What do children think of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy?

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is a caregiver-child approach designed to address attachment insecurity and developmental trauma (Hughes, 2007; Golding, 2025), particularly in children from the care system who have experienced abuse or neglect (Selwyn et al., 2015; Burch et al., 2022). It aims to enhance relational safety through principles of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy, supporting emotional regulation and cognitive development.

While DDP has a solid theoretical foundation and extensive training for therapists, it has not been rigorously tested through randomised controlled trials (RCTs), limiting its classification as a proven intervention (Christopher et al., 2025). Additionally,…