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Young people experience feelings just as adults do, however (sometimes) express them differently. For many reasons it can be difficult for young people to express in words what they are experiencing emotionally and physically. A counsellor who can listen without judging can often help the teenager to work through their problems.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) was originally developed by psychologist Daniel Hughes as an intervention for children whose emotional distress resulted from earlier separation from familiar caregivers. It is a treatment approach for families that have children with symptoms of emotional disorders, including complex trauma and disorders of attachment. These “disorders” are often exhibited in extremely challenging behaviours, usually the result of a “fight, flight or freeze” reaction to overwhelming levels of anxiety and stress.
DDP principally involves creating a "playful, accepting, curious, and empathic (PACE)" environment in which the therapist attunes to the child’s "subjective experiences" and reflects this back to the child by means of eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and movements, voice tone, timing and touch, "co-regulates" emotional affect and "co-constructs" an alternative autobiographical narrative with the child.
For many reasons it can be difficult for children, young people and sometimes adults to express in words what they are experiencing emotionally and physically. A natural and fun way of working on difficulties is through play. Mediums such as drawing, dough, sand, figures and games, can offer a gentle yet powerful way of releasing the inner turmoil and finding positive ways forward.
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