Pediatric Psychological Trauma
in Infants and Young Children
from Illness, Injury and Medical Intervention
February 27 and February 28, 2010
Davidson Conference Center
University of Southern California
Dance movement therapist Dr. Suzi Tortora will be presenting
How Young Children Communicate Distress Nonverbally: a Developmental Perspective
This presentation will discuss the nonverbal signs and signals the young child uses to communicate distress. The important role qualitative aspects of nonverbal expression and the nonverbal exchange will be highlighted. A nonverbal nomenclature that can be used across disciplines to support the assessment and treatment of the mental health needs of young children affected by medical illness will be discussed. This method supports both the child and family to manage the multiple stress factors of medical illness in the young child.
Dr. Tortora has over 25 years experience working as a dance/movement psychotherapist with infants, young children and their families. Dr. Tortora provides training programs nationally and internationally including at the Zero to Three National Training Institute and the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), and has been featured on NPR radio; Good Morning America, ABC-TV; Eyewitness News WABC-TV; Woman’s Day Magazine and the New Yorker magazine. She is on the faculty of the postgraduate Institute for Infants, Children & Families of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, the graduate dance therapy Faculty of Pratt Institute, and The New School. Dr. Tortora recently published a book titled The Dancing Dialogue: Using the communicative power of movement with young children.
This is one among many presentations which will be offered along with other such notables as Dr. Allan Schore of affect regulation fame. "His groundbreaking integration of neuroscience with attachment theory has lead to his description as 'the American Bowlby' and with psychoanalysis as 'the world's leading expert in neuropsychoanalysis.'"
The conference will also be webcast in NYC at Hunter College.
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