Understanding Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma (DCTCT)

Katherine Van Meyl, M.A.
October 8, 2024

Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma (DCTCT) is a specialized therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Heather MacIntosh, C. Psych., designed to help couples navigate the challenges of trauma within their relationships. Trauma survivors often face difficulties with sex, shame, trust, closeness, and emotional regulation, which can deeply impact their partnership(s). DCTCT acknowledges these unique challenges and provides couples with a roadmap to heal together.

Stage one of DCTCT begins with psychoeducation, helping partners understand how trauma affects their relationship. Survivors may experience difficulties managing emotions, communicating needs, and feeling secure with their partners. This first stage builds a shared understanding of trauma, empowering the couple to view it as an external force they are battling together.

In stage two, couples develop skills to manage intense emotions and maintain connection during moments of distress. Trauma survivors often struggle with being “triggered” by past experiences, and learning to navigate these emotional triggers is key to building a secure foundation for the relationship.

Stage three focuses on trauma processing, where partners share their trauma stories and work on how these past experiences influence their current interactions. This stage leads to breakthroughs in understanding how trauma manifests in conflicts, intimacy, and communication within the relationship.

The final stage, consolidation, integrates the lessons and skills learned throughout therapy, helping couples apply them to everyday life and future challenges. By the end of the process, couples often experience deeper intimacy, emotional regulation, and a stronger bond, having faced their trauma together as a unified team.

Katherine Van Meyl offers DCTCT to couples in her private practice. She is currently being trained by Dr. Heather MacIntosh, C. Psych., to become a certified Level I provider of DCTCT. In addition, she took a multi-day workshop with Dr. MacIntosh, C. Psych., in August 2022 at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships. If you and your partner(s) are struggling with the impacts of trauma, DCTCT could be the pathway to a healthier, more resilient relationship.