Arthur Becker-Weidman: Center for Family Development

The Center for Family Development is Western New York's only attachment center specializing 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 Center for family Development has focused much of its efforts on helping adoptive and foster families. The needs of adoptive families are unique and very few professionals understand these families and their special problems. The Center for Family Development was founded by Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman to provide answers to questions, solutions to problems, and the expert support necessary for families to thrive in these turbulent times.

Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman and his associates are dedicated to helping adoptive families achieve their potential. All members of the Center For Family Development are licensed, skilled, and highly trained professionals with at least twenty years experience helping families. Arthur Becker-Weidman, CSW-R, PhD. 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, an attachment-based therapy, including with Daniel Hughes, Ph.D., author of Building the Bonds of Attachment and Facilitating Developmental Attachment.

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.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an attachment-based therapy is an evidence-based treatment for children with Trauma-Attachment Disorders, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and other disorders of attachment that are complicated by severe trauma or histories of maltreatment. Other forms of treatment such as play therapy are ineffective with children who have disorders of attachment and complex post-traumatic-stress-disorder because all these therapies require a trusting relationship between the therapist and child. See our follow-up study in Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, a professional peer-reviewed journal. This demonstrates that Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based effective treatment for children with Reactive Attachment Disorder. Please see our Informed Consent document for more information.

Parents of attachment disordered children experience a high level of stress and need support and understanding in order to help their children and survive as a family. The Center for Family Development offers a support group which is intended as an opportunity for parents to share parenting strategies, learn about approaches that work, support others, find support, and develop cooperative respite arrangements. This is not a treatment group or therapy.

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