Communicating Through Movement Therapy
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[Applause]
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imagine this
it’s a crisp october morning here in
austin texas
i’m standing on the outer edge of my
school’s playground where i work
as a dance movement therapist the sun is
shining brightly
through the branches of the tall oak
trees as i observe the students playing
just a short distance from me is a
three-year-old who recently aged up
and is joining their classmates on the
morning this morning for their first
time as i watched this three-year-old
excitedly attempt to engage and play
with a peer
i objectively observe how the
interaction unfolds
and how my body responds
in my work as a dance movement therapist
i utilize
movement to psycho therapeutically
promote the integration of a child’s
social
emotional cognitive and physical parts
what all those words mean is i use the
body
and non-verbal communication to support
children’s
mental health as i’m watching these two
kids playing
i notice that the energy of this
interaction quickly changes
as the peer does not submit to the
commanding expectations of this
three-year-old
the three-year-old’s body makes a
dramatic change
from a regulated state observable
through their light free-flowing
presence
shifting to a state of dysregulation
shown through that stereotypical upset
young person pose
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oh there might be some caregivers in the
audience
where just seconds earlier was a smiling
bright-eyed child willing to engage
is now a screaming crying
defensive child attempting to hit their
peer
as the adult how do you handle a
situation like this
when you were growing up how would your
caregiver have handled you acting this
way
would you have been scolded or punished
if it feels safe i invite you to let
your body remember what that form of
discipline felt like
did you receive love and support
did you have a valuable learning
experience
did you feel safe my assumption is
that for many of us we were probably not
often met
with a calm compassionate response
but here’s the thing it doesn’t actually
have to be that way
as the caregiver in the playground
situation i have to make a choice as to
how to proceed
i can choose to follow an older style of
discipline
where i come down hard on this
three-year-old and i hold them
accountable for their actions
i can choose to follow that part of
myself
that flares up emotionally and instantly
engages with feelings of anger
i can i can ultimately mirror back
this child’s upset joining them in their
dysregulation
or i can try something different
i can try an approach based in the body
and our biological imperative as human
beings
to be in connection with one another
you see humans are hardwired to be in
relation
from the moment we come into this world
our nervous systems
learn to attune to those around us
because we rely on the people around us
to keep
us safe our bodies
have a built-in detection system called
neuroception where our nervous systems
continuously and subconsciously
scan the environment for signs of threat
and signs of safety in young growing
bodies
their ability to control their own
actions
thoughts and emotions to self-regulate
is still under construction so for me
as i watch the crying three-year-old
attempt to take a swing at their friend
i choose to see this interaction for
what it actually is
an autonomic response to stress
their their nervous system perceives the
situation as threatening
and is automatically defending itself
what this child needs from me is help
regulating okay
so now what how do you interact with
someone in a state of dysregulation
without becoming dysregulated yourself
instead of taking in and reflecting back
what they put out i choose to share the
calm
and regulated state of my own body
i choose to compassionately guide this
young person
through those turbulent emotions back
to a state of regulation and receptivity
a process known as co-regulation
i choose to non-verbally communicate
you are safe through my facial
expressions
my gestures my tone of voice
and my posture a language i am fluent in
as a dance movement therapist so
let’s return to the scenario on the
playground
for my attempt at regulating this person
to be
successful their neuroception
will need to perceive me as safe
for that to happen my body must
remain calm i
steadily approach the dysregulated
student
when i reach them i squat
down to make myself smaller
i drop my eye line below theirs and i
draw
my limbs in closer to my torso
all to non-verbally communicate i am not
a threat
now side by side with this little person
i take a long slow deep breath
the long exhale activates the calming
branch
of the nervous system i shape my body
so that my torso is open to them just
enough
to create one child-sized cubby space
with only my body i am inviting them
into an embrace if they so choose
having worked with this student for over
a year
i am able to personalize my approach
to their sensory preferences as i reach
out
to gently stroke their back their tears
continued to stream down their face and
their vocal cries
strained louder
with an empathic gaze and facial
expression
i subtly nod my head yes
to non-verbally communicate i see you’re
having a hard time
this is stressful
i know that my attempt to send the
message you are safe
is received because the child flings
their arms around my neck
and melts into my embrace
i continue to breathe slow
long deep breaths as their weight
gives in to the support of my body
i firmly wrap both arms around them
hugging them tightly the deep pressure
felt on our skin and in our muscles
gives both of our bodies sensory
feedback
to further facilitate our co-regulation
i initiate a gentle side to side rock
as i rhythmically pat their back and
hum an opposing rhythm i’ll demonstrate
and if your body feels compelled to join
in please do
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as we continue to embrace one another
i observe as the intensity and rhythm
of their crying begins to shift
with each breath this student is
starting to breathe deeper
co-regulation is working
by utilizing multi-sensory
dance movement therapy tools like
breath sound
movement affect and
touch i guide this child’s body
back to a calmer state
only once their breath enters a
smooth even tempo and their head
lifts from my shoulder to make eye
contact
do i consider verbally communicating
i see you lost control i’m guessing that
was
hard the student sobs loudly
yes as their weight collapses
back into my embrace
through this emotional attunement i
fulfilled their biological imperative
to be in connection
when we’re able to connect and
co-regulate
with a child in a moment of distress
through
our bodies we not only meet their
biological need to be in connection
but we facilitate their understanding of
big emotions through their own
body because only once their body is
regulated are we able to pave the way
to a more valuable learning experience
by providing yourself as the model
you help them identify and recognize
the signals their body makes during
dysregulation
you become their safe space to practice
regulating this interpersonal
connection facilitates
theirs strengthens their ability
to self-regulate shapes their developing
brain
and encourages their ability to show
compassion and empathy
so remember should you find yourself
caught in a moment
with a dysregulated child or adult for
that matter
remember that you already have the most
useful tool to assist them
your body thank you
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you