Attachment disorder is a term that is often seen in the research literature (O'Connor & Zeanah) but which is much broader than the clinical diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder, which is described in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual, 4th Edition, Technical Revision, of the American Psychiatric Association..
This theory (Attachment Theory) is used, for example, to explain the behavioral difficulties of children who have experienced chronic early maltreatment, such as foster and adopted children.
Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby in the 1940s and 1950s and is the leading theory used in the fields of Infant Mental Health, Child Development, and related fields. It is a well researched theory that describes how the attachment relationship develops, why it is crucial to later healthy development, and what are the effects of early maltreatment or other disruptions in this process.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment approach, found by two studies to be effective for the treatment of attachment disorder, reactive attachment disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and complex trauma. Children who have experienced pervasive and extensive trauma, neglect, loss, and/or other dysregulating experiences can benefit from this treatment. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is based on principles derived from Attachment theory and research, grounded in the work of Bowlby.. The treatment meets the standards of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, The American Academy of Child Psychiatry,American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers,, and various other groups' standards for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents. This is a non-coercive treatment. The principles and methodology of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy are based on long-standing treatment principles with very strong empirical evidence and a long history of proven efficacy.Play therapy is often used as tool of diagnosis. A play therapist observes a client play with toys (play-houses, pets, dolls, etc) to determine the cause of disturbed behavior. The objects and patterns of play, as well as the willingness to interact with the therapist can be used to understand the underlying reasons for behavior both inside and outside the session.According to the Psychodynamic approach, children will engage in play behavior in order to work through their anxieties. In this way play therapy can be used as a self-help mechanism, as long as children are allowed time for 'free play'. From a developmental point of view, children who are pre-occupied with playing in order to reduce their anxieties will spend less time developing their cognitive abilities through play and may suffer from developmental retardation.
As treatment, play therapists use a type of systematic desensitization or relearning therapy to change the disturbing behavior, either systematically or in less formal social settings. These processes are normally used with children, but are also applied with other pre-verbal, non-verbal, or verbally-impaired persons, such as slow-learners, brain-injured or drug-affected persons. Mature adults usually need much "group permission" before indulging in the relaxed spontaneity of play therapy, so a very skilled group worker is needed to deal with such guarded individuals.
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® (SE) is a short-term approach to the resolution and healing from trauma developed
by Peter Levine, PhD.It is based on the observation that prey animals,
while routinely threatened, are rarely traumatized because they utilize
innate mechanisms to regulate and discharge the high levels of arousal
associated with defensive survival behaviors.
Although humans are born with virtually the same regulatory mechanisms, the
functionality of them is often overridden or inhibited by the rational parts of
our brain, fear, immobility and social isolation or perceived isolation.
SE employs the awareness of body sensation to help people 'renegotiate' their
trauma experiences rather than relive them. With appropriate guidance in to the 'felt sense', clients can access their
own defensive mechanisms to safely and gradually discharge the built up and
frozen energy of the shock or trauma state.
Theraplay is a therapeutic approach that utilizes elements of play therapy and that has intention of helping parents and children build better attachment relationships through attachment-based play.