: 60  According to Courtois & Ford, for DTD to be diagnosed it requires a

history of exposure to early life developmentally adverse interpersonal trauma such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, violence, traumatic losses or other significant disruption or betrayal of the childs relationships with primary caregivers, which has been postulated as an etiological basis for complex traumatic stress disorders. Diagnosis, treatment planning and outcome are always relational. Since C-PTSD or DTD in children is often caused by chronic maltreatment, neglect or abuse in a care-giving relationship the first element of the biopsychosocial system to address is that relationship. This invariably involves some sort of child protection agency. This both widens the range of support that can be given to the child but also the complexity of the situation, since the agencys statutory legal obligations may then need to be enforced. A number of practical, therapeutic and ethical principles for assessment and intervention have been developed and explored in the field:: 67 
Identifying and addressing threats to the childs or familys safety and stability are the first priority. A relational bridge must be developed to engage, retain and maximize the benefit for the child and caregiver. Diagnosis, treatment planning and outcome monitoring are always relational (and) strengths based. All phases of treatment should aim to enhance self-regulation competencies. Determining with whom, when and how to address traumatic memories. Preventing and managing relational discontinuities and psychosocial crises.
Adults
Trauma recovery model
Judith Lewis Herman, in her book, Trauma and Recovery, proposed a complex trauma recovery model that occurs in three stages: 

Establishing safety
Remembrance and mourning for what was lost
Reconnecting with community and more broadly, societyHerman believes recovery can only occur within a healing relationship and only if the survivor is empowered by that relationship. This healing relationship need not be romantic or sexual in the colloquial sense of "relationship", however, and can also include relationships with friends, co-workers, ones relatives or children, and the therapeutic relationship.Complex trauma means complex reactions and this leads to complex treatments. Hence, treatment for C-PTSD requires a multi-modal approach.It has been suggested that treatment for complex PTSD should differ from treatment for PTSD by focusing on problems that cause more functional impairment than the PTSD symptoms. These problems include emotional dysregulation, dissociation, and interpersonal problems. Six suggested core components of complex trauma treatment include:
Safety
Self-regulation
Self-reflective information processing
Traumatic experiences integration
Relational engagement
Positive affect enhancementThe above components can be conceptualized as a model with three phases. Every case will not be the same, but one can expect the first phase to consist of teaching adequate coping strategies and addressing safety concerns. The next phase would focus on decreasing avoidance of traumatic stimuli and applying coping skills learned in phase one. The care provider may also begin challenging assumptions about the trauma and introducing alternative narratives about the trauma. The final phase would consist of solidifying what has previously been learned and transferring these strategies to future stressful events.