Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy
Developed by: Shirley Jean Schmidt, MA, LPC
Overview: ""The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS) is an ego state therapy designed to treat a wide range of clients, symptoms, and issues. This includes adults with complex trauma wounds, such as those inflicted by physical, sexual, and verbal abuse; and with attachment wounds, such as those inflicted by parental rejection, neglect, and enmeshment. The DNMS is based on the assumption that the degree to which developmental needs were not adequately met is the degree to which a client is stuck in childhood. It starts by guiding clients to establish three internal Resources: a Nurturing Adult Self, a Protective Adult Self, and a Spiritual Core Self. Together these Resources gently help wounded child ego states get unstuck from the past by meeting their unmet developmental needs, helping them process through painful emotions, and by establishing an emotional bond. Alternating bilateral stimulation (made popular by EMDR therapy) is applied at key points in the process. The DNMS focuses special attention on healing maladaptive introjects (ego states that mimic abusive, neglectful, or dysfunctional caregivers). Since these wounded ego states cause the most trouble for clients, their healing results in a significant benefit. As introjects heal, clients report unwanted behaviors, beliefs, and emotions diminish."
Official Website: The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy Institute
Wikipedia's page on the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: Listed
Find a Therapist who practices the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: Are you looking for a therapist or counselor who uses the Devlopmental Needs Meeting Strategy? We encourage people looking for a DNMS therapist to seek out those with recent DNMS training, experience, and consultation. Click below to search GoodTherapy.org:
Resources related to the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: Articles
Books about the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: An Ego State Therapy for Healing Adults with Childhood Trauma and Attachment Wounds.
