Families in Motion: Understanding the role of embodied experience in the early caregiver- infant relationship during the time of COVID-19

Date and Time:

Friday, May 28, 2021

1- 3 PM EST

Location:

Conducted Virtually Online

Description:

The global pandemic has brought to light the need for family connection now more than ever. The need for social distancing and limited contact has required us to especially rely on interpreting nonverbal expressions and our embodied experience. This webinar focuses on the key elements of nonverbal expression that support the development of a secure caregiver - infant relationship and how to support this relationship during these stressful times. This is discussed within the context of understanding how to work with the dance/movement therapists’ own embodied countertransference experience to provide a secure holding environment for the whole family.

Instructor:

Suzi Tortora, EdD, BC-DMT, CMA, LCAT, LMHC Dr. Tortora is a board certified dance movement therapist, Laban Nonverbal Movement Analyst, and specialist in the field of infancy mental health and development. Her expertise in early childhood development and the importance of early relationships inform her psychotherapeutic work across the life span. Dr. Tortora has a private dance movement psychotherapy practice, in New York City and Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson, New York. Dr. Tortora offers training programs and lectures about her dance therapy and nonverbal video analysis work with infants, children and families, at national and international professional meetings and universities.

She is on the board of the New York Zero-to-Three Network.

Dr Tortora has been featured on “Good Morning America” and Eyewitness Five-O’Clock News, WABC –TV; Women’s Day magazine; highlighted in Malcolm Gladwell's New Yorker article and book titled What the Dog Saw and other adventures; has published numerous papers about her therapeutic and nonverbal communication analysis work with children, parent-infant dyads, and Autism Spectrum Disorders; has twice been guest editor of the Zero to Three Journal; and has a book with Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company titled The Dancing Dialogue: Using the Communicative Power of Movement with Young Children.

Dr. Tortora graduated with honors from the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development Tufts University specializing in child development, education and psychology; received her dance movement therapy masters degree at New York University; and her doctorate with a specialization in infancy/early childhood development, psychology and education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

She has done extensive study and training in the field of infancy and early childhood research, development, education, communication and intervention through the Zero to Three Institute and Dr. Stanley Greenspan. She has studied Authentic Movement with Janet Adler & Body-Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Dr Tortora is also a certified Laban Movement Analyst, and Kestenberg Movement Profiler.

Registration:

http://taomi.tilda.ws/#contacts