Brain to Brain, Body to Body

Brain-to-Brain, Body-to-Body: A Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Perspective on the Treatment of Children and Adolescents

Pat Ogden, PhD, Bonnie Goldstein PhD, Janina Fisher PhD

Children with histories of neglect and trauma typically exhibit a wide range of symptoms, ranging from unwarranted fearfulness, anger or sadness, to blunted emotions, poor functioning at school or in social situations, unusual distractibility and avoidance of normal childhood activities.

They may develop eating problems and sleep disorders or complain of physical pain such as headaches or stomachaches. Traumatic reminders often trigger physiological reactivity, behavioral impulsivity, or social and emotional withdrawal. Children frequently feel helpless and powerless, reflected in and sustained by collapsed or frozen body postures, or out of control, anxious, or aggressive, driven by bodies that are hyperactive and hyperaroused.

Please click here for this excellent article on understanding the behaviour of children  who have experienced trauma and how to support them.