dr. Becker-Weidman is one of the editors of a new book to be published early in 2012 on the professional practice of attachment-focused therapy. The two other editors are Lois Ehrmann and Denise LeBow. The book will serve as a practice manual defining standards of care. The book will be a valuable resource for social workers, psychologists, mental health practitioners, departments of social services, child welfare organizations, judges, and attorneys. The book's table of contents will be:
Chapter 1: Terminology and Diagnosis
Chapter 2: Purposes and Scope of Guide
Chapter 3: Overview of Attachment Theory: Synopsis of Key Concepts
CHAPTER 4: Overview of Attachment-Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 5: Core Concepts of Trauma and Trauma Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 6: Intake, Screening, & Referral
CHAPTER 7: Assessment of Children With Attachment Issues
CHAPTER 8: Treatment Planning
CHAPTER 9: Considerations in Behavior Management
CHAPTER 10: Training, Consultation, and Competency
CHAPTER 11: Ethical Considerations in Attachment Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 12: Vicarious Trauma and the Clinician’s Responsibility for Self Care
References
Glossary
Appendix A: Paper on Coercion in Treatment
Appendix B: Screening and Assessment Tools
Appendix C: Out-of Home Placements
Appendix D: Study Guide
Chapter 1: Terminology and Diagnosis
Chapter 2: Purposes and Scope of Guide
Chapter 3: Overview of Attachment Theory: Synopsis of Key Concepts
CHAPTER 4: Overview of Attachment-Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 5: Core Concepts of Trauma and Trauma Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 6: Intake, Screening, & Referral
CHAPTER 7: Assessment of Children With Attachment Issues
CHAPTER 8: Treatment Planning
CHAPTER 9: Considerations in Behavior Management
CHAPTER 10: Training, Consultation, and Competency
CHAPTER 11: Ethical Considerations in Attachment Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 12: Vicarious Trauma and the Clinician’s Responsibility for Self Care
References
Glossary
Appendix A: Paper on Coercion in Treatment
Appendix B: Screening and Assessment Tools
Appendix C: Out-of Home Placements
Appendix D: Study Guide
Sep 25, 2011
Dr. Becker-Weidman to present two days in Northern California
Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting a workshop, "Healing Trauma and Attachment Disorders" at two locations in Northern California Oct 14 & 15.
Dr. Becker-Weidman in Saratoga Springs
Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting a community workshop, "Complex Trauma: A Community Approach"- Implications for Treatment, Parenting, Child Welfare, Family Court and Education"
in Saratoga Springs on October 20, 2011.
in Saratoga Springs on October 20, 2011.
Sep 12, 2011
What is Attachment?
The attachment system, is a biologically based system that evolved to ensure the survival of the human infant. In simple terms, it is a proximity seeking system. When a child is threatened, the child will seek its primary caregiver who provides a sense of safety and security.
The organization ATTACh (Association for the Treatment and Training of Attachment in Children) gives the following lengthier definition of attachment:
“Attachment is a reciprocal process by which an emotional connection develops between an infant and his/her primary caregiver. It influences the child’s physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological development. It becomes the basis for development of basic trust or mistrust, and shapes how the child will relate to the world, learn, and form relationships throughout life.”
The organization ATTACh (Association for the Treatment and Training of Attachment in Children) gives the following lengthier definition of attachment:
“Attachment is a reciprocal process by which an emotional connection develops between an infant and his/her primary caregiver. It influences the child’s physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological development. It becomes the basis for development of basic trust or mistrust, and shapes how the child will relate to the world, learn, and form relationships throughout life.”
Sep 9, 2011
Complex Trauma: A community Approach
Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting two day-long workshops in California:
Arthur Becker -Weidman, Ph.D.
Friday, October 14, 2011
9:00 AM—4:00 PM
Chi co Masonic Fami ly Cente r
1110 W. East Avenue , Chi co CA
Please RSVP to (530) 879-3861 or ldamschroder@sierraff.org
This FREE training is made available through the collaborative efforts of
Sierra Forever Families & California Department of Social Services
Childcare Reimbursement Available call Leslie 879-3861 for more information
Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. is a Diplomat in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology, the American Board of Psychological Specialties. He is a Registered Clinician with the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children and is a Certified Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer of Dyadic Developmental treatment®. Dr.
Becker-Weidman has edited and authored four books: Creating Capacity for Attachment (2005/2008), Attachment Parenting (2010), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods (2010), and The Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook (2011). He has four DVD's. Dr. Becker-Weidman is on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children where he serves on several committees. Dr. Becker-Weidman provides training and workshops to parents, professionals, and governments across the U.S. and internationally.
These learning objectives will be addressed:
Participants will be able to describe how parent-child attachment normally develops
Participants will identify the seven domains of impairment caused by Complex Trauma
Participants will be able to identify three general principles of parenting & treatment grounded in attachment-theory & Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
Participants will be able to use two new interventions to help parents with children with trauma and attachment disorders
Participants will be able to describe one key element of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and be able to use it in their practice
Parents will be be able to describe the fundamental principles of attachment-facilitating parenting.
Parents will be able to implement at least two attachment facilitating interventions
Course meets qualifications for 6 hours continuing
education credit for MFT’s & LCSW’s as required by the Board of Behavioral Sciences
Arthur Becker -Weidman, Ph.D.
Friday, October 14, 2011
9:00 AM—4:00 PM
Chi co Masonic Fami ly Cente r
1110 W. East Avenue , Chi co CA
Please RSVP to (530) 879-3861 or ldamschroder@sierraff.org
This FREE training is made available through the collaborative efforts of
Sierra Forever Families & California Department of Social Services
Childcare Reimbursement Available call Leslie 879-3861 for more information
Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. is a Diplomat in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology, the American Board of Psychological Specialties. He is a Registered Clinician with the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children and is a Certified Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer of Dyadic Developmental treatment®. Dr.
Becker-Weidman has edited and authored four books: Creating Capacity for Attachment (2005/2008), Attachment Parenting (2010), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods (2010), and The Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook (2011). He has four DVD's. Dr. Becker-Weidman is on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children where he serves on several committees. Dr. Becker-Weidman provides training and workshops to parents, professionals, and governments across the U.S. and internationally.
These learning objectives will be addressed:
Participants will be able to describe how parent-child attachment normally develops
Participants will identify the seven domains of impairment caused by Complex Trauma
Participants will be able to identify three general principles of parenting & treatment grounded in attachment-theory & Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
Participants will be able to use two new interventions to help parents with children with trauma and attachment disorders
Participants will be able to describe one key element of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and be able to use it in their practice
Parents will be be able to describe the fundamental principles of attachment-facilitating parenting.
Parents will be able to implement at least two attachment facilitating interventions
Course meets qualifications for 6 hours continuing
education credit for MFT’s & LCSW’s as required by the Board of Behavioral Sciences
Complex Trauma: A community Approach
Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting an all day workshop on October 20, 2011 in Saratoga Springs.
“Complex Trauma: A Community Approach”- Implications for Treatment, Parenting, Child Welfare, Family Court and Education.”
With Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman
October 20, 2011
8:30- 5 pm.
8:00am Registration
Knights of Columbus Hall
50 Pine Road
Saratoga Springs, New York
CONFERENCE FEE
PROFESSIONALS: $95.00
All purchase orders add $15.00
PARENTS & GUARDIANS: $25.00
Due to Co-Sponsorship by the Theraplay Institute 6 CEUs are available for psychologists and play therapists
Coffee & Lunch Included
MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO:
CCMH YOUTH CONFERENCE
MAIL TO:
Tammy Horan
Saratoga County Mental Health Center
211 Church Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-584-9030
e-mail: ythserv@yahoo.com
Name:___________________________
Agency:__________________________
Address:_________________________
________________________________
Phone:___________________________
E-Mail:__________________________
Children in the Child Welfare system have often experienced Complex Trauma and require specialized treatment, parenting and educational approaches. For over twenty-five years Dr. Becker Weidman has specialized in the treatment of families with children who have complex trauma and disorders of attachment and on training therapists, parents, children welfare workers, educators and courts
Dr. Becker- Weidman will describe Complex Trauma and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment, and how these approaches and concepts can integrate the community response system. Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain the effects of complex trauma on child development as well as factors affecting placement stability. The ways that teachers, child welfare professionals, parents, and therapists respond are often the key to lessening the ill effects of trauma. The community system of care must embody the principles of safety, security, support, acceptance, curiosity so that the child and family can heal. Through the use of presentations and tapes of actual sessions, Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain his approach.
Children in the Child Welfare system have often experienced Complex trauma and require specialized treatment, parenting and educational approaches. For over twenty-five years Dr. Becker Weidman has specialized in the treatment of families with children who have complex trauma and disorders of attachment and on training therapists, parents, children welfare workers, educators and courts. The material presented by Dr. Becker-Weidman will build on the presentation of Dr. Daniel Hughes her in 2009. Dr. Becker-Weidman and Dr. Hughes are close colleagues, haven written articles together and collaborate as trainers and Board members of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute.
Dr. Becker- Weidman will describe Complex Trauma and dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment,how these approaches and concepts can integrate the systems of care that are involved with foster and adoptive families and their children, as well as will children with histories of abuse and neglect and attachment disorganization. Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain what Complex Trauma is, its effects on child development, factors affecting placement stability and the implications of this for teachers, child welfare professionals, parents, and therapists. The framework for this presentation will be Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an approach grounded in Attachment Theory. Dr. Becker-Weidman’s approach within all systems of care is to provide safety, security and the necessary support so that the positive and emotionally meaningful relationships can develop. He actively communicates acceptance, curiosity and empathy. The system of care must embody these principles so that the child and family can heal. Through the use of presentations and tapes of actual sessions, Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain his approach.
About the Presenter
Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman has been training professionals, evaluating and treating families and children with trauma-attachment disorders for over thirty years. He has a PhD from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Child Study and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology. He is recognized as an expert witness and frequently provides testimony in court proceedings.
Art lives in Williamsville, NY with his family and is the Director of The Center for Family Development, an internationally recognized training and treatment center. He is the author of four books: Creating Capacity for Attachment (2005/2008), Attachment Facilitating Parenting (2010), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook (2011). He is the author of many articles in professional peer-reviewed journals and empirical studies. He has published research demonstrating the efficacy and evidence-base of DDP. Dr. Becker-Weidman provides training and consultation to therapists, psychologists, social workers, and parents throughout the US, Australia, Canada, Finland, Singapore, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Who Should Attend?
This program is designed for anyone who would like to know how to work together across disciplines with children and families who have suffered from the effects of Complex Trauma. The conference is directed toward child-centered professionals and community systems that work to help to lessen those effects. This training will provide a perceptual framework to understand what these children and families need as well as readily implementable ideas that can be used at home, school, community, as well as in therapeutic, child welfare, and family court offices.
• Psychologists and Psychiatrists
• Social Workers/Therapists
• Family Therapists
• Play Therapists
• Parents and Caretakers
• Residential Counselors
• Teachers/School Professionals
• Adoption/Post-adoption Caseworkers
• Child Welfare Workers
• Family Court Judges
• Early Childhood Development Specialists
• Teachers/School Professionals
• Adoption/Post-adoption Caseworkers
• Child Welfare Workers
• Family Court Judges
• Early Childhood Development Specialists
Program Schedule
Introduction/Overview of Day-8:30-8:45
Complex Trauma………………..8:45-11:00
1) What is Complex Trauma?
2) 7 Domains of Impairment
3) Effects on Child Development and Behavior
4) DVD: A child’s View
BREAK……………………………..10:30-10:45
Factors affecting placement stability & Breakdown………………………11:00-11:30
Principles of effective interventions-11:30-12:00
LUNCH……………………………..12:00-1:00
Implications for Parents, Teachers, Clinicians, Child Welfare and Family Court …………………..…………………..1:00-5:00
Teachers……………………… ….1:00-2:00
Class and School Practices
Child Welfare and Family Court-2:00-3:00
Placement Policies/Court Issues
Foster Parent Selection & Training
BREAK………………………………..3:00-3:15
Treatment……………………………3:15-4:00
Elements of treatment Parenting
…………….………………………….4:00-5:00
Attachment Facilitating Parenting
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tammy Horan
518-584-9030
conferenceythserv@yahoo.com
DIRECTIONS:
From I-87 take Exit 13N, merge onto US-9
toward Saratoga Springs
4.4m turn left onto Washington St. /NY 29
(Corner with Starbucks)
1.5 m turn left onto Pine Rd
Left into Parking Lot.
50 Pine Rd.
Knights of Columbus Hall
“Complex Trauma: A Community Approach”- Implications for Treatment, Parenting, Child Welfare, Family Court and Education.”
With Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman
October 20, 2011
8:30- 5 pm.
8:00am Registration
Knights of Columbus Hall
50 Pine Road
Saratoga Springs, New York
CONFERENCE FEE
PROFESSIONALS: $95.00
All purchase orders add $15.00
PARENTS & GUARDIANS: $25.00
Due to Co-Sponsorship by the Theraplay Institute 6 CEUs are available for psychologists and play therapists
Coffee & Lunch Included
MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO:
CCMH YOUTH CONFERENCE
MAIL TO:
Tammy Horan
Saratoga County Mental Health Center
211 Church Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-584-9030
e-mail: ythserv@yahoo.com
Name:___________________________
Agency:__________________________
Address:_________________________
________________________________
Phone:___________________________
E-Mail:__________________________
Children in the Child Welfare system have often experienced Complex Trauma and require specialized treatment, parenting and educational approaches. For over twenty-five years Dr. Becker Weidman has specialized in the treatment of families with children who have complex trauma and disorders of attachment and on training therapists, parents, children welfare workers, educators and courts
Dr. Becker- Weidman will describe Complex Trauma and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment, and how these approaches and concepts can integrate the community response system. Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain the effects of complex trauma on child development as well as factors affecting placement stability. The ways that teachers, child welfare professionals, parents, and therapists respond are often the key to lessening the ill effects of trauma. The community system of care must embody the principles of safety, security, support, acceptance, curiosity so that the child and family can heal. Through the use of presentations and tapes of actual sessions, Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain his approach.
Children in the Child Welfare system have often experienced Complex trauma and require specialized treatment, parenting and educational approaches. For over twenty-five years Dr. Becker Weidman has specialized in the treatment of families with children who have complex trauma and disorders of attachment and on training therapists, parents, children welfare workers, educators and courts. The material presented by Dr. Becker-Weidman will build on the presentation of Dr. Daniel Hughes her in 2009. Dr. Becker-Weidman and Dr. Hughes are close colleagues, haven written articles together and collaborate as trainers and Board members of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute.
Dr. Becker- Weidman will describe Complex Trauma and dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment,how these approaches and concepts can integrate the systems of care that are involved with foster and adoptive families and their children, as well as will children with histories of abuse and neglect and attachment disorganization. Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain what Complex Trauma is, its effects on child development, factors affecting placement stability and the implications of this for teachers, child welfare professionals, parents, and therapists. The framework for this presentation will be Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an approach grounded in Attachment Theory. Dr. Becker-Weidman’s approach within all systems of care is to provide safety, security and the necessary support so that the positive and emotionally meaningful relationships can develop. He actively communicates acceptance, curiosity and empathy. The system of care must embody these principles so that the child and family can heal. Through the use of presentations and tapes of actual sessions, Dr. Becker-Weidman will explain his approach.
About the Presenter
Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman has been training professionals, evaluating and treating families and children with trauma-attachment disorders for over thirty years. He has a PhD from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Child Study and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology. He is recognized as an expert witness and frequently provides testimony in court proceedings.
Art lives in Williamsville, NY with his family and is the Director of The Center for Family Development, an internationally recognized training and treatment center. He is the author of four books: Creating Capacity for Attachment (2005/2008), Attachment Facilitating Parenting (2010), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook (2011). He is the author of many articles in professional peer-reviewed journals and empirical studies. He has published research demonstrating the efficacy and evidence-base of DDP. Dr. Becker-Weidman provides training and consultation to therapists, psychologists, social workers, and parents throughout the US, Australia, Canada, Finland, Singapore, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Who Should Attend?
This program is designed for anyone who would like to know how to work together across disciplines with children and families who have suffered from the effects of Complex Trauma. The conference is directed toward child-centered professionals and community systems that work to help to lessen those effects. This training will provide a perceptual framework to understand what these children and families need as well as readily implementable ideas that can be used at home, school, community, as well as in therapeutic, child welfare, and family court offices.
• Psychologists and Psychiatrists
• Social Workers/Therapists
• Family Therapists
• Play Therapists
• Parents and Caretakers
• Residential Counselors
• Teachers/School Professionals
• Adoption/Post-adoption Caseworkers
• Child Welfare Workers
• Family Court Judges
• Early Childhood Development Specialists
• Teachers/School Professionals
• Adoption/Post-adoption Caseworkers
• Child Welfare Workers
• Family Court Judges
• Early Childhood Development Specialists
Program Schedule
Introduction/Overview of Day-8:30-8:45
Complex Trauma………………..8:45-11:00
1) What is Complex Trauma?
2) 7 Domains of Impairment
3) Effects on Child Development and Behavior
4) DVD: A child’s View
BREAK……………………………..10:30-10:45
Factors affecting placement stability & Breakdown………………………11:00-11:30
Principles of effective interventions-11:30-12:00
LUNCH……………………………..12:00-1:00
Implications for Parents, Teachers, Clinicians, Child Welfare and Family Court …………………..…………………..1:00-5:00
Teachers……………………… ….1:00-2:00
Class and School Practices
Child Welfare and Family Court-2:00-3:00
Placement Policies/Court Issues
Foster Parent Selection & Training
BREAK………………………………..3:00-3:15
Treatment……………………………3:15-4:00
Elements of treatment Parenting
…………….………………………….4:00-5:00
Attachment Facilitating Parenting
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tammy Horan
518-584-9030
conferenceythserv@yahoo.com
DIRECTIONS:
From I-87 take Exit 13N, merge onto US-9
toward Saratoga Springs
4.4m turn left onto Washington St. /NY 29
(Corner with Starbucks)
1.5 m turn left onto Pine Rd
Left into Parking Lot.
50 Pine Rd.
Knights of Columbus Hall
Sep 8, 2011
Justice for Children Conference
Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting a workshop at the Building Justice For Children 2011 Conference to be held in Syracuse NY on October 25-27, 2011. His workshop will be about Assessing Children for Trauma.
For more information, go to
http://www.center4familydevelop.com/workshops.htm
For more information, go to
http://www.center4familydevelop.com/workshops.htm
Jul 22, 2011
ATTACh seeks Executive Director
ATTACh, the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children, an international coalition of professionals and families dedicated to helping those with attachment difficulties by sharing our knowledge, talents and resources is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as it's Executive Director. Our vision is to be an international leader in creating public awareness and education regarding attachment and the critical role it plays in human development. We provide an annual conference, educational programs, advocacy, community building, a membership directory, and other benefits to our members and the public. We are seeking an experienced professional to work in a collaborative community environment, building relationships and serving as a leader of a diverse team of professionals and parents. Experience in community organization, fundraising, business development ,budget planning, administration, and personnel management is required. Knowledge of information systems, research and legal issues is highly desirable. Experience in attachment, trauma, or related fields is strongly preferred. This position requires strong analytical, creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. A balance of assertiveness and diplomacy is critical, as well as effective listening skills and excellent verbal and written communications skills. Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel and Access) is essential.
Master's Degree in Human Services, Business, Social Services or related degree is required, with a minimum of five years of progressively responsible combined experience in first line and/or second line management/administration of a non-profit organization.
Geographic location of position within USA is negotiable. Please send cover letter, salary requirements and resume to search committee at email listed above.
Compensation: salary negotiable
Telecommuting is ok.
This is at a non-profit organization.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
The email for this is Dynamicleaderforattach@gmail.com.
Master's Degree in Human Services, Business, Social Services or related degree is required, with a minimum of five years of progressively responsible combined experience in first line and/or second line management/administration of a non-profit organization.
Geographic location of position within USA is negotiable. Please send cover letter, salary requirements and resume to search committee at email listed above.
Compensation: salary negotiable
Telecommuting is ok.
This is at a non-profit organization.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
The email for this is Dynamicleaderforattach@gmail.com.
Jul 14, 2011
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Video on Attachment Focused Therapy
The Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children has a wonderful new video about Attachment Focused Therapy. You can view it here. This video is a must see for parents and professionals. It describes the latest information on evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatments for Complex Trauma, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and other disorders of attachment. The speakers and presenters are internationally recognized experts in the evaluation and treatment of these conditions.
See the video here.
See the video here.
Jul 13, 2011
Exciting new video by ATTACh
The Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children, had an exciting video about the diagnosis and treatment of attachment disorders. This organization's highly respected and followed publications, such as the Therapeutic Practice Manual and Parent Manual are now enhanced by this video.
The video presents the most up to date material for parents and professionals regarding the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of attachment and has such highly internationally respected professionals on it as Dr. Michael Trout and Dr. Richard Kagan.
Go to the video here.
The video presents the most up to date material for parents and professionals regarding the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of attachment and has such highly internationally respected professionals on it as Dr. Michael Trout and Dr. Richard Kagan.
Go to the video here.
May 27, 2011
Reactive Attachment Disorder: For Educators
The following is a handout that a colleague produced for Educators. You may find this valuable.
A few references that may also be helpful:
Becker-Weidman, A., 2010, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods, Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 2010, Attachment Parenting, Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 3rd printing, 2011: Creating Capacity for Attachment.
Becker-Weidman, A., 2006, Principles of Attachment Parenting, DVD, order from Amazon.com
FACT SHEET FOR EDUCATORS
by
Connie Hornyak, LCSW
chlcsw@pacbell.net
Children with disorders of attachment are the victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, physical illness, multiple placements and/or in-utero drug/alcohol exposure. Their problems are rooted in the first five years of their lives, when trauma occurred. Stable attachments cannot be formed when a child experiences frequent changes in daycare or foster care, or when the child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs are unmet.
While many children with disorders of attachment have grown up in foster care and/or adoptive homes, these disorders occur in children who are growing up with their biological parents as well. It is estimated that one-third of elementary school children in the United States have some form of an attachment issue, if not the full blown disorder, due to divorce, inappropriate daycare programs, and multiple caregivers. Children who have experienced medical events such as hospitalization, placement in an incubator or a body cast can also develop these disorders.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, there are two types of Reactive Attachment Disorder. In the Inhibited Type the child persistently fails to initiate and to respond to most social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way. The child shows a pattern of excessively inhibited, hyper vigilant or highly ambivalent responses (for example, frozen watchfulness, resistance to comfort, or mixture of approach and avoidance). In the Disinhibited Type, there is a pattern of diffused attachments. The child exhibits indiscriminate sociability or a lack of selectivity in the choice of attachment figures. For example, the child may be extremely charming and friendly with those who are not trying to be his or her parents, while acting violently toward parents who are attempting to become emotionally close to the child.
What is a Disorder of Attachment?
A person with a disorder of attachment has difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships. These individuals are unable to be genuinely affectionate with others, have not experienced conscience development, and cannot trust others. Attachment is necessary for the development of an emotionally healthy person who has conscience development, experiences empathy, attains full intellectual potential, thinks logically, copes with stress and frustration, becomes self reliant, develops healthy personal and business relationships, and handles the ups and downs of everyday life. Attachment Disorder is Helen Keller.
Children with disorders of attachment do not respect authority, especially that of their parents. They are sometimes oppositional and defiant in the school setting, although many of these children behave perfectly with those who are not parenting them. It is not uncommon for a child with a disorder of attachment to be a good student as well as the most helpful child in the class. The same child may go home and threaten his mother with a knife, set fires, and/or kill animals. Children with attachment disorder have been so damaged that they cannot trust. Their behavior meets their subconscious need to keep those who love them most at a distance. They are fearful that, if they become emotionally close to their parents, they will somehow be hurt again as they were in the past. These children are terrified of closeness, and will do anything they can to create distance between themselves and their parents. One way this is manifested is in children’s ability to triangulate; that is, to pit one adult against the other. Children with disorders of attachment frequently lie to their teachers, accusing their parents of emotional abuse, physical abuse or neglect, and lie so convincingly that their teachers believe them. Many parents have been erroneously reported for suspected child abuse when school personnel have listened to the child without checking the facts with the parent.
What’s a teacher to do?
• Develop and maintain constant communication with the child’s parents. This will greatly increase the chance of all adults being consistent in the child’s life at home and at school. Be sure to check with parents if you suspect that the child’s story could be untrue. Ask parents to do the same for you. For example, if the child comes home and says that his teacher hit him, yelled at him or otherwise behaved inappropriately, please ask the parents to check out the child’s story with you before acting upon it.
• Children with attachment disorders need a tight, loving, structured environment where the rules never change but the consequences often do.
• These children need a tightly structured environment in order to feel safe. They do not need an overly permissive environment which makes them feel unsafe. Please respect the need of the parents to be the primary attachment figures in this child’s life. While many teachers, especially in younger grades, tend to hug children and openly display affection for them, this type of treatment is inappropriate for a child with a disorder of attachment. If this type of treatment is given in the school setting, the child will simply triangulate, manipulating the teacher into thinking that he or she is an important attachment figure in a child’s life, and using the teacher’s affection to manipulate the parents at home.
• Follow through on any and all consequences. The child’s safety and that of others depends on it.
• Hold the child responsible for his or her actions. Understand that, until the child’s behavior becomes more positive, he or she will have an extremely depressing life. Even though the child has problems and may have a painful past, it is important to hold the child responsible for his or her actions and not excuse those actions because of the child’s previous trauma.
• Remember that these children are superficially charming with strangers and others who are not their parents. These children lack the ability to have true closeness with their parents and other family members.
• Please understand that if this child criticizes his parents and asks to go home with you, this is a means of distancing from closeness with the parents. The child is fearful of closeness with parents because previous parents have left the child or traumatized him/her.
• Children with disorders of attachment need to regress and experience being infants and toddlers, as well as young children, before they can behave in an age-appropriate fashion. Please realize that there are days when the child may need to stay home from school in order to receive therapy, or because the child simply needs to be close to his or her parents. Once attachment issues are resolved, the child will have plenty of energy to make up for lost time at school.
For more information about disorders of attachment, please access the following web sites: www.icfd.net and www.attach.org.
4/26/11
A few references that may also be helpful:
Becker-Weidman, A., 2010, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods, Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 2010, Attachment Parenting, Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 3rd printing, 2011: Creating Capacity for Attachment.
Becker-Weidman, A., 2006, Principles of Attachment Parenting, DVD, order from Amazon.com
FACT SHEET FOR EDUCATORS
by
Connie Hornyak, LCSW
chlcsw@pacbell.net
Children with disorders of attachment are the victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, physical illness, multiple placements and/or in-utero drug/alcohol exposure. Their problems are rooted in the first five years of their lives, when trauma occurred. Stable attachments cannot be formed when a child experiences frequent changes in daycare or foster care, or when the child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs are unmet.
While many children with disorders of attachment have grown up in foster care and/or adoptive homes, these disorders occur in children who are growing up with their biological parents as well. It is estimated that one-third of elementary school children in the United States have some form of an attachment issue, if not the full blown disorder, due to divorce, inappropriate daycare programs, and multiple caregivers. Children who have experienced medical events such as hospitalization, placement in an incubator or a body cast can also develop these disorders.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, there are two types of Reactive Attachment Disorder. In the Inhibited Type the child persistently fails to initiate and to respond to most social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way. The child shows a pattern of excessively inhibited, hyper vigilant or highly ambivalent responses (for example, frozen watchfulness, resistance to comfort, or mixture of approach and avoidance). In the Disinhibited Type, there is a pattern of diffused attachments. The child exhibits indiscriminate sociability or a lack of selectivity in the choice of attachment figures. For example, the child may be extremely charming and friendly with those who are not trying to be his or her parents, while acting violently toward parents who are attempting to become emotionally close to the child.
What is a Disorder of Attachment?
A person with a disorder of attachment has difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships. These individuals are unable to be genuinely affectionate with others, have not experienced conscience development, and cannot trust others. Attachment is necessary for the development of an emotionally healthy person who has conscience development, experiences empathy, attains full intellectual potential, thinks logically, copes with stress and frustration, becomes self reliant, develops healthy personal and business relationships, and handles the ups and downs of everyday life. Attachment Disorder is Helen Keller.
Children with disorders of attachment do not respect authority, especially that of their parents. They are sometimes oppositional and defiant in the school setting, although many of these children behave perfectly with those who are not parenting them. It is not uncommon for a child with a disorder of attachment to be a good student as well as the most helpful child in the class. The same child may go home and threaten his mother with a knife, set fires, and/or kill animals. Children with attachment disorder have been so damaged that they cannot trust. Their behavior meets their subconscious need to keep those who love them most at a distance. They are fearful that, if they become emotionally close to their parents, they will somehow be hurt again as they were in the past. These children are terrified of closeness, and will do anything they can to create distance between themselves and their parents. One way this is manifested is in children’s ability to triangulate; that is, to pit one adult against the other. Children with disorders of attachment frequently lie to their teachers, accusing their parents of emotional abuse, physical abuse or neglect, and lie so convincingly that their teachers believe them. Many parents have been erroneously reported for suspected child abuse when school personnel have listened to the child without checking the facts with the parent.
What’s a teacher to do?
• Develop and maintain constant communication with the child’s parents. This will greatly increase the chance of all adults being consistent in the child’s life at home and at school. Be sure to check with parents if you suspect that the child’s story could be untrue. Ask parents to do the same for you. For example, if the child comes home and says that his teacher hit him, yelled at him or otherwise behaved inappropriately, please ask the parents to check out the child’s story with you before acting upon it.
• Children with attachment disorders need a tight, loving, structured environment where the rules never change but the consequences often do.
• These children need a tightly structured environment in order to feel safe. They do not need an overly permissive environment which makes them feel unsafe. Please respect the need of the parents to be the primary attachment figures in this child’s life. While many teachers, especially in younger grades, tend to hug children and openly display affection for them, this type of treatment is inappropriate for a child with a disorder of attachment. If this type of treatment is given in the school setting, the child will simply triangulate, manipulating the teacher into thinking that he or she is an important attachment figure in a child’s life, and using the teacher’s affection to manipulate the parents at home.
• Follow through on any and all consequences. The child’s safety and that of others depends on it.
• Hold the child responsible for his or her actions. Understand that, until the child’s behavior becomes more positive, he or she will have an extremely depressing life. Even though the child has problems and may have a painful past, it is important to hold the child responsible for his or her actions and not excuse those actions because of the child’s previous trauma.
• Remember that these children are superficially charming with strangers and others who are not their parents. These children lack the ability to have true closeness with their parents and other family members.
• Please understand that if this child criticizes his parents and asks to go home with you, this is a means of distancing from closeness with the parents. The child is fearful of closeness with parents because previous parents have left the child or traumatized him/her.
• Children with disorders of attachment need to regress and experience being infants and toddlers, as well as young children, before they can behave in an age-appropriate fashion. Please realize that there are days when the child may need to stay home from school in order to receive therapy, or because the child simply needs to be close to his or her parents. Once attachment issues are resolved, the child will have plenty of energy to make up for lost time at school.
For more information about disorders of attachment, please access the following web sites: www.icfd.net and www.attach.org.
4/26/11
Apr 15, 2011
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Training in 2012
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The workshop covers all the "Required Core Training Content" necessary to enter the practicum to become a Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy therapist. The use of SKYPE, independent study, and consultations will allow remote participants to fulfill the requirements to become Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy therapists.
The workshop uses a combination of SKYPE sessions, group discussion, independent study, and case presentations. Attachment-focused family therapy workbook, is the course text.
Early deprivation, neglect, abuse, significant early health problems and hospitalizations, repeated moves, or more than one year in an orphanage can create attachment problems that require specialized treatment. Traditional forms of therapy are ineffective with attachment-disordered children. This workshop will provide the therapist and other professionals with an opportunity to learn and practice effective treatment methods for trauma-attachment disordered children.
Participants are encouraged to present videotapes of sessions.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment that is grounded in current thinking and research on the etiology and treatment of Complex Trauma or Developmental Trauma Disorder and disorders of attachment. Treatment is primarily experiential and there is an important teaching element as well. Teaching parents about attachment-facilitating parenting methods and the importance of attunement and responsive, sensitive parenting is essential. Direct work with the parents regarding their own family or origin issues is another component of treatment. Finally, intensive emotional work with the child in a manner consistent with sound treatment principles is vital.
The workshop is led by Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman, who is a certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist, Certified Consultant, and Certified Trainer by the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute.
CENTER FOR FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
The Center For Family Development is an internationally recognized treatment and training center specializing in helping adopted and foster families with trauma and attachment disordered children. The Center is a registered agency with the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children.
Arthur Becker-Weidman, CSW-R Ph.D. received his doctorate in Human Development from the University of Maryland, Institute for Child Study. He achieved Diplomate status from the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology. He is a Vice-President, clinical, with the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children and President of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute. Art is an adjunct Clinical Professor at SUNY at Buffalo. He has published over a dozen scholarly papers and regularly presents at international and national conferences. Art consults with psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists and several child treatment agencies, school districts, departments of social services, and governments in the United States, Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Singapore, & Australia.
EVIDENCE-BASIS FOR TREATMENT
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2006) “Treatment for Children with Trauma-Attachment Disorders: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy,” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. Vol. 23(2), 147-171.
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2006) “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: A multi-year Follow-up,” in, New Developments In Child Abuse Research, Stanley M. Sturt, Ph.D. (Ed.) Nova Science Publishers, NY, pp. 43 – 61.
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2007). “Treatment For Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy,” http://www.center4familydevelop.com/research.pdf
* Becker-Weidman, A., & Hughes, D., (2008) “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An evidence-based treatment for children with complex trauma and disorders of attachment,” Child & Adolescent Social Work, 13, pp.329-337.
* Craven, P., & Lee, R., (2006) Therapeutic Interventions for Foster Children: A Systematic Research Synthesis, Research on Social Work Practice, 16(3):287-304.
TRAINING OUTLINE
2012
Center For Family Development
5820 Main Street, suite 406
Williamsville, NY 14221
SCHEDULE
A Six-month 56-hour Master Class.
10:00 am– 5:00 pm, 1/20/12, 2/17, 3.16, 4/20, 5/18, 6/21. Dates subject to change based on participant requests, 2012 holidays, and group agreement. Limited to eight.
OUTLINE
* Patterns of attachment
* Engaging and working with parents
* Intersubjectivity & use of self in practice
* Experiential components of training
* Components of Practice
* Phases of Treatment
* Differential use of components of
* Practice in different phases of
treatment
* Treatment with different populations and
circumstances
* Experiential components of training
* Consultation
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. Two follow-up studies with control groups found clinically and statistically significant reductions in symptoms of attachment disorder, aggression, anti-social behavior, thought disorders, attention problems, mood, and social relationship dysfunction. Over 80% of the children treated had previously been in treatment on three or more occasions, without any noticeable improvement. Treatment averaged 23 sessions over approximately ten months. (Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Child & Adolescent Social Work, vol. 23, pp.137-171, 2006)
SUGGESTED READING
You will find the following list of books helpful. It is strongly recommended that you read the first book before the workshop begins. This will ensure that everyone has a solid foundation of common knowledge.
1. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Methods & Practices, Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Rowman, Lanham, MD, 2010.
2. The Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook, Arthur Becker-Weidman, Rowman: Lanham, MD, 2011.
3. Creating Capacity for Attachment, Eds., Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Deborah Shell, MA, LCMHC, Wood ‘N’ Barnes, 2005/2008.
4. Attachment Parenting, Ed., Arthur Becker-Weidman & Deborah Shell, Rowman: Lanham, MD, 2010.
5. Attachment-Focused Family Therapy. Daniel Hughes, Norton, 2007.
6. Attachment-Focused Family Therapy Workbook, D. Hughes, Norton: NY, 2011.
7. Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications. Edited by Jude Cassidy and Phillip Shaver. The Guilford Press, 2008.
8. Building the Bonds of Attachment. 2nd. Ed. Daniel Hughes, Ph.D., 2006
9. Attachment Across the Life Cycle. Edited by Colin Murray Parkes, Joan Stevenson-Hinde, and Peter Marris. Routledge, 1991.
10. A Secure Base. John Bowlby, Basic Books, NY, 1988.
11. John Bowlby & Attachment Theory. Jeremy Holmes, Routledge, NY, 1993.
PURPOSE OF WORKSHOP
This workshop is for therapists who want to learn how to treat trauma-attachment disordered children. Participants will learn effective therapy principals for helping traumatized children. Participants will learn:
1. Initial work to determine parent readiness.
2. The components of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and the phases of treatment.
3. The differential use of components in different phases of treatment.
4. Effective therapeutic techniques to use with traumatized and attachment disordered children and their families.
5. Effective parenting principals.
Participants will have the opportunity to view videotapes of actual therapy sessions with traumatized children that demonstrate therapeutic principals and present their own video tapes or cases.
The workshop covers all the "Required Core Training Content" necessary to enter the practicum to become a Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy therapist. The use of SKYPE, independent study, and consultations will allow remote participants to fulfill the requirements to become Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy therapists.
The workshop uses a combination of SKYPE sessions, group discussion, independent study, and case presentations. Attachment-focused family therapy workbook, is the course text.
Early deprivation, neglect, abuse, significant early health problems and hospitalizations, repeated moves, or more than one year in an orphanage can create attachment problems that require specialized treatment. Traditional forms of therapy are ineffective with attachment-disordered children. This workshop will provide the therapist and other professionals with an opportunity to learn and practice effective treatment methods for trauma-attachment disordered children.
Participants are encouraged to present videotapes of sessions.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment that is grounded in current thinking and research on the etiology and treatment of Complex Trauma or Developmental Trauma Disorder and disorders of attachment. Treatment is primarily experiential and there is an important teaching element as well. Teaching parents about attachment-facilitating parenting methods and the importance of attunement and responsive, sensitive parenting is essential. Direct work with the parents regarding their own family or origin issues is another component of treatment. Finally, intensive emotional work with the child in a manner consistent with sound treatment principles is vital.
The workshop is led by Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman, who is a certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist, Certified Consultant, and Certified Trainer by the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute.
CENTER FOR FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
The Center For Family Development is an internationally recognized treatment and training center specializing in helping adopted and foster families with trauma and attachment disordered children. The Center is a registered agency with the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children.
Arthur Becker-Weidman, CSW-R Ph.D. received his doctorate in Human Development from the University of Maryland, Institute for Child Study. He achieved Diplomate status from the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology. He is a Vice-President, clinical, with the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children and President of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute. Art is an adjunct Clinical Professor at SUNY at Buffalo. He has published over a dozen scholarly papers and regularly presents at international and national conferences. Art consults with psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists and several child treatment agencies, school districts, departments of social services, and governments in the United States, Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Singapore, & Australia.
EVIDENCE-BASIS FOR TREATMENT
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2006) “Treatment for Children with Trauma-Attachment Disorders: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy,” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. Vol. 23(2), 147-171.
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2006) “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: A multi-year Follow-up,” in, New Developments In Child Abuse Research, Stanley M. Sturt, Ph.D. (Ed.) Nova Science Publishers, NY, pp. 43 – 61.
* Becker-Weidman, A., (2007). “Treatment For Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy,” http://www.center4familydevelop.com/research.pdf
* Becker-Weidman, A., & Hughes, D., (2008) “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An evidence-based treatment for children with complex trauma and disorders of attachment,” Child & Adolescent Social Work, 13, pp.329-337.
* Craven, P., & Lee, R., (2006) Therapeutic Interventions for Foster Children: A Systematic Research Synthesis, Research on Social Work Practice, 16(3):287-304.
TRAINING OUTLINE
2012
Center For Family Development
5820 Main Street, suite 406
Williamsville, NY 14221
SCHEDULE
A Six-month 56-hour Master Class.
10:00 am– 5:00 pm, 1/20/12, 2/17, 3.16, 4/20, 5/18, 6/21. Dates subject to change based on participant requests, 2012 holidays, and group agreement. Limited to eight.
OUTLINE
* Patterns of attachment
* Engaging and working with parents
* Intersubjectivity & use of self in practice
* Experiential components of training
* Components of Practice
* Phases of Treatment
* Differential use of components of
* Practice in different phases of
treatment
* Treatment with different populations and
circumstances
* Experiential components of training
* Consultation
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. Two follow-up studies with control groups found clinically and statistically significant reductions in symptoms of attachment disorder, aggression, anti-social behavior, thought disorders, attention problems, mood, and social relationship dysfunction. Over 80% of the children treated had previously been in treatment on three or more occasions, without any noticeable improvement. Treatment averaged 23 sessions over approximately ten months. (Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Child & Adolescent Social Work, vol. 23, pp.137-171, 2006)
SUGGESTED READING
You will find the following list of books helpful. It is strongly recommended that you read the first book before the workshop begins. This will ensure that everyone has a solid foundation of common knowledge.
1. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Methods & Practices, Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Rowman, Lanham, MD, 2010.
2. The Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Casebook, Arthur Becker-Weidman, Rowman: Lanham, MD, 2011.
3. Creating Capacity for Attachment, Eds., Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Deborah Shell, MA, LCMHC, Wood ‘N’ Barnes, 2005/2008.
4. Attachment Parenting, Ed., Arthur Becker-Weidman & Deborah Shell, Rowman: Lanham, MD, 2010.
5. Attachment-Focused Family Therapy. Daniel Hughes, Norton, 2007.
6. Attachment-Focused Family Therapy Workbook, D. Hughes, Norton: NY, 2011.
7. Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications. Edited by Jude Cassidy and Phillip Shaver. The Guilford Press, 2008.
8. Building the Bonds of Attachment. 2nd. Ed. Daniel Hughes, Ph.D., 2006
9. Attachment Across the Life Cycle. Edited by Colin Murray Parkes, Joan Stevenson-Hinde, and Peter Marris. Routledge, 1991.
10. A Secure Base. John Bowlby, Basic Books, NY, 1988.
11. John Bowlby & Attachment Theory. Jeremy Holmes, Routledge, NY, 1993.
PURPOSE OF WORKSHOP
This workshop is for therapists who want to learn how to treat trauma-attachment disordered children. Participants will learn effective therapy principals for helping traumatized children. Participants will learn:
1. Initial work to determine parent readiness.
2. The components of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and the phases of treatment.
3. The differential use of components in different phases of treatment.
4. Effective therapeutic techniques to use with traumatized and attachment disordered children and their families.
5. Effective parenting principals.
Participants will have the opportunity to view videotapes of actual therapy sessions with traumatized children that demonstrate therapeutic principals and present their own video tapes or cases.
Mar 28, 2011
Emotional neglect can be defined as 'emotional unresponsiveness, unavailability and neglect characterised by a lack of interaction between parent and child.' It has been linked to children developing more mental-health problems but most research so far has been based on adults' memories of their childhood not how children feel at the time. A team of researchers from the University of Glasgow and the Medical Research Council in Glasgow studied 1,694 children. The children filled out a questionnaire called the Parental Bonding Instrument at 11 to assess their relationship with their parents and then had a computerhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifised psychiatric interview at 15 to assess any mental-health problems. 3% of the children perceived their parents as almost always emotionally neglectful and controlling and this group had more than twice the risk of developing mental-health problems at 15.
Young, Robert, Lennie, Susan and Minnis, Helen - Children’s perceptions of parental emotional
neglect and control and psychopathology Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02390.x
See Center for Family Development for information about Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. Also see the Center's facebook page.
Young, Robert, Lennie, Susan and Minnis, Helen - Children’s perceptions of parental emotional
neglect and control and psychopathology Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02390.x
See Center for Family Development for information about Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. Also see the Center's facebook page.
Mar 27, 2011
Theory of Mind and Attachment
Theory of Mind (ToM) can be defined as the ability to work out what other people are thinking and how this might affect their behavior. In most children ToM shows a significant advance between the ages of three and five. However, the development of ToM is severely delayed in children with autism. In addition, children who have experienced significant trauma and have disorders of attachment also show limited ToM. Several studies have shown that having brothers and sisters can improve children's ToM and researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia studied sixty children with autism to see if this was the case for them too. The researchers measured the children's ToM, executive functioning, verbal mental age and autism symptoms and compared this to the number of siblings the children had and where they fitted into the sequence. The researchers found that the children with older siblings actually had a weaker ToM, perhaps because their older brothers and sisters helped them to interpret other people's actions and stopped them from developing their own skills. Having younger siblings led to a weak improvement in ToM but this was not significant once mental age and autism symptoms were taken into account.
O'Brien, Karen, Slaughter, Virginia and Peterson, Candida C. - Sibling influences on theory of mind
development for children with ASD Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02389.x
O'Brien, Karen, Slaughter, Virginia and Peterson, Candida C. - Sibling influences on theory of mind
development for children with ASD Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02389.x
Jan 9, 2011
Can Empathy be taught?
Empathy is an essential ingredient for good parenting, good treatment, and good psychotherapy. Empathy allows one to see the world through the eyes of the other, walk in that person's shoes, share emotions, and build common experiences. Intersubjectivity, share emotions, share attention, and complimentary intentions form a core of empathy. It is these shared experiences (when concordant) that can help form the bedrock of stable, secure, safe, and positive relationships.
Many people are aware of "mirror neurons" as a neurological component of empathy. Mirror neurons are activated when one observes another's actions and the same motor neurons in the observers brain are activated as the ones in the "doers" brain that are necessary to carry out the action. Mirror neurons are activated in the emotional centers of the brain when we observe another and share affect.
While all this interesting and informative, it is not prescriptive. The question is, "is there some way to teach or enhance empathy?" Well, it turns out there are a number of ways. One of the easiest, simplest, and best ways is simply to listen and listen carefully. This is one way to get into another's head, so to speak.
Traditional views of the communication process held that speech and listening happened in two different parts of the brain: Broca's area and Wernicke's area. Yet studies show that communication partners unconsciously change their grammar structure, their speaking rate, and even their body postures to that of their partner. One could say that their communication changes show empathy for each other; some call this establishing a common ground. Studies by Dr. Hasson at Princeton University and graduate student Lauren Silbert demonstate this. The study involved having Ms. Silbert talk about emotionally meaningful events, tell stories from her life, while in a functional MRI. Then subjects were put into the f-MRI and listened to the recorded stories.
The most attentive listeners' key brain regions "lit up" in a f-MRI before her words came out. This suggests that the subjects anticipated what Ms. Silbert was going to say; empathy.
So helping parents, professionals, and therapists listen more carefully, more fully, and more deeply will increase their empathic capabilities. Listening is a skill that can be taught, improved on, and mastered.
For more information see:
Center For Family Development
Useful books & DVD's are:
Attachment Parenting
Principles of Attachment Parenting
Creating Capacity for Attachment
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods
Introduction to Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
Many people are aware of "mirror neurons" as a neurological component of empathy. Mirror neurons are activated when one observes another's actions and the same motor neurons in the observers brain are activated as the ones in the "doers" brain that are necessary to carry out the action. Mirror neurons are activated in the emotional centers of the brain when we observe another and share affect.
While all this interesting and informative, it is not prescriptive. The question is, "is there some way to teach or enhance empathy?" Well, it turns out there are a number of ways. One of the easiest, simplest, and best ways is simply to listen and listen carefully. This is one way to get into another's head, so to speak.
Traditional views of the communication process held that speech and listening happened in two different parts of the brain: Broca's area and Wernicke's area. Yet studies show that communication partners unconsciously change their grammar structure, their speaking rate, and even their body postures to that of their partner. One could say that their communication changes show empathy for each other; some call this establishing a common ground. Studies by Dr. Hasson at Princeton University and graduate student Lauren Silbert demonstate this. The study involved having Ms. Silbert talk about emotionally meaningful events, tell stories from her life, while in a functional MRI. Then subjects were put into the f-MRI and listened to the recorded stories.
The most attentive listeners' key brain regions "lit up" in a f-MRI before her words came out. This suggests that the subjects anticipated what Ms. Silbert was going to say; empathy.
So helping parents, professionals, and therapists listen more carefully, more fully, and more deeply will increase their empathic capabilities. Listening is a skill that can be taught, improved on, and mastered.
For more information see:
Center For Family Development
Useful books & DVD's are:
Attachment Parenting
Principles of Attachment Parenting
Creating Capacity for Attachment
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: Essential Practices & Methods
Introduction to Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
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