Preferred Name
Becky
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
5-12-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Amanda Evans
A. Renee Staton
Joseph LeBlanc
Abstract
Stigma related to childhood trauma is shifting with the help of advancements in the understanding of neurobiology and interventions that are proving to be effective for healing. There are immense costs and consequences for survivors of childhood trauma and their loved ones that were not so long ago considered irrelevant and the notion that kids bounce back from adversity was previously popular in the psychological community (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). The broad strokes of Dr. Bruce Perry’s clinical intervention model, The Neurosequential Model of Therapy (NMT) describes a trauma-sensitive, sequential approach to changing the stress response within mental health counseling. In light of this newer understanding, I introduce an intervention that fits with the NMT called Bal-A-Vis-X to school counseling students through a workshop. While simplistic in practice, this cross-lateral movement-based intervention integrates brain hemispheres which provide emotional regulation, strengthen relationships, provide rhythm, and build fine and gross motor skills leading children to have deeper focus, body control, self-confidence, and fun. School counseling students surveyed after the workshop said they are enthusiastic to introduce Bal-A-Vis-X to students to provide trauma-sensitive interventions that include movement.
Recommended Citation
Johnston, Becky, "Trauma healing with the neurosequential model of therapy and Bal-A-Vis-X" (2022). Educational Specialist, 2020-current. 38.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec202029/38
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