Trauma Informed Care & Therapy
Developing Emotional Understanding
Developing Emotional Understanding (DEU) is a therapy developed at The Behaviour Clinic to help children and young people build skills in recognising, understanding, and managing emotions. It is suitable for children aged 4–adulthood.
DEU is a directive therapy where children are guided to explore five key emotions, happy, sad, worried, angry, and scared. Using a blended therapeutic approach, children learn to recognise these emotions in themselves and others, develop emotional vocabulary, and gain strategies to express feelings in safe and appropriate ways.
The therapy focuses on three key areas:
- Emotional Literacy – Building a vocabulary for emotions and learning to label feelings accurately
- Emotional Awareness – Recognising emotions in oneself and others, and understanding how emotions present in our bodies and actions
- Emotional Regulation – Learning evidence-based strategies to manage emotions and respond appropriately to different situations
Who Developing Emotional Understanding Helps
Who Provides It?
DEU is delivered by registered practitioners who hold specific training in this therapy, all of whom are
experienced in working with children and young people who have experienced trauma, neglect, and instability.
Our practitioners use evidence-based approaches, ensuring therapy is structured, goal-oriented, and
monitored throughout to track progress.
What Can DEU Help With?
Who Can It Support?
DEU is suitable for children aged 4–adulthood who have deficits in emotional awareness or regulation. It
is often recommended as a pre-therapy programme to ensure young people have the appropriate emotional
awareness skills before moving onto psychological or trauma based therapies.
What Does It Look Like?
The DEU programme uses Behaviour Skills Training (BST), an evidence-based method that helps children learn effectively by:
- Observing and modelling emotional skills
- Identification and labelling of emotions
- Practising techniques in and outside sessions
- Receiving feedback and encouragement
Therapy begins with a baseline assessment of emotional understanding, followed by structured sessions tailored to the child. A final assessment at the end of therapy measures progress.
DEU may be delivered individually or to sibling pairs (up to two children), depending on the level of need. Sessions can take place at The Behaviour Clinic, at home, or in school.
What Does It Look Like in Practice?
Assessment
3 assessment sessions (including carer
meeting, report, and plan)
Therapy
Sessions
12 emotional development sessions based on
the assessment.
Sessions delivered at The Behaviour Clinic
Cardiff, at home, or in school.
Parent/Carer Guidance
Parents and carers will be guided through where their child is in the process and provided with activities they can complete at home to support the therapy.
Review & Report
Midway review.
Final assessment, meeting & report.
