How Play, Structure, And Compassion Rebuild Broken Attachment with Dorothy A Derapelian

Send us Fan MailWhat if the “defiant” behavior you’re seeing is really an attachment alarm? We sit with licensed counselor and adoptive parent Dorothy Derapellian to unpack Core Attachment Therapy, a practical, compassionate framework that steadies the home first, then rewires safety through play. Dorothy blends the Nurtured Heart Approach with developmentally sequenced attachment games so families can “go back in time,” repair early ruptures, and build the felt sense of trust kids need to thrive.We start with a crucial reframe: when a child seems to run the house, dysregulation is usually in charge. Nurtured Heart gives caregivers structure to remove energy from problem cycles and richly recognize what’s going right. That precise, character-based recognition builds inner wealth, restores parental confidence, and cools the temperature of daily life. With the house calm and adults effective, the second phase begins: playful rituals that re-stage early bonding—from close, regulating contact to healthy separation and individuation—so children learn in their bodies that caregivers are safe and dependable.Dorothy shares moving examples, like a child who once escalated at sirens but now instinctively seeks her mother’s arms. We talk about caregiver readiness, why parents’ own attachment injuries matter, and how to avoid reactivating abandonment by sequencing support. We also widen the lens: adoption and foster care bring unique layers of grief and unknowns, but prenatal stress, medical trauma, and modern pressures can disrupt attachment in any family. The throughline is hope: it’s never too late to heal.If you’re a therapist or caregiver seeking concrete, relationship-first tools, you’ll leave with a roadmap you can use right away—and details on training and certification to go deeper. Listen, share with someone who needs encouragement, and tell us the one idea you’ll try this week. If you found value here, follow the show, leave a review, and pass it on so more families can find their way back to safety and connection. A Hero's Welcome Podcast  © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon