The idea of "embodied parenting" speaks to the power of non-verbal communication through movement, which allows parents to connect with their children on a more intuitive level. It's amazing how dance therapy can help parents become more attuned to their child’s needs and foster a nurturing, responsive environment for growth. This approach truly highlights the mind-body connection in parenting!
Those images were so cute. It was interesting to see the progression through pictures of the power of nonverbal communication among babies and children and their parents. It makes sense but I never knew how important it was for the child's brain development.
I agree! I think that dance movement therapy can be so beneficial because movement is our first language. We all communicate through movement, whether we realize we are doing it or not, and as kids, it was our primary form of communication before we learned how to talk so I can see how important it could be for children to feel heard through nonverbal communication
I also liked the images presented and how she used them in her talk. I think they provided strong evidence for the importance of the parent-child relationship.
I love how she mentions the power that nonverbal communication creates a dancing dialogue in order to build a relationship that every parent wants to have with their child. This is so relevant because parents can make a connection with their child before the child is even able to speak.
Ideally that every parent/caregiver would want but I agree. The initial bond is so important for the developing child. She briefly mentioned that it might even be beneficial in the womb! I find that incredibly fascinating.
I agree! It is relevant and also important to create communication and a connection with infants and at a young age to have good and stable communication with them in the future!
I found it really interesting that responses we receive from others are how we build our communication skills. It shows how important interactions with young babies are. These experiences are shaping the way the baby communicates.
Very much agree. It makes me think that we should be putting more of an emphasis on healthy communication in education settings. Not everyone comes from a home situation that was able to model these skills/provide these needed interactions. And they're obviously really important for happy/healthy navigation of life and relationships.
What an engaging presentation by Dr. Tortora. The embodied relationship, the "dancing dialogue", between baby and parent is the first experience of Authentic Movement. In AM, a mover and witness are in a relationship, with the witness attuning to, holding, and seeing the mover. Suzi's concept of embodied parenting is a perfect way for babies, for children, to be able to move authentically and develop into their own self.
I found the speaker's insights on non-verbal communication between parents and children to be incredibly engaging and thought-provoking. The emphasis on this relationship highlighted how crucial it is for building trust and understanding emotions that may be hard for children to express verbally. Understanding non-verbal cues can significantly enhance family dynamics, helping parents better interpret their children's feelings and needs. This awareness can reduce misunderstandings and tension, fostering a more loving environment. I also appreciated how she actively involved the audience, making it feel as if we were all part of the session.
The audience interaction is brilliant and extremely engaging and important in fully immersing in the talk. The non-verbal communication between a baby and a parent is vital in connection from such an early age, exemplifying the importance of attachment.
Dance Therapy - It is so cool how Suzi connected the importance of dance therapy movement to parenting techniques. The energy we give through our body to others is the best energy we can give ourselves which is such an important lesson.
In only thirteen minutes my ideas about parenting and infant development have been nourished. This is an amazing talk. The photographs add another level of meaning to the presentation.
I really like how she mentioned that not only should we focus on our nonverbal expression, but the details about the nonverbal expression should be recognized. She emphasizes that when communicating, there should be an attuned experience and energy that reflects back to the baby.
Dr. Tortora's engaging talk should be viewed by anyone who interacts with babies and young children. I love that she emphasizes the positive correlation between a caregiver's reflective, responsive attunement and a baby's overall capacity. Working as a nanny for several years, I've experienced many stages of a child's particular development alongside each child's parents. As I cared for infants and watched them grow, it was apparent that the interactions held between primary caregiver(s) and child influence many aspects of a child's social, emotional and behavioral expression. Even the simple act of the parent reading a bedtime story with the child had a noticeable impact on the child's interactions with me as the babysitter.
I loved the pictures of here dancing with that little boy from Prague. Those pictures had so much movement captured in a still-life image. It really shows the power of non-verbal movement. I was curious how parents learn to exist with their baby (i.e. do they understand when the baby cries or something else). I love how Dr. Tortora went in depth on that something else. The parents and the baby learn about each other through nonverbal movements!
What a joy to witness the knowledge and practice of attuned parenting. The speaker clearly demonstrated the amazing benefits of connecting on an embodied level within a family system.
What a highly educated women. I am doing a Dance/Movement Therapy report for my dance class. I love the way she approaches this, she doesn't make a parent feel guilty but rather educate them.
I like her point that we all need to be seen, heard, and understood for who we are. This is important for the relationship between the child and parent, as well as for the development of the child.
Yes. I find it interesting that babies need to be heard too because they cannot speak. But this is so right because they still make sounds that should be responded too. A quote id like to add is "all movements have the power to share and to express something". All babies need to do that in order to develop as well.
Definitely agree. Sometimes being acknowledged for our presence is already enough! However, a further connection requires more than just acknowledgement but also to be heard, and understood.
Her talk is very important for all parents to hear. Many parents do not know how much what they do with their babies really will impact them in their futures.
I appreciated this baseline understanding of emotional needs: SHHH Seen, heard (understood for who we are), held (secure), hugged. And simple tool for striving to meet needs in relationship: ARC Attend (see what their baby is doing, what are their behaviors saying), reflect (on the meaning of what these behaviors may be saying, also reflect on what’s coming up for them), connect (back to your child from this understanding). While these were specifically for a guardian child relationship I feel like the tools could be used effectively in many types of relationship.
This talk was captivating because when we talk relating to a child is always about them but highlighting the parents was amazing. One thing that stood out was when she talked about the power of nonverbal. Although a child may not be able to speak they can communicate through the power of movement.
I really liked that during her speech she discussed the power of mirroring and non-verbal communication. It was interesting to see how when shown the picture of the baby the audience members all reacted similarly. Non-verbal communication is not only important for infants but also as adults to express our emotions.
This is a wonderful talk given by Suzi. This is a powerful and educational discussion that I think all parents should listen to. The nonverbal communication between parent and child is more powerful than many know. "When I look I am seen, so I exist". Being an attuned parent creates the relationship and the baby responding to mother is what creates the dancing dialogue. One of my favorite talks!
"All movements have the power to share and to express something" I really enjoyed this quote, it embodies the values of DMT we are reminded of over and over again. This talk was super interesting.
What a great presentation. I really noticed the shift in my body when viewing the different pictures of the babies. I love the idea of embodied parenting, especially with everything going on in the world currently. Babies and children can sense the energy of the adults around them and taking time to attune to your child and help them process emotions is powerful. I love the SHHH acronym. Dr. Tortora captured the importance of the child feeling seen, heard, held, and hugged beautifully.
Dr. Tortora’s work is exceptionally captivating and pivotal in today’s society where relationships are affected by technology, busy schedules, and other distractions as well as a mind-body disconnect. I enjoyed how Dr. Tortora involves the audience to understand the significance of non-verbal communication in relating to children by having them respond to pictures of children and notice what happens on a body level. She emphasizes the importance of reflective responsiveness of caregivers with infants as the foundation of one’s sense of relationship and existence. Dr. Tortora also nicely integrates attachment theory, neurobiology, and dance/movement therapy principles to shed light on why the relationship between mother and baby matters, especially for the child’s psychosocial development, as well as emphasize “seeing, hearing, holding” and “attending, reflecting, connecting” in the relationship between parent and child. Engaging, insightful, and inspiring talk - full of joy and love! Thank you for sharing Dr. Tortora!
The discussion of the Dancing Dialogue is so fascinating. When I think about attachment, I often think about the role of the parent to attune and respond to the child. I love that Dr. Tortora highlights the role of the child and the two-way dialogue that occurs between the two. It was inspiring to witness the embodiment that is shared between parent and child in the slides and the soothing that can occur when one is attuned to another.
This video is so helpful! For those interested in dance therapy and just for everyone. It reminded me how much dance and movement therapy can be applicable in life. We have learned how movements can be beneficial for individuals to learn more about and explore their own psyche, but this video explains how movement therapy can also be used to connect and better communication within families! And like the speaker mentioned a lot of the same principles are used in the different applications of DMT. It’s all about being seen, heard, and cared for or encouraged. DMT is so good for this world.
I never thought that such small children could benefit from dance therapy, but since they do not even talk it makes so much sense. I found it interesting to hear that the physical contact between and infant and the parent has a great deal of importance in the development of their minds. I failed to realize that in fact, children learn from physical contact and experiences with others. Dr. Tortora's concept of embodied parenting is a great way to make sure as a parent, you are connecting with your child and aiding their little minds into complete development.
This whole talk was explaining the way in which a parent should behave and react with their child in order to connect and create a bond with each other. It is not just about the baby, it is about the baby and the parent as a combined unit. I related this talk to class in the way that she talks about how much touch is valued in her teachings and how important it is for the baby/parent relationship and how we talked about how important it is to life as a whole and how we can die without touch. The thing that got to me the most in her talk is how she talked about how babies just want to be seen and feel like someone cares and to me that is important because even as a young adult there are times that I act just to be noticed and feel like I am there.
I like how you mentioned the baby and the parent being a combined unit. They both rely on each other in the process of communicating/understanding each other.
Dr. Tortora says “our body speaks and tells us about our experiences in our life”. This is the key to understanding people. I find it very interesting how Dr. Tortora interacts with the audience in order to help explain her process, for example when she asks the audience to respond to an image of a child as if they were the parents. She asks them to respond and feel there experience within that moment. The “dancing dialogue” is a mirrored and received nonverbal interaction that occurs between a baby and its mother. This communication begins at birth and the baby’s very life is dependent on these interactions. The set of images that I enjoyed were the pictures of the father and his child, and the change in reaction when having that sensitivity to the child caused the baby to become calm and composed. He did this just by being supportive and understanding. This really shows the importance of how our bodies tell us about our experiences. It is so helpful to know that responsive affirmative nonverbal gestures can affect us so much so early on.
“Our body speaks and tells us about our experiences in life.” One of the most important statements of this video. We can express ourselves much easier through our bodies than through our words. Mirroring and attuning is the best way to understand what someone is trying to say, especially infants. Nonverbal communication is constant and that there is always a two-way conversation going on regardless if we realize it at not. I really enjoyed how she mentioned that physical contact is essential for babies to feel connected to others. Our bodies have over 500,000 sensory and it is crucial for our health, and the health of others that they receive a physical nurturing contact with others.
I really enjoyed during her speech how she explained the importance of non-verbal communication between parents and their children. I had never considered the depth to this relationship and its importance to gaining trust with the child and interpreting the child's emotions as well as expressing ones own emotions.
First of all, what an amazing presentation. I think that the "SHHH," system is an excellent tool for not only helping caregivers understand how to better communicate with their children, but also remember in the long term. The addition of photos and the moments we were given as an audience to pause to listen to how we feel will stick with me. So cute. Thank you!
I love how Suzi used the photo of the child as an example of how peoples reactions are a bodily experience to children. I thought this was a creative way to begin her speech and almost prove to the audience how DMT can affect families and relationships of children and caregivers. I have learned a decent amount about the importance of physical relationship between a mother and child. I belive Suzi does a great job of explaining this relationship and shows how they effect the child development.
It was a very powerful experience of simply looking at a picture of a baby's smiley face, we can naturally engage and respond back non-verbally with our body movement to meet with the baby's emotion and energy in a similar level. The baby and the mother's mutual responsiveness occurs before the giving birth, mother can perceive baby's response inside her belly without seeing it. Dr. Tortora mentioned that an "attuned, responsive, reflective reaction and interaction build the baby's capacity". I truly enjoyed learning about Dr. Tortora's work with the mother, caregiver, and their child!
This brought up some sad and happy emotions for me. I lived with a mother who completely neglected her toddler and moved into my house when she gave birth to her son. I am sad for what the trauma this caused for the children but happy that I was able share my love with them. They are beautiful children. It's truly amazing what movement therapists do to help and support children and their parents. I can't wait to use these techniques when I have children. Embodied Parenting is great for growth in both the parents and children. Shhh and ARC building safety, connection, empathy and communication. These are great things to remember not only when parenting but in our daily lives to create a more empathetic, connected and communicative world.
I really enjoyed Suzi's explanation of a person's movement signature and how it is reflective of our past experiences. The concept of the mother introducing the baby to its body displays the importance of the caregiver-child relationship. This time in the infant's life quite literally sets them up for the rest of its life. It is imperative that this nonverbal bond created is strong in order to set the child up for success in relationships! The lens of DMT captures the infant-caregiver relationship in a way that not many other modalities can due to the innate and nonverbal nature of movement.
I really appreciated the joyful approach to the demonstration of nonverbal interaction in Suzi's talk. This "attuned, sensitive, reflective responsiveness - or dancing dialogue" is at the heart of relationships, especially within primary attachment. It is also interesting to hear the phrase "there is no baby- only baby and mother." While it is beautiful to observe healthy mother-child experience, we must also consider detrimental early attachments. Even without words, babies perceive the actions and attitudes of those around them, beginning to understand the world as a place where their needs will be met or where they may not. I believe this talk should be widespread and offered in parenting courses, to help parents who struggle when they "can't reason with" a baby who is dysregulated or can't explain themselves. They don't need to, they simply need to be with their children.
I think it is definitely so important for parents to understand this! It can really strengthen and change the relationship between a parent and a child!
INCREDIBLE!! Dr. Tortora's talk about "Embodied Parenting" was so fascinating and educational. People talk about the importance of non-verbal communication and how it builds children's understanding and expands their ability to feel, however, Dr. Tortora's dives deeper in explaining the small details f how parents influence and communicate with their child in the simplest movements from head tilts, to embrace. Remarkable talk!
This is a great talk that really highlights how important the relationship between parent and child is. Dr. Tortora brings a clear perspective on how emotional and physical connection are necessary to having a wholistic relationship and parenting skill-set. The use of her acronyms are especially clever and help to give clear steps on improving a parent-child relationship.
A must watch for all in the field of psychology and dance therapy, professionals working with children and for parents. Dr. Tortora eloquently explains in easy to understand language, the aspects of movement that are an essential component to child development as well as relationship development between the child and caregiver.
This video stresses the importance of NVC and the development of children. This form of communication is the only form of communication or dialogue with caregivers for babies. This gives the baby an early sense of worth and allows primary caregivers to acknolwdge babies feelings. This acknowledgment, which is based on interaction and sensitive parenting, helps babies in development and regulation of emotions. These vital pratices help mold the foundation into which babies manage adulthood. Great tutorial for all parents/caregivers and those in child development.
Dr. Tortora has now become a favorite of mine through the knowledge I've gained about her and her talks. She makes so many great points about how important touch is to infants and babies as they're growing. The quality of a look, the intention behind a hug, or behind a cradling is essential to a baby because they know when it's genuine and when it's not. Babies can also tell when they feel safe, and they will immediately let it be known that they need to be back to safety. Tortora's extensive work behind parenting is something I believe all parents should be taking a look at because I definitely feel that if my parents had this knowledge, my upbringing would be much different. Fortunately, I'm gaining this knowledge before I become a parent, if I ever do, and I want to make sure i'm nurturing and caring for a human being that I've created as genuinely as honestly as possible. They can't learn through just a screen, they need that physical touch to create genuine experiences that create knowledge for themselves that'll transcend to the rest of their relationships to other people and to themselves as they grow up. Dr. Tortora's research resonates closely because as an adult, I am still uncomfortable with touch, but when I do receive it, I feel cared for and supported even if it's just for a moment.
Dr. Tortora really observes the power of nonverbal communication in child development. She talks about how parents connect to their young children and how that helps form a bond and how it helps the baby develop and grow in communication. In call we learned how important touch is to the development of children in their early years. We learned it can positive affects such as weight gain in premature babies, or negative affects such as spanking can lead to aggression. Also, when touched by mother babies show stress reduction.This would be a great video for any parents or future parents.
This work is extremely important. Many parents have no clue what to do with their newborn and this framework allows new parents to understand how to foster an environment that their child can thrive in. This framework allows understanding to be experienced in a new way between parent and child, and allows them to grow deeper in their connection to one another.
I couldn’t agree more! This framework really offers invaluable support for new parents, helping them build a deeper, more intuitive connection with their child. It’s amazing how it encourages parents to create a nurturing environment that promotes growth, not just for the child but for their own relationship as well.
I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the approach that Suzi took in this video. She stated that, "When I look I am seen, so I exist" in relation to the importance of mirroring and attuning to children. Suzi presented her concepts of SHHH (seeing, hearing, held, hugged) and ARC (Attend, Reflect, Connect) in a way that was comprehensive and relatable for those who work on a body-level. These concepts also encouraged the importance of the body when working with or raising children, which reinforces the importance of D/MT!
Me too, Alicyn! Our past and background has a huge impact on our movement qualities, and watching the session Suzi lead with the little boy demonstrates this!
Growing up in an Asian country, I could see how embodied parenting could be a life-changing concept to be introduced to Asian parents! Suzi also did a good job in explaining the concept. Thank you!
I didn’t grow up in an Asian country, but I do feel as though my parenting was different from others as I grew up in a way that my parents made sure I was getting all the love and care I needed, which many people are deprived of, affecting their adult lives.
This is an incredible talk. I have a little sister adopted from Russia, and she was unable to form a secure attachment in the orphanage because she did not have a stable caregiver to attach to and form a physical connection with them. It has taken lots of movement connection with my parents to get her to be able to form healthy attachments. Movement is so important in forming parent/child bonds.
This is a wonderful talk. Dr Tortora connects with the listener in an authentic way. As she presents on the importance of embodied parenting I felt like she was making a connection with me. Her slides, her talking points, her approach all make this a wonderful presentation. I intend to have all my students listen to this. Thanks Suzi.
When I read the title, I already knew it was going to be a great speech. Thank you! I absolutely loved your idea of embodied parenting. Culturally speaking, parenting techniques vary by far, but I really enjoyed the idea of (embodied parenting) a general way of parenting where we (as parents) will seek to wait, watch and listen. Watch for nonverbal communication and listen for verbal communication. It's something that many children often want from their parents other than love, which is patience and understanding.
Dr. Tortora gives an amazing talk. With her use of images to get the audience involved I felt a connection to the talk. So interesting how important that non-verbal communication is, and that shared experiences is so important. Today you see lots of parents just letting there kids watch tv or fake stimulation but this talk shows how important that personal true connection is.
"When I look I am seen, so I exist." -Winnicott What a beautiful presentation by a skilled therapist. I love the clear steps Tortora offers through the acronyms "SHHH" (Seen, Heard, Held, Hugged) and "ARC" (Attend, Reflect, Connect). This is life-changing work!
I thought it was interesting how parents can communicate with their children by matching their movement and moving to show them what they want. It seems like a great way to build a relationship since movement is the babies only form of communication. I liked how she incorporated the audience and showed many pictures to make it even easier to understand
I thought how Dr. Tortora uses the quote "When I look I am seen, so I exist." by Winnicot related greatly to our early understanding of non-verbal communication. Nonverbal communication, according to lecture by Lora Wilson, is continuous conversation and Dr. Tortora explores the impact of the early development of this nonverbal communication through the interactions of parent and child. A great guide to building children's nonverbal communication by following her parental guidelines.
Babies first learn about themselves and the world around them through non-verbal movements. I love her point on this there is so much neuroscience behind touch, especially with a mother and a baby, the release of oxytocin aiding in the development of their relationship. Yet another way dance movement therapy can help in building relationships, interactions, and thinking capabilities.
I never really thought about the role non-verbal communication played with development and parent/child relationships, but it makes sense. DMT seems to really focus on this to help people!
I really enjoyed the use of the SHH and ARC acronyms. They provide a simple way to ground oneself and step back in to the moment with mindfulness and awareness.
Suzi does a really good job of explaining how DMT can further develop the connections children have with their parents, and even more so, how it can help parents get to better know and understand how their children are thinking. In her example of the non-verbal feeling we got from the picture of the child smiling, it really showed what power it had on the emotions one feels without a single word. Great talk!
I love how this video again talks about the importance of mirroring movements of the children as it is a way of making them feel seen and understood even if you can't verbally communicate with them.
I agree! The concept of mirroring movements resonates, as it creates a powerful connection that transcends words. When children feel seen and understood in this way, it can significantly enhance their sense of security and self-worth. It’s amazing how such a simple gesture can foster deeper emotional bonds and communication.
I completely agree! Mirroring is such a powerful tool in building connection and trust, especially when verbal communication isn’t possible. It’s incredible how something as simple as matching a child's movements can help them feel acknowledged and understood.
What I found informative was how she says that DMT is a story that talks about our past experiences. She talks about the power of nonverbal allows to create a dancing dialogue and build a relationship. She also explains how experiences are first felt through nonverbals and have no end. I really liked how she integrates the audienece in her talk and allows us to notice our nonverbal communication as well.
Great commentary on how dance/movement therapy can be used to support parents in understanding, noticing, and relating with their children- even starting from the earliest of developmental years. These practical steps and reminders are great tools for parents and make some of the fundamental principles of dance/movement therapy really accessible. Thanks for sharing these words!
I found this talk to be super interesting and I really liked the emphasis on the power of nonverbal communication! I agree that dance and movement can be used to build bonds and demonstrate feelings and experiences. I also really liked the scientific connections about the importance of mirroring and sensitive parenting! The emphasis on body through body experiences was something I thought was extremely important especially at this time in our generation where technology is taking over and there is a huge need of human connection and emotional regulation.
I love that she mentioned that we can try to understand someone's emotions through their movements. I think dance therapy can be helpful for families because it can allow family members to communicate if they do not want to use their words.
I agree Emma, I think it can be helpful to express positive emotions but this type of non-verbal communication I fear can also communicate very negative emotions and harm the relationship
I think this talk really proves how important paying attention to non-verbal communication is. Movement is our first language. It is important that parents recognize this and use movement to connect with their child.
"Movement is our first language" is a great statement! While different cultures have different body movements for different emotions, humans generally have a good ability to understand what those movements mean.
Hi Olivia, I couldn't agree more. This is the only communication form at the beginning of life between parents and children. Learning to understand these communications are critical towards building a positive, supportive relationship with children.
It is interesting to learn that communication through nonverbal language actually starts from a kid's birth and helps he build his regulation of self and other important things
DMT is a good way to form a bond or a connection between children and their parents. Like the speaker says, the details of our past experiences can really be shown through DMT. Sometimes communicating with parents can be difficult, but this form of communication is much easier for some individuals. It is fascinating to learn that these experiences for a baby are very crucial to them.
Yeah I agree. It seems like DMT can really help parents and children form a better bond that is beneficial for both people, but especially for the developing child.
I thought that her point about children learning better through experience with others rather than though a computer was a very relevant topic right now. I have always noticed that I learn better with a physical book or by having a conversation so even though I am not a baby I resonated with that point. I also found it interesting when she points out how important it is to have parents focus on non verbal cues early on and how that can develop a form of communication as the child grows older in the form of dance dialogue.
Yes it is. Especially since parents will spend a lot of money on these forms of learning so their child can be "smarter". Hopefully more of these parents learn that the computer learning may be helpful, but not as helpful as experiences. So if they want their baby to grow intellectually, then they need to be there moving and learning with the baby.
I really like the way the speaker goes about explaining parenting from the felt experience, as well as the notion that sensitive parenting helps children regulate their emotions. Human interaction and nonverbal cues are crucial in development and creating our own body signature. The presenter did a good job of presenting ways for the audience to remember the process of "embodied parenting" that included acronyms and actions that will allow other parents to remember these parenting steps and use them in regards to the upbringing of their own children. Overall, it was a good video that allowed for me to reflect on interactions with the children I nanny for as well as how I would want my parenting experience to look like when I eventually have a family of my own.
I absolutely enjoyed this video and the topic. Dr. Totora's concepts of "embodied parenting" completely spoke to me on so many levels! In this video she really put together how parents/primary caregivers can keep a loving bond and relationship with their children, and how the baby's relationship and experience with people like their mother creates a sense of self and experienced based on the quality of touch, posture, space, time, and rhythm we receive and then perpetuate back to our mother figures as a developing child. This attuning and mirroring in our early stages of life is so crucial on how our brain is based, developed, "hard-wired", and ability to regulate ourselves, allowing us to manage through life's ups and downs, and how our emotions play into this. I think that her idea of Embodied parenting, and how parenting from a felt experience, reading and communicating through non-verbal skills really applies to our class. As we talked about in class, this sense of nurturing is not only important for the relationships we have with our parents, but how we develop biologically, how our nervous system develops, how we relax, how our body functions, and how we socialize with others and the world around us. In our readers we have two articles: Give a Hug, Save an infant, and Childhood Maltreatment associated with Cerebral Gray Matter Reductions in Infants that further add to what Dr. Tortora is talking about here in how we are affected on so many levels based on our interactions in our early years. One thing that I think from the video that may be of great use and importance to any and every one from this video is really the overall concept of this video. Knowing that we as human beings need to feel that others are interested in understanding us, that we need to be heard, and held in both the minds and arms of others is not just something parents should understand as they raise their children, but that all of us who are in some form of relationship or another realize. Whether it be a friend, a family member or a love relationship, we all long for this attunement Dr. Tortora speaks about.
What a great aspect of dance and movement therapy! I found this so interesting because it displays such a great importance of starting to build this non-verbal human interaction at such a young age. In fact, this is what the baby feel from day one, and it is the beginning of their growth experience. The babies first find their sense of self by their interactions with others. I love how she explains this all as the "Dancing Dialect" and explains how it all starts by attunement.
I really like this focus of DMT on parenting. At such a young age, body language is the main form of communication that infants receive. Being able to attune with them and understand their body movements can be incredible. At it's very base, you're building a connection, which is very important
The images and acronyms really brought to life the different techniques and importance of attunement within parenting. I really appreciated the way Dr. Tortora brings in an awareness of how the parent was parented and allows that to be a part of the process of understanding the parents response to the child. It seems like there has been work done globally around this and I wonder how cultural differences or practices are incorporated into the process of this work and how attachment functions in situations where there is more than the primary caregiver involved in raising the child.
Wow, I really loved the message of connection Dr. Tortora presented. I especially liked the quote she referenced, "When I look I am seen, so I exist." Her acronyms for connection and movement-based parenting and her visual examples all made so much sense regarding how humans naturally function and the things they need.
It was interesting to learn more about embodied parenting. This video and speaker explained it very well and in depth. Dance therapy can be helpful for families and communication between family members.
Families, almost always, want loving relationships, and non-verbal analysis of other people's emotions and movements can help you understand someone. This is super helpful for parents to understand the feelings their children have and may not know how to verbally communicate it. This can help mitigate any arguments, fights, or tension that may build when a parent does not know what their child wants or needs or how they are feeling.
Agree! It’s so true that families thrive on love and understanding. Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in bridging the gap when words aren’t enough.
This presentation was very informative about the importance of attuning to a baby and developing the connection early on in development. Dr. Tortora highlighted new psychological information in relation to babies and infants that I hope to implement in my future work with this population. Therapeutic techniques can be implemented with all levels of development and it was a good reminder for me that dance/movement therapy doesn't have to be applied after trauma but at the beginning of life.
Dr, Tortora discussed how nonverbal relationships parents and infants enhance their developments. She mentioned the importance of physical body contacts and emphasized their significance in helping brain development in babies. Like the video that we watched in class, she also explored the technique of reflecting and mirroring to create trust and empathy. One of the most important connect that she made is the rise in obesity in babies. We are too reliance on technologies and computers to the point that we forget to play and with our babies and help them stay active.
It's really interesting that mirroring is innate in many interactions between a mother and her baby. This connection is incredibly important in a child's development and it demonstrates the value of having someone understand you and see you.
I also thought that it is interesting how mirroring is innate; I would assume that for many mothers it comes naturally. Even so, it is really important to talk about the power of nonverbal communication to ensure understanding and a strong relationship between parents and child.
Dr. Tortora shares in her video the power of non verbal communication and what a person is trying to say based off of non verbal cues. Through dance therapy our body speaks and tells us about our life. Dr. Tortora shows a picture of a baby from the netherlands and asks the audience to pay attention to their body's non verbal cues and how the energy had changed. Similar to film show in class on mirroring this creates a bond of trust and plays a key role in brain development. It is important that parents make sure their child is getting enough body to body interacting and not expecting their child to learn though technology.
Suzi makes some important points throughout the talk, especially mirroring and the importance of non-verbal communication. I only wish that this sort of thing was applied to more daily life.
It is interesting when she makes the point that the mother introduces the baby to their body and all of life. Mothers play an important role in reflecting what is going on and feelings. It is a two way communication, and the baby responds to the mother and the mother will respond back. Building a dialogue that begins at birth and never ends!
What a dynamic talk, I was totally engaged the whole time! Dr. Tortora talked extensively about the importance of attuning through movement and other forms of nonverbal communication to create the essential bond between parent and child. The Winicott quote she talked about and showed on a slide, "When I look I am seen, so I exist" is quite powerful in illustrating the healthy attachment that forms between infants and primary caregivers. It makes me think about an article that I read recently about infant development/early attachment and cell phone use while breastfeeding/bottle feeding. Turns out that the eye contact made during feedings is really important to the socioemotional development of the infant and when mom is constantly looking toward her device rather than at baby, a disruption occurs. I remain curious about that.
Wow thats a really interesting phenomena you read about! This definitely made me really think about how important interactions with babies are even if they are not understanding everything about it.
Dr. Toronta helps people understand the power of dance movement and non-verbal communication. Dr. Toronta showed the picture of her and the baby from Netherlands and let the audiences feel the baby. As well as, mother starts having the baby, they both start having connection through dance. Dr. Toronta is using Haptic in therapy as how baby feels touch of the baby and the care giver build the baby's capacity, and oculesics as the facial expression.
I love this idea as well! I think that is so interesting and actually very meaningful. Who knows, maybe this could allow for better relationships with parents.
I really liked the emphasis on common language that can used an shared. One of my kines professors used to be a gym teacher and she also noticed this common language through movement even without knowing of DMT
Dr. Tortora outlines the power of nonverbal communication in child development. She talks about how parents connect to their young children and how that helps form a bond and how it helps the baby develop. This video had A Lot to do with many of the articles we read in class this semester. We learned how important touch is to the development of children in their early years. We learned it can positive affects such as weight gain in premature babies, or negative affects such as spanking can lead to aggression. We learned when touched by mother babies show stress reduction. I would say this video would be great for new parents or anyone interested in child development. This is Kristen Mitchell, DANC 373 T, 7pm
I loved this video and what she had to teach because many parents want to be closer with their children and better parents, so this can really help a lot of parents. I also think this can help with a lot of friendships with listening to each other and being good people.
I find Suzi's work to be incredibly inviting. I think discussing parenting can be a very sensitive topic, as it is a position that many parents are "expected" to know how to do, and on an instinctual level. Seeing how complex the parent-child relationship can be allows for a safe space to hold a potentially difficult conversation. I am curious to know how this work can continue to translate beyond the parent-child relationship.
Dr. Tortora explains the importance of nonverbal communication perfectly among infants and toddlers! A mother mirrors what the child is expressing and a child mirrors what a mother or caregiver is expressing. Children are sponges no matter what age! This also plays a part in how caregivers are also such an important part of the growth of a child. It is important for an infant to know from a young age that the mother will always be there for them and/or will always come back to be there for them when they feel in danger, without the mother dominating the infant.
I think the relationship between baby and mother is so unique and cool. Even though the baby can not verbally express feelings the baby uses facial expressions and movement to communicate to its mother. Relationship between baby and mother is extremely important as if the babies facial expression and movement is ignored it could lead to a broken relationship and later down the road different psychological challenges.
I definitely think that hitting on the relationship between mother and baby and putting emphasis on it is extremely important. I think that being attune to nonverbal communication is especially crucial while the child is a baby who does not speak.
Dr. Tortora makes a good point about technology, and while it may be convenient it is detrimental to parenting because it does not aid in the child's exploration of self as well as their identification of self with others and space. I found the part where she mentions that parents should listen to their children rather than listening to what they think their child is going to or wanting to say and actually for them to listen to there children an interesting and valuable point.
I didn't stop to think about the importance of embodied parenting until now and it is truly crucial in a parent-child relationship. Technology is increasing disrupting this pure connection over the years.
This is a great observation because technology is often marketed as very important for development, but it can have negative impacts on the parent-child relationship.
A very interesting interpretation on DMT that I very much enjoyed hearing about. I had no idea that it could be used to help connect parent and child. The verbal and nonverbal dialogue between parent and child is very important, especially when it comes to the nonverbal cues.
The neuroscience of infants is very interesting. I like the quote of our brain is developed/built upon non verbal interactions/expressions based on relationships. It seems like as infants grow up, the non verbal takes a backseat to verbal communication, but I wonder why? Is it just easier to defer to verbal, or do caregivers assume that is more effective?
The acronyms SHHH and ARC I believe are really ways to help with parenting. I personally know that I want to be a father, and knowing these acronyms, I certainly intend on using them down the line.
The energy given through our body to others is the best energy we can give to ourselves. The stories that two bodies have together are incredible.
Morgan, Agreed! I like the way you put it :)
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The idea of "embodied parenting" speaks to the power of non-verbal communication through movement, which allows parents to connect with their children on a more intuitive level. It's amazing how dance therapy can help parents become more attuned to their child’s needs and foster a nurturing, responsive environment for growth. This approach truly highlights the mind-body connection in parenting!
I like how this speaker engages the audience, and speaks directly to them. It puts you in a perspective as if you were also present in the session.
Those images were so cute. It was interesting to see the progression through pictures of the power of nonverbal communication among babies and children and their parents. It makes sense but I never knew how important it was for the child's brain development.
I agree! I think that dance movement therapy can be so beneficial because movement is our first language. We all communicate through movement, whether we realize we are doing it or not, and as kids, it was our primary form of communication before we learned how to talk so I can see how important it could be for children to feel heard through nonverbal communication
I also liked the images presented and how she used them in her talk. I think they provided strong evidence for the importance of the parent-child relationship.
I love how she mentions the power that nonverbal communication creates a dancing dialogue in order to build a relationship that every parent wants to have with their child. This is so relevant because parents can make a connection with their child before the child is even able to speak.
Absolutely agree! It's so interesting how such a great bond and connection is built with a mother and a baby's movement interactions!
Ideally that every parent/caregiver would want but I agree. The initial bond is so important for the developing child. She briefly mentioned that it might even be beneficial in the womb! I find that incredibly fascinating.
I agree! It is relevant and also important to create communication and a connection with infants and at a young age to have good and stable communication with them in the future!
I found it really interesting that responses we receive from others are how we build our communication skills. It shows how important interactions with young babies are. These experiences are shaping the way the baby communicates.
Very much agree. It makes me think that we should be putting more of an emphasis on healthy communication in education settings. Not everyone comes from a home situation that was able to model these skills/provide these needed interactions. And they're obviously really important for happy/healthy navigation of life and relationships.
What an engaging presentation by Dr. Tortora. The embodied relationship, the "dancing dialogue", between baby and parent is the first experience of Authentic Movement. In AM, a mover and witness are in a relationship, with the witness attuning to, holding, and seeing the mover. Suzi's concept of embodied parenting is a perfect way for babies, for children, to be able to move authentically and develop into their own self.
I found the speaker's insights on non-verbal communication between parents and children to be incredibly engaging and thought-provoking. The emphasis on this relationship highlighted how crucial it is for building trust and understanding emotions that may be hard for children to express verbally. Understanding non-verbal cues can significantly enhance family dynamics, helping parents better interpret their children's feelings and needs. This awareness can reduce misunderstandings and tension, fostering a more loving environment. I also appreciated how she actively involved the audience, making it feel as if we were all part of the session.
The audience interaction is brilliant and extremely engaging and important in fully immersing in the talk. The non-verbal communication between a baby and a parent is vital in connection from such an early age, exemplifying the importance of attachment.
Dance Therapy - It is so cool how Suzi connected the importance of dance therapy movement to parenting techniques. The energy we give through our body to others is the best energy we can give ourselves which is such an important lesson.
In only thirteen minutes my ideas about parenting and infant development have been nourished. This is an amazing talk. The photographs add another level of meaning to the presentation.
Agreed with this! It is great to know for future parents and the images definitely help convey the point even better. Wonderful presentation!
I really like how she mentioned that not only should we focus on our nonverbal expression, but the details about the nonverbal expression should be recognized. She emphasizes that when communicating, there should be an attuned experience and energy that reflects back to the baby.
Dr. Tortora's engaging talk should be viewed by anyone who interacts with babies and young children. I love that she emphasizes the positive correlation between a caregiver's reflective, responsive attunement and a baby's overall capacity.
Working as a nanny for several years, I've experienced many stages of a child's particular development alongside each child's parents. As I cared for infants and watched them grow, it was apparent that the interactions held between primary caregiver(s) and child influence many aspects of a child's social, emotional and behavioral expression. Even the simple act of the parent reading a bedtime story with the child had a noticeable impact on the child's interactions with me as the babysitter.
I loved the pictures of here dancing with that little boy from Prague. Those pictures had so much movement captured in a still-life image. It really shows the power of non-verbal movement. I was curious how parents learn to exist with their baby (i.e. do they understand when the baby cries or something else). I love how Dr. Tortora went in depth on that something else. The parents and the baby learn about each other through nonverbal movements!
What a joy to witness the knowledge and practice of attuned parenting. The speaker clearly demonstrated the amazing benefits of connecting on an embodied level within a family system.
What a highly educated women. I am doing a Dance/Movement Therapy report for my dance class. I love the way she approaches this, she doesn't make a parent feel guilty but rather educate them.
I like her point that we all need to be seen, heard, and understood for who we are. This is important for the relationship between the child and parent, as well as for the development of the child.
Yes. I find it interesting that babies need to be heard too because they cannot speak. But this is so right because they still make sounds that should be responded too. A quote id like to add is "all movements have the power to share and to express something". All babies need to do that in order to develop as well.
Definitely agree. Sometimes being acknowledged for our presence is already enough! However, a further connection requires more than just acknowledgement but also to be heard, and understood.
Her talk is very important for all parents to hear. Many parents do not know how much what they do with their babies really will impact them in their futures.
I appreciated this baseline understanding of emotional needs: SHHH Seen, heard (understood for who we are), held (secure), hugged. And simple tool for striving to meet needs in relationship: ARC Attend (see what their baby is doing, what are their behaviors saying), reflect (on the meaning of what these behaviors may be saying, also reflect on what’s coming up for them), connect (back to your child from this understanding). While these were specifically for a guardian child relationship I feel like the tools could be used effectively in many types of relationship.
This talk was captivating because when we talk relating to a child is always about them but highlighting the parents was amazing. One thing that stood out was when she talked about the power of nonverbal. Although a child may not be able to speak they can communicate through the power of movement.
I really liked that during her speech she discussed the power of mirroring and non-verbal communication. It was interesting to see how when shown the picture of the baby the audience members all reacted similarly. Non-verbal communication is not only important for infants but also as adults to express our emotions.
This is a wonderful talk given by Suzi. This is a powerful and educational discussion that I think all parents should listen to. The nonverbal communication between parent and child is more powerful than many know. "When I look I am seen, so I exist". Being an attuned parent creates the relationship and the baby responding to mother is what creates the dancing dialogue. One of my favorite talks!
"All movements have the power to share and to express something" I really enjoyed this quote, it embodies the values of DMT we are reminded of over and over again. This talk was super interesting.
What a great presentation. I really noticed the shift in my body when viewing the different pictures of the babies. I love the idea of embodied parenting, especially with everything going on in the world currently. Babies and children can sense the energy of the adults around them and taking time to attune to your child and help them process emotions is powerful. I love the SHHH acronym. Dr. Tortora captured the importance of the child feeling seen, heard, held, and hugged beautifully.
Dr. Tortora’s work is exceptionally captivating and pivotal in today’s society where relationships are affected by technology, busy schedules, and other distractions as well as a mind-body disconnect. I enjoyed how Dr. Tortora involves the audience to understand the significance of non-verbal communication in relating to children by having them respond to pictures of children and notice what happens on a body level. She emphasizes the importance of reflective responsiveness of caregivers with infants as the foundation of one’s sense of relationship and existence. Dr. Tortora also nicely integrates attachment theory, neurobiology, and dance/movement therapy principles to shed light on why the relationship between mother and baby matters, especially for the child’s psychosocial development, as well as emphasize “seeing, hearing, holding” and “attending, reflecting, connecting” in the relationship between parent and child. Engaging, insightful, and inspiring talk - full of joy and love! Thank you for sharing Dr. Tortora!
The discussion of the Dancing Dialogue is so fascinating. When I think about attachment, I often think about the role of the parent to attune and respond to the child. I love that Dr. Tortora highlights the role of the child and the two-way dialogue that occurs between the two. It was inspiring to witness the embodiment that is shared between parent and child in the slides and the soothing that can occur when one is attuned to another.
This video is so helpful! For those interested in dance therapy and just for everyone. It reminded me how much dance and movement therapy can be applicable in life. We have learned how movements can be beneficial for individuals to learn more about and explore their own psyche, but this video explains how movement therapy can also be used to connect and better communication within families! And like the speaker mentioned a lot of the same principles are used in the different applications of DMT. It’s all about being seen, heard, and cared for or encouraged. DMT is so good for this world.
I never thought that such small children could benefit from dance therapy, but since they do not even talk it makes so much sense. I found it interesting to hear that the physical contact between and infant and the parent has a great deal of importance in the development of their minds. I failed to realize that in fact, children learn from physical contact and experiences with others. Dr. Tortora's concept of embodied parenting is a great way to make sure as a parent, you are connecting with your child and aiding their little minds into complete development.
This whole talk was explaining the way in which a parent should behave and react with their child in order to connect and create a bond with each other. It is not just about the baby, it is about the baby and the parent as a combined unit. I related this talk to class in the way that she talks about how much touch is valued in her teachings and how important it is for the baby/parent relationship and how we talked about how important it is to life as a whole and how we can die without touch. The thing that got to me the most in her talk is how she talked about how babies just want to be seen and feel like someone cares and to me that is important because even as a young adult there are times that I act just to be noticed and feel like I am there.
I like how you mentioned the baby and the parent being a combined unit. They both rely on each other in the process of communicating/understanding each other.
Dr. Tortora says “our body speaks and tells us about our experiences in our life”. This is the key to understanding people. I find it very interesting how Dr. Tortora interacts with the audience in order to help explain her process, for example when she asks the audience to respond to an image of a child as if they were the parents. She asks them to respond and feel there experience within that moment. The “dancing dialogue” is a mirrored and received nonverbal interaction that occurs between a baby and its mother. This communication begins at birth and the baby’s very life is dependent on these interactions.
The set of images that I enjoyed were the pictures of the father and his child, and the change in reaction when having that sensitivity to the child caused the baby to become calm and composed. He did this just by being supportive and understanding. This really shows the importance of how our bodies tell us about our experiences. It is so helpful to know that responsive affirmative nonverbal gestures can affect us so much so early on.
“Our body speaks and tells us about our experiences in life.” One of the most important statements of this video. We can express ourselves much easier through our bodies than through our words. Mirroring and attuning is the best way to understand what someone is trying to say, especially infants. Nonverbal communication is constant and that there is always a two-way conversation going on regardless if we realize it at not. I really enjoyed how she mentioned that physical contact is essential for babies to feel connected to others. Our bodies have over 500,000 sensory and it is crucial for our health, and the health of others that they receive a physical nurturing contact with others.
I really enjoyed during her speech how she explained the importance of non-verbal communication between parents and their children. I had never considered the depth to this relationship and its importance to gaining trust with the child and interpreting the child's emotions as well as expressing ones own emotions.
First of all, what an amazing presentation. I think that the "SHHH," system is an excellent tool for not only helping caregivers understand how to better communicate with their children, but also remember in the long term. The addition of photos and the moments we were given as an audience to pause to listen to how we feel will stick with me. So cute. Thank you!
I love how Suzi used the photo of the child as an example of how peoples reactions are a bodily experience to children. I thought this was a creative way to begin her speech and almost prove to the audience how DMT can affect families and relationships of children and caregivers. I have learned a decent amount about the importance of physical relationship between a mother and child. I belive Suzi does a great job of explaining this relationship and shows how they effect the child development.
It was a very powerful experience of simply looking at a picture of a baby's smiley face, we can naturally engage and respond back non-verbally with our body movement to meet with the baby's emotion and energy in a similar level. The baby and the mother's mutual responsiveness occurs before the giving birth, mother can perceive baby's response inside her belly without seeing it. Dr. Tortora mentioned that an "attuned, responsive, reflective reaction and interaction build the baby's capacity". I truly enjoyed learning about Dr. Tortora's work with the mother, caregiver, and their child!
This brought up some sad and happy emotions for me. I lived with a mother who completely neglected her toddler and moved into my house when she gave birth to her son. I am sad for what the trauma this caused for the children but happy that I was able share my love with them. They are beautiful children. It's truly amazing what movement therapists do to help and support children and their parents. I can't wait to use these techniques when I have children. Embodied Parenting is great for growth in both the parents and children. Shhh and ARC building safety, connection, empathy and communication. These are great things to remember not only when parenting but in our daily lives to create a more empathetic, connected and communicative world.
I really enjoyed Suzi's explanation of a person's movement signature and how it is reflective of our past experiences. The concept of the mother introducing the baby to its body displays the importance of the caregiver-child relationship. This time in the infant's life quite literally sets them up for the rest of its life. It is imperative that this nonverbal bond created is strong in order to set the child up for success in relationships! The lens of DMT captures the infant-caregiver relationship in a way that not many other modalities can due to the innate and nonverbal nature of movement.
I really appreciated the joyful approach to the demonstration of nonverbal interaction in Suzi's talk. This "attuned, sensitive, reflective responsiveness - or dancing dialogue" is at the heart of relationships, especially within primary attachment. It is also interesting to hear the phrase "there is no baby- only baby and mother." While it is beautiful to observe healthy mother-child experience, we must also consider detrimental early attachments. Even without words, babies perceive the actions and attitudes of those around them, beginning to understand the world as a place where their needs will be met or where they may not. I believe this talk should be widespread and offered in parenting courses, to help parents who struggle when they "can't reason with" a baby who is dysregulated or can't explain themselves. They don't need to, they simply need to be with their children.
I think it is definitely so important for parents to understand this! It can really strengthen and change the relationship between a parent and a child!
INCREDIBLE!! Dr. Tortora's talk about "Embodied Parenting" was so fascinating and educational. People talk about the importance of non-verbal communication and how it builds children's understanding and expands their ability to feel, however, Dr. Tortora's dives deeper in explaining the small details f how parents influence and communicate with their child in the simplest movements from head tilts, to embrace. Remarkable talk!
This is a great talk that really highlights how important the relationship between parent and child is. Dr. Tortora brings a clear perspective on how emotional and physical connection are necessary to having a wholistic relationship and parenting skill-set. The use of her acronyms are especially clever and help to give clear steps on improving a parent-child relationship.
A must watch for all in the field of psychology and dance therapy, professionals working with children and for parents. Dr. Tortora eloquently explains in easy to understand language, the aspects of movement that are an essential component to child development as well as relationship development between the child and caregiver.
This video stresses the importance of NVC and the development of children. This form of communication is the only form of communication or dialogue with caregivers for babies. This gives the baby an early sense of worth and allows primary caregivers to acknolwdge babies feelings. This acknowledgment, which is based on interaction and sensitive parenting, helps babies in development and regulation of emotions. These vital pratices help mold the foundation into which babies manage adulthood. Great tutorial for all parents/caregivers and those in child development.
Dr. Tortora has now become a favorite of mine through the knowledge I've gained about her and her talks. She makes so many great points about how important touch is to infants and babies as they're growing. The quality of a look, the intention behind a hug, or behind a cradling is essential to a baby because they know when it's genuine and when it's not. Babies can also tell when they feel safe, and they will immediately let it be known that they need to be back to safety.
Tortora's extensive work behind parenting is something I believe all parents should be taking a look at because I definitely feel that if my parents had this knowledge, my upbringing would be much different. Fortunately, I'm gaining this knowledge before I become a parent, if I ever do, and I want to make sure i'm nurturing and caring for a human being that I've created as genuinely as honestly as possible. They can't learn through just a screen, they need that physical touch to create genuine experiences that create knowledge for themselves that'll transcend to the rest of their relationships to other people and to themselves as they grow up. Dr. Tortora's research resonates closely because as an adult, I am still uncomfortable with touch, but when I do receive it, I feel cared for and supported even if it's just for a moment.
Dr. Tortora really observes the power of nonverbal communication in child development. She talks about how parents connect to their young children and how that helps form a bond and how it helps the baby develop and grow in communication. In call we learned how important touch is to the development of children in their early years. We learned it can positive affects such as weight gain in premature babies, or negative affects such as spanking can lead to aggression. Also, when touched by mother babies show stress reduction.This would be a great video for any parents or future parents.
This work is extremely important. Many parents have no clue what to do with their newborn and this framework allows new parents to understand how to foster an environment that their child can thrive in. This framework allows understanding to be experienced in a new way between parent and child, and allows them to grow deeper in their connection to one another.
I couldn’t agree more! This framework really offers invaluable support for new parents, helping them build a deeper, more intuitive connection with their child. It’s amazing how it encourages parents to create a nurturing environment that promotes growth, not just for the child but for their own relationship as well.
I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the approach that Suzi took in this video. She stated that, "When I look I am seen, so I exist" in relation to the importance of mirroring and attuning to children. Suzi presented her concepts of SHHH (seeing, hearing, held, hugged) and ARC (Attend, Reflect, Connect) in a way that was comprehensive and relatable for those who work on a body-level. These concepts also encouraged the importance of the body when working with or raising children, which reinforces the importance of D/MT!
I really liked when she said " our bodies and our movements tell stories that speak about our experiences, pasts, and history"
Me too, Alicyn! Our past and background has a huge impact on our movement qualities, and watching the session Suzi lead with the little boy demonstrates this!
Growing up in an Asian country, I could see how embodied parenting could be a life-changing concept to be introduced to Asian parents! Suzi also did a good job in explaining the concept. Thank you!
I didn’t grow up in an Asian country, but I do feel as though my parenting was different from others as I grew up in a way that my parents made sure I was getting all the love and care I needed, which many people are deprived of, affecting their adult lives.
This is an incredible talk. I have a little sister adopted from Russia, and she was unable to form a secure attachment in the orphanage because she did not have a stable caregiver to attach to and form a physical connection with them. It has taken lots of movement connection with my parents to get her to be able to form healthy attachments. Movement is so important in forming parent/child bonds.
This is a wonderful talk. Dr Tortora connects with the listener in an authentic way. As she presents on the importance of embodied parenting I felt like she was making a connection with me. Her slides, her talking points, her approach all make this a wonderful presentation. I intend to have all my students listen to this. Thanks Suzi.
When I read the title, I already knew it was going to be a great speech. Thank you! I absolutely loved your idea of embodied parenting. Culturally speaking, parenting techniques vary by far, but I really enjoyed the idea of (embodied parenting) a general way of parenting where we (as parents) will seek to wait, watch and listen. Watch for nonverbal communication and listen for verbal communication. It's something that many children often want from their parents other than love, which is patience and understanding.
Dr. Tortora gives an amazing talk. With her use of images to get the audience involved I felt a connection to the talk. So interesting how important that non-verbal communication is, and that shared experiences is so important. Today you see lots of parents just letting there kids watch tv or fake stimulation but this talk shows how important that personal true connection is.
"When I look I am seen, so I exist." -Winnicott
What a beautiful presentation by a skilled therapist. I love the clear steps Tortora offers through the acronyms "SHHH" (Seen, Heard, Held, Hugged) and "ARC" (Attend, Reflect, Connect). This is life-changing work!
I thought it was interesting how parents can communicate with their children by matching their movement and moving to show them what they want. It seems like a great way to build a relationship since movement is the babies only form of communication. I liked how she incorporated the audience and showed many pictures to make it even easier to understand
I thought how Dr. Tortora uses the quote "When I look I am seen, so I exist." by Winnicot related greatly to our early understanding of non-verbal communication. Nonverbal communication, according to lecture by Lora Wilson, is continuous conversation and Dr. Tortora explores the impact of the early development of this nonverbal communication through the interactions of parent and child. A great guide to building children's nonverbal communication by following her parental guidelines.
Exactly! well said
Babies first learn about themselves and the world around them through non-verbal movements. I love her point on this there is so much neuroscience behind touch, especially with a mother and a baby, the release of oxytocin aiding in the development of their relationship. Yet another way dance movement therapy can help in building relationships, interactions, and thinking capabilities.
I never really thought about the role non-verbal communication played with development and parent/child relationships, but it makes sense. DMT seems to really focus on this to help people!
I really enjoyed the use of the SHH and ARC acronyms. They provide a simple way to ground oneself and step back in to the moment with mindfulness and awareness.
Suzi does a really good job of explaining how DMT can further develop the connections children have with their parents, and even more so, how it can help parents get to better know and understand how their children are thinking. In her example of the non-verbal feeling we got from the picture of the child smiling, it really showed what power it had on the emotions one feels without a single word. Great talk!
I love how this video again talks about the importance of mirroring movements of the children as it is a way of making them feel seen and understood even if you can't verbally communicate with them.
I agree! The concept of mirroring movements resonates, as it creates a powerful connection that transcends words. When children feel seen and understood in this way, it can significantly enhance their sense of security and self-worth. It’s amazing how such a simple gesture can foster deeper emotional bonds and communication.
I completely agree! Mirroring is such a powerful tool in building connection and trust, especially when verbal communication isn’t possible. It’s incredible how something as simple as matching a child's movements can help them feel acknowledged and understood.
What I found informative was how she says that DMT is a story that talks about our past experiences. She talks about the power of nonverbal allows to create a dancing dialogue and build a relationship. She also explains how experiences are first felt through nonverbals and have no end. I really liked how she integrates the audienece in her talk and allows us to notice our nonverbal communication as well.
I also enjoyed the integration of audience that Suzi uses. I think it had a strong effect on her speech.
Great commentary on how dance/movement therapy can be used to support parents in understanding, noticing, and relating with their children- even starting from the earliest of developmental years. These practical steps and reminders are great tools for parents and make some of the fundamental principles of dance/movement therapy really accessible. Thanks for sharing these words!
I found this talk to be super interesting and I really liked the emphasis on the power of nonverbal communication! I agree that dance and movement can be used to build bonds and demonstrate feelings and experiences. I also really liked the scientific connections about the importance of mirroring and sensitive parenting! The emphasis on body through body experiences was something I thought was extremely important especially at this time in our generation where technology is taking over and there is a huge need of human connection and emotional regulation.
I love that she mentioned that we can try to understand someone's emotions through their movements. I think dance therapy can be helpful for families because it can allow family members to communicate if they do not want to use their words.
I agree Emma, I think it can be helpful to express positive emotions but this type of non-verbal communication I fear can also communicate very negative emotions and harm the relationship
I think this talk really proves how important paying attention to non-verbal communication is. Movement is our first language. It is important that parents recognize this and use movement to connect with their child.
"Movement is our first language" is a great statement! While different cultures have different body movements for different emotions, humans generally have a good ability to understand what those movements mean.
I liked your take on this idea. I agree that movement is our first language, I liked how you looked at it like that!
Hi Olivia, I couldn't agree more. This is the only communication form at the beginning of life between parents and children. Learning to understand these communications are critical towards building a positive, supportive relationship with children.
It is interesting to learn that communication through nonverbal language actually starts from a kid's birth and helps he build his regulation of self and other important things
DMT is a good way to form a bond or a connection between children and their parents. Like the speaker says, the details of our past experiences can really be shown through DMT. Sometimes communicating with parents can be difficult, but this form of communication is much easier for some individuals. It is fascinating to learn that these experiences for a baby are very crucial to them.
Yeah I agree. It seems like DMT can really help parents and children form a better bond that is beneficial for both people, but especially for the developing child.
I thought that her point about children learning better through experience with others rather than though a computer was a very relevant topic right now. I have always noticed that I learn better with a physical book or by having a conversation so even though I am not a baby I resonated with that point. I also found it interesting when she points out how important it is to have parents focus on non verbal cues early on and how that can develop a form of communication as the child grows older in the form of dance dialogue.
Yes it is. Especially since parents will spend a lot of money on these forms of learning so their child can be "smarter". Hopefully more of these parents learn that the computer learning may be helpful, but not as helpful as experiences. So if they want their baby to grow intellectually, then they need to be there moving and learning with the baby.
I really like the way the speaker goes about explaining parenting from the felt experience, as well as the notion that sensitive parenting helps children regulate their emotions. Human interaction and nonverbal cues are crucial in development and creating our own body signature. The presenter did a good job of presenting ways for the audience to remember the process of "embodied parenting" that included acronyms and actions that will allow other parents to remember these parenting steps and use them in regards to the upbringing of their own children. Overall, it was a good video that allowed for me to reflect on interactions with the children I nanny for as well as how I would want my parenting experience to look like when I eventually have a family of my own.
I absolutely enjoyed this video and the topic. Dr. Totora's concepts of "embodied parenting" completely spoke to me on so many levels! In this video she really put together how parents/primary caregivers can keep a loving bond and relationship with their children, and how the baby's relationship and experience with people like their mother creates a sense of self and experienced based on the quality of touch, posture, space, time, and rhythm we receive and then perpetuate back to our mother figures as a developing child. This attuning and mirroring in our early stages of life is so crucial on how our brain is based, developed, "hard-wired", and ability to regulate ourselves, allowing us to manage through life's ups and downs, and how our emotions play into this.
I think that her idea of Embodied parenting, and how parenting from a felt experience, reading and communicating through non-verbal skills really applies to our class. As we talked about in class, this sense of nurturing is not only important for the relationships we have with our parents, but how we develop biologically, how our nervous system develops, how we relax, how our body functions, and how we socialize with others and the world around us. In our readers we have two articles: Give a Hug, Save an infant, and Childhood Maltreatment associated with Cerebral Gray Matter Reductions in Infants that further add to what Dr. Tortora is talking about here in how we are affected on so many levels based on our interactions in our early years.
One thing that I think from the video that may be of great use and importance to any and every one from this video is really the overall concept of this video. Knowing that we as human beings need to feel that others are interested in understanding us, that we need to be heard, and held in both the minds and arms of others is not just something parents should understand as they raise their children, but that all of us who are in some form of relationship or another realize. Whether it be a friend, a family member or a love relationship, we all long for this attunement Dr. Tortora speaks about.
What a great aspect of dance and movement therapy! I found this so interesting because it displays such a great importance of starting to build this non-verbal human interaction at such a young age. In fact, this is what the baby feel from day one, and it is the beginning of their growth experience. The babies first find their sense of self by their interactions with others. I love how she explains this all as the "Dancing Dialect" and explains how it all starts by attunement.
I really like this focus of DMT on parenting. At such a young age, body language is the main form of communication that infants receive. Being able to attune with them and understand their body movements can be incredible. At it's very base, you're building a connection, which is very important
The images and acronyms really brought to life the different techniques and importance of attunement within parenting. I really appreciated the way Dr. Tortora brings in an awareness of how the parent was parented and allows that to be a part of the process of understanding the parents response to the child. It seems like there has been work done globally around this and I wonder how cultural differences or practices are incorporated into the process of this work and how attachment functions in situations where there is more than the primary caregiver involved in raising the child.
Wow, I really loved the message of connection Dr. Tortora presented. I especially liked the quote she referenced, "When I look I am seen, so I exist." Her acronyms for connection and movement-based parenting and her visual examples all made so much sense regarding how humans naturally function and the things they need.
I love how she involves the parents.
It was interesting to learn more about embodied parenting. This video and speaker explained it very well and in depth. Dance therapy can be helpful for families and communication between family members.
Families, almost always, want loving relationships, and non-verbal analysis of other people's emotions and movements can help you understand someone. This is super helpful for parents to understand the feelings their children have and may not know how to verbally communicate it. This can help mitigate any arguments, fights, or tension that may build when a parent does not know what their child wants or needs or how they are feeling.
Agree! It’s so true that families thrive on love and understanding. Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in bridging the gap when words aren’t enough.
This presentation was very informative about the importance of attuning to a baby and developing the connection early on in development. Dr. Tortora highlighted new psychological information in relation to babies and infants that I hope to implement in my future work with this population. Therapeutic techniques can be implemented with all levels of development and it was a good reminder for me that dance/movement therapy doesn't have to be applied after trauma but at the beginning of life.
Dr, Tortora discussed how nonverbal relationships parents and infants enhance their developments. She mentioned the importance of physical body contacts and emphasized their significance in helping brain development in babies. Like the video that we watched in class, she also explored the technique of reflecting and mirroring to create trust and empathy. One of the most important connect that she made is the rise in obesity in babies. We are too reliance on technologies and computers to the point that we forget to play and with our babies and help them stay active.
It's really interesting that mirroring is innate in many interactions between a mother and her baby. This connection is incredibly important in a child's development and it demonstrates the value of having someone understand you and see you.
I also thought that it is interesting how mirroring is innate; I would assume that for many mothers it comes naturally. Even so, it is really important to talk about the power of nonverbal communication to ensure understanding and a strong relationship between parents and child.
Dr. Tortora shares in her video the power of non verbal communication and what a person is trying to say based off of non verbal cues. Through dance therapy our body speaks and tells us about our life. Dr. Tortora shows a picture of a baby from the netherlands and asks the audience to pay attention to their body's non verbal cues and how the energy had changed. Similar to film show in class on mirroring this creates a bond of trust and plays a key role in brain development. It is important that parents make sure their child is getting enough body to body interacting and not expecting their child to learn though technology.
Suzi makes some important points throughout the talk, especially mirroring and the importance of non-verbal communication. I only wish that this sort of thing was applied to more daily life.
It is interesting when she makes the point that the mother introduces the baby to their body and all of life. Mothers play an important role in reflecting what is going on and feelings. It is a two way communication, and the baby responds to the mother and the mother will respond back. Building a dialogue that begins at birth and never ends!
What a dynamic talk, I was totally engaged the whole time! Dr. Tortora talked extensively about the importance of attuning through movement and other forms of nonverbal communication to create the essential bond between parent and child. The Winicott quote she talked about and showed on a slide, "When I look I am seen, so I exist" is quite powerful in illustrating the healthy attachment that forms between infants and primary caregivers. It makes me think about an article that I read recently about infant development/early attachment and cell phone use while breastfeeding/bottle feeding. Turns out that the eye contact made during feedings is really important to the socioemotional development of the infant and when mom is constantly looking toward her device rather than at baby, a disruption occurs. I remain curious about that.
Wow thats a really interesting phenomena you read about! This definitely made me really think about how important interactions with babies are even if they are not understanding everything about it.
Dr. Toronta helps people understand the power of dance movement and non-verbal communication. Dr. Toronta showed the picture of her and the baby from Netherlands and let the audiences feel the baby. As well as, mother starts having the baby, they both start having connection through dance. Dr. Toronta is using Haptic in therapy as how baby feels touch of the baby and the care giver build the baby's capacity, and oculesics as the facial expression.
I love the idea of the baby first learning about their body from the interaction with their mother/primary caregiver.
I love this idea as well! I think that is so interesting and actually very meaningful. Who knows, maybe this could allow for better relationships with parents.
I really liked the emphasis on common language that can used an shared. One of my kines professors used to be a gym teacher and she also noticed this common language through movement even without knowing of DMT
Dr. Tortora outlines the power of nonverbal communication in child development. She talks about how parents connect to their young children and how that helps form a bond and how it helps the baby develop. This video had A Lot to do with many of the articles we read in class this semester. We learned how important touch is to the development of children in their early years. We learned it can positive affects such as weight gain in premature babies, or negative affects such as spanking can lead to aggression. We learned when touched by mother babies show stress reduction. I would say this video would be great for new parents or anyone interested in child development.
This is Kristen Mitchell, DANC 373 T, 7pm
I loved this video and what she had to teach because many parents want to be closer with their children and better parents, so this can really help a lot of parents. I also think this can help with a lot of friendships with listening to each other and being good people.
I find Suzi's work to be incredibly inviting. I think discussing parenting can be a very sensitive topic, as it is a position that many parents are "expected" to know how to do, and on an instinctual level. Seeing how complex the parent-child relationship can be allows for a safe space to hold a potentially difficult conversation. I am curious to know how this work can continue to translate beyond the parent-child relationship.
Dr. Tortora explains the importance of nonverbal communication perfectly among infants and toddlers! A mother mirrors what the child is expressing and a child mirrors what a mother or caregiver is expressing. Children are sponges no matter what age! This also plays a part in how caregivers are also such an important part of the growth of a child. It is important for an infant to know from a young age that the mother will always be there for them and/or will always come back to be there for them when they feel in danger, without the mother dominating the infant.
I think the relationship between baby and mother is so unique and cool. Even though the baby can not verbally express feelings the baby uses facial expressions and movement to communicate to its mother. Relationship between baby and mother is extremely important as if the babies facial expression and movement is ignored it could lead to a broken relationship and later down the road different psychological challenges.
I definitely think that hitting on the relationship between mother and baby and putting emphasis on it is extremely important. I think that being attune to nonverbal communication is especially crucial while the child is a baby who does not speak.
Dr. Tortora makes a good point about technology, and while it may be convenient it is detrimental to parenting because it does not aid in the child's exploration of self as well as their identification of self with others and space. I found the part where she mentions that parents should listen to their children rather than listening to what they think their child is going to or wanting to say and actually for them to listen to there children an interesting and valuable point.
I didn't stop to think about the importance of embodied parenting until now and it is truly crucial in a parent-child relationship. Technology is increasing disrupting this pure connection over the years.
This is a great observation because technology is often marketed as very important for development, but it can have negative impacts on the parent-child relationship.
Wonderful to watch your presentation Suzi!
A very interesting interpretation on DMT that I very much enjoyed hearing about. I had no idea that it could be used to help connect parent and child. The verbal and nonverbal dialogue between parent and child is very important, especially when it comes to the nonverbal cues.
great intro.... she is a very good speaker. thank you.
Great presentation!
The neuroscience of infants is very interesting. I like the quote of our brain is developed/built upon non verbal interactions/expressions based on relationships. It seems like as infants grow up, the non verbal takes a backseat to verbal communication, but I wonder why? Is it just easier to defer to verbal, or do caregivers assume that is more effective?
The acronyms SHHH and ARC I believe are really ways to help with parenting. I personally know that I want to be a father, and knowing these acronyms, I certainly intend on using them down the line.