What is Attachment Therapy?
Attachment therapy focuses on repairing and strengthening the emotional bond between a child and their caregivers. When children experience early disruptions in caregiving — through neglect, abuse, multiple placements, or institutional care — they often develop patterns of behavior that push caregivers away, even though connection is what they need most.
Sally uses Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), an evidence-based approach developed by Dr. Daniel Hughes specifically for children with attachment difficulties. DDP works through the relationship between child and parent, using playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy (PACE) to create new experiences of safety and connection.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Attachment Therapy
- Difficulty trusting adults or forming close relationships
- Controlling, manipulative, or defiant behavior
- Indiscriminate affection with strangers but rejection of parents
- Intense anger, rage, or aggression
- Difficulty with eye contact or physical affection
- Lying, stealing, or destructive behavior
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
Why Sally is Different
Sally is the only clinician in the Charlotte area who combines Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy with neurofeedback. This combination addresses both the relational patterns (through DDP) and the neurological dysregulation (through neurofeedback) that are at the root of attachment difficulties. It's a whole-person approach that treats the child's brain and their relationship capacity simultaneously.
What Parents Can Expect
Attachment therapy is a collaborative process. Parents are active participants in sessions, not passive observers. Sally provides extensive parent coaching and psychoeducation to help you understand your child's behavior through the lens of attachment and trauma, and to develop new ways of responding that promote healing.