Sensorimotor Art Therapy

I did my Sensorimotor Art Therapy training at the Institute of Sensorimotor Art Therapy (Australia) with Cornelia Elbrecht. Sensorimotor Art Therapy has emerged in recent years as a term to describe body-focused psychotherapies that use a bottom-up approach instead of a cognitive top-down strategy. Sensorimotor art therapy is a trauma healing tool that can be used with children to help them reconnect with life and develop a sense of self-esteem.

Trauma is experienced on a sensory level

Trauma reactions are not just caused by thoughts, feelings, and memories, but are also experienced through the senses.
Sensorimotor art therapy taps into past experiences

In a safe environment, sensorimotor art therapy can help children tap into past experiences that are painful or dissociated.
Rhythmic repetition can help children regain control

Rhythmic repetition of simple motor impulses, such as clapping or jumping, can help children regain voluntary control over their muscles.
The body knows what it needs to heal

Sensorimotor art therapy is based on the idea that the body knows what it needs to heal itself.
The focus is on the sensorimotor feedback loop

In sensorimotor art therapy, the focus is on the sensorimotor feedback loop that occurs during the process, rather than on creating an object.

Some examples of sensorimotor art therapy techniques include:

Clay Field Therapy: Children move clay around in a wooden box to express their story.
Guided Drawing: Children focus on what is happening in their body and recreate it on paper through rhythmic repetition.