The Center for Family Development
Happy Family on Couch
The Center for Family Development with offices in Tampa, FL and Closter, NJ specializes in the treatment of adopted and foster families with trauma and attachment disorder. Our professionals have the knowledge, skills, personal experiences, and professional training to help adoptive and foster families with attachment concerns. The needs of adoptive families are unique and very few professionals understand these families and their special issues. The Center for Family Development was founded by Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. to provide answers to questions, solutions to problems, and the expert support necessary for families to thrive in these turbulent times.

Dr. Becker-Weidman and his associates are dedicated to helping adoptive families achieve their potential. Arthur Becker-Weidman, CSW-R, Ph.D. DABPS 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 member of the American College of Forensic Examiners. Dr. Becker-Weidman has received extensive training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. See our sister site The Attachment-Focused Treatment Institute.

At the Center for Family Development we only begin working with families after completing a thorough assessment. We carefully evaluate the child and the family. Our success rate is now over 95%. Success means that the child has developed the capacity to love and be loved and is functioning at least at about 80% of the level you'd expect for a child that age. See our Research page for the results of our follow-up study.

Our Team

All members of the Center for Family Development are licensed, skilled, and highly trained professionals with at least twenty years experience helping families.

Our Services

Trauma-Attachment Issues
Attachment develops from the deep and lasting connection between a child and parent and forms the basis for all other relationships and a healthy personality. Early chronic maltreatment (Complex Trauma) in a caregiving relationship can often results in significant impairment of a child's emotional and neurological development.
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Treatment
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is an evidence-based treatment for children who have Trauma Attachment Disorder and other disorders of attachment that are complicated by severe trauma. The goal of treatment is to help children develop healthy, trusting, and secure relationships with their caregiver.
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Research
The Center for Family Development conducted a study in the March 2006 issue of Child and Adolescent Social Work, a professional peer-reviewed journal. This demonstrates that Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based effective treatment for children with Reactive Attachment Disorder.
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Training
Our workshops and training events in DDP are specifically tailored to the particular needs and requirements of each organization. We work with your training committee or program manager to prepare a training outline that will provide your staff with the desired outcomes needed. Half-day, full-day, or multi-day programs can be arranged.
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Certification
The Attachment-Focused Treatment Institute
was founded by Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman to provide training and certification in treatment methods based on attachment theory. The training includes DDP, family therapy and work by other professionals using the principles of attachment theory to guide intervention.
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Books and DVDs
Our products (books and dvds), include the DDP Primer - Creating Capacity for Attachment - Introduction to Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy - Attachment Parenting - Assessing Children with Complex Trauma and Attachment Disorders - Principles of Attachment Parenting, and more.
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