Our bodies speak! Bridging psyche and soma using the creative arts therapies (CAT) to support mental health challenges and heal trauma in children
It is not just what you say but how you say it - with your body - that counts. We communicate with babies, and each other nonverbally before we even say a word. Babies also talk to us right from the beginning through their facial expressions, body actions, the quality of their vocalizations and even the way they look at us. The embodied experiential nature of our interactions affect how we relate to others and how we process our own experiences.
Infancy research states that early perception is registered through the baby’s bodily-felt engagement with the surroundings, perceived through multisensory experiences and informed by secure interactions with primary caregivers. Trauma research explains that early memory is multisensory, somatic and kinesthetic, and can be triggered by experiences reminiscent of elements of the original event and creates a wide variety of emotional experiences that are felt but difficult to verbalize. Therapeutic approaches for early trauma advocate the importance of creating a cohesive narrative to support healing. But what happens when words cannot fully explain the experience? The creative arts therapies provide a path to healing when words hurt, and the traumatic experience is unspeakable.
Bridging the fields of infant mental health; infant and child psychiatry; nonverbal analysis; and creative arts therapies, this workshop demonstrates how to help babies and young children bring a voice to their experiences by using their nonverbal cues to create an embodied cohesive narrative that addresses the “felt-sense” experience. Participants will learn how to use creative arts activities including movement, music, art, and dance to support the developing attachment relationship with families and children with challenges including early medical illness, attachment issues, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other challenges during these vulnerable times. When and why to choose a creative arts therapy approach or traditional caregiver-child psychotherapy word-focused intervention, such as Wait, Watch and Wonder (WWW) or Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) will be highlighted.
Date & Time
Wednesday, June 21
12:00 PM- 1:30 PM