Education and CV
Dr. Tortora graduated with honors from the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, specializing in child development, education, and psychology. As part of her undergraduate studies, she earned her teacher certification for K-8th grade and special education for ages 3 - 7 years old.
Dr. Tortora went onto receive 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.
Dr. Tortora has completed extensive study and training in the field of infancy and early childhood research, development, education, communication, and intervention through the Zero-to-Three Institute with Dr. Stanley Greenspan, and Dr. Serena Wieder.
Dr. Tortora has studied Authentic Movement with Janet Adler & Body-Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. She is a certified Laban Movement Analyst and Kestenberg Movement Profiler. She has also trained in Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy with Dr. William Breitbart at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Tortora is a Level II Reiki practitioner.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Zero to Three National Training Institute
Attendance at 3 -day trainings in infancy/early childhood development, education & intervention
3/85, 12/85, 3/87, 12/87, 12/89, 12/93, 12/94, 12/95, 12/96, 12/97,12/98, 12/99, 12/00, 12/01, 12/02, 12/03 , 12/04, 11/05, 11/08, 12/09, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12,12/13, 12/15, 12/16, 12/17
Affect Based Language Curriculum (ABLC)
Certificate program, Diane Lewis & Stanley Greenspan, September 2003.
Infant Research and Psychoanalysis
Lecture series Beatrice Beebe, Ph.D. Fall 1999 - 2002.
Teachers College, Columbia University
Doctoral degree program in the study of infancy development - Dept. of Curriculum and Teaching, May 2001.
Infancy and Early Childhood Training Course
Stanley Greenspan, M.D., Serena Wieder, Ph.D., April 26-29, 1996, April 25-26, 1999
Brazelton Neonate Assessment Scale (BNAS)
Cornell Medical Center, NYC, Daniel Kessler, M.D., October- November 1987
Infants &Parents: Refining Assessments and Supports
(Feb. 26 -28,1986)
Working with Families and Infants At-Risk
(May 20 -24, 1985) - Harvard Medical School Dept. of Continuing Education, Child Development Unit, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Boston, MA - T.Berry Brazelton,M.D.
Family & Individual Development: Integrative Perspectives
Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Inc. NYC. Rebecca Shahmoon Shanok, CSW, Steven J. Welton, M.D., Fall 1985- Spring 1986
New York University
Dance Therapy Masters Degree (M.A.) September 1982 - October 1984.
Tufts University
Medford, MA. Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development. Major: Child Study. Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1981.
AWARDS
2010 Marian Chace Distinguished Dance Therapist Award - National Dance Therapy Association
2017 Progressive Intervention Award - The Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Community Impact Award - MarbleJam Kids 10th Anniversary Awards Ceremony
SELECTED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Jan. 2006 – July 2007
Programming & Staff Development, Ways of Seeing Dance Movement Psychotherapy program
Episcopal Social Services Early Head Start, Infants, Toddlers, Families, Bronx, NY. Helen Davis Director.
Jan. 2003 – Present
Senior Dance/Movement Therapist, Dréa’s Dream, Dance/Movement Therapy Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Department of Integrative Medicine, New York City. Developed and supervise Drea’s Dream Dance Therapy program for pediatrics (birth - 32 years old) inpatient and outpatient group and individual sessions; develop pain management treatment and research.
Spring 2002 – Present
Nonverbal Movement Analyst/Consultant
For “Support Groups and Video BondingConsultations for Mothers and Infants of 9-11.”Beatrice Beebe, Ph.D., Director, Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York.
Sep. 1984 – Present
Dance Movement Psychotherapist
Private practice & school consultations, infants, pregnancy, children, adults. New York City and Hudson River Valley Region of New York.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (chronological order)
Tortora, S. (Spring/Summer2017) Stories Our Bodies Tell. In Chavis. D. (Editor). The American Psychoanalyst, 51 (2) 16-18, 24-25.
Tortora, S. & Whitley, J. (in press). Mother-Son Transgenerational Transmission Of Eating Issues Using A Co-Treatment Method. In H. Payne, S. Koch, J. Tantia & T. Fuchs (Editors). Routledge International Handbook of Embodied Perspectives in Psychotherapy: Approaches from Dance Movement, the Arts and Body Psychotherapies London: Routledge Publishers.
Tortora, S. (2015). Mindfulness and movement. In Willard, C. & Saltzman, A. (Editors). Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens. New York: Guildford Press.
Tortora, S. (2015). The importance of being seen – Winnicott, Dance Movement Psychotherapy and the embodied experience. In Spelman, M. & Thomson-Salo, F. (Editors). The Winnicott tradition: Lines of development – Evolution of theory and practice over the decades. London, UK: Karnac.
Tortora, S. (2015) Dance movement psychotherapy in early childhood treatment and pediatric oncology. In Chaiklin, S. & Wengrower, H. (Eds.), The Art and Science of Dance/Movement Therapy: Life is Dance. Routledge: New York.
Tortora, S. (2013). The essential role of the body in the parent-infant relationship: Nonverbal analysis of attachment . In Bettmann, J. & Friedman, D. (Co-Editors). Attachment-based clinical social work with children and adolescents. New York: Springer.
Bergman, A. Sossin, K.M., Tortora, S., Cohen, P., & Beebe, B. (2012). The Team
Approach to the Treatment of a Traumatized Mother and Child: Lydia and Ryan. (2012.) In Beebe, B., Cohen, P., Sossin, K.M., Markese, S. (Editors), Mothers, Infants and Young Children of September 11, 2001: A Primary Prevention Project. New York: Routledge.
Beebe, B., Cohen, P., Bergman, A., Moskowitz, S, Sossin, K.M., Reiswig, R., Tortora, S. & Friedman, D. (2012). The Therapist Group: A Transformational Process. In Beebe, B., Cohen, P., Sossin, K.M., Markese, S. (Editors), Mothers, Infants and Young Children of September 11, 2001: A Primary Prevention Project. New York: Routledge.
Tortora, S. (2011). Beyond the face and words: How the body speaks. In Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Special Edition: The Primary Prevention Project for Mothers, Infants and Young Children of 9/11/2001, 10 (2-3) 242-254.
Tortora, S. (2011). 2010 Marian Chace Lecture: The Need to Be Seen: From Winnicott to the Mirror Neuron System, Dance/Movement Therapy Comes of Age. American Journal of Dance Therapy 33:4-17.
Tortora, S. (2011 Winter). The Creative Embodied Experience: The role of the body and the arts in infant mental health. Somatic Psychotherapy Today, 1(3).
Tortora, S. (July – September 2011) The Creative Embodied Experience: The role of the body and the arts in infant mental health Vol. 19, No. 3. The Signal: Newsletter of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. 19 (3) 1-8.
Tortora, S. (2010). Trauma, stress and postpartum depression: Video-analysis and treatment of a parent-infant attachment relationship. In Brisch, K.H. (editor). Bindung und fruehe Stoerungen der Entwicklung. (Attachment and Early Developmental Disorders ). Klett-Cotta Stuttgart. Setember/Oktober. (German).
Tortora, S (2010, August). The essential role of the body: How movement and nonverbal experience inform implicit knowing and Intersubjectivity in early childhood development. In Bender, S. (Editor). Bewegungsbeobachtung von Interaktionen – Movement Analysis of Interaction. Logos: Berlin
Tortora, S. (2010, March). Ways of Seeing: An early childhood integrated therapeutic approach for parents and babies. Clinical Social Work Journal, 38, 1, 37-50.
Tortora, S. (2010). From the Dance Studio to the Classroom. In Karkou, Vassiliki (Ed.), Arts therapies in schools: Research and practice. London, England: Jessica Kingsley.
Tortora, S. (2009). Case Study. In A. Fogel, The psychophysiology of self-awareness: Rediscovering the lost art of body sense. W.W. Norton &Co., Inc.: New York.
Tortora, S. (2006) The Dancing Dialogue: Using the Communicative Power of Movement with Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.
Tortora, S. (May 2004). Guest editor of issue titled Exploring a Multisensory World; How Infants and Toddlers Use Their Bodies to Learn and Communicate wrote: two articles: Our moving Bodies tell stories, which speak of our experiences & Studying the infant’s multisensory environment: A bridge Between biology and psychology: Interview with Myron Hofer. Zero to Three, 24, 5, 4 –18.
Tortora, S.(1994 ,August/September) Join my dance: The unique movement style of each infant and toddler can invite communication, expression and intervention. Guest editor: Zero to Three, 15, 1, 1-12.
Tortora, S.(1992/1993, Dec./Jan.) A toddler experiences joint custody. Zero to Three, 13, 3, 22-26.
Tortora, S. & Lerner, C. (May 2004). On the Move: The Power of Movement in your Child’s First Three years. [Pamphlet] MetLife Foundation: Zero To Three, Washington D.C.
Vincent, S.R., Tortora, S., Shaw, J., Basiner, J., Devereaux, C., Mulcahy, S., & Ponsini, M.S. (June 2007). Collaborating with a mission: The Andrea Rizzo Foundation spreads the gift of dance/movement therapy. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 29,1, 51-58.
MEDIA
October 2015
YouTube "Rock With Me! Babies From Around the World Lead the Dance!” http://youtu.be/XgKIUpFpyno
August 14, 2014
YouTube [filmed October 24, 2013] ADTA Talk YouTube Filming, NYC – Dance/Movement Therapy and Parenting. Sponsored by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) and The Marion Chace Foundation.
October 28, 2013 [airing January 2014]
National Geographic Show “Duck Quacks Don’t’ Echo” Episode 10 – expert interviewed for segment: How Certain Songs are More Likely to Make Babies Dance.
June 1, 2013
Interviewed and featured in article titled “Dances around the world” by Shinya Wake for the Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun; Tokyo, Japan.
November 16, 2005
The Dance Therapy program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center brings smiles to the faces of young children. - Eyewitness News ABC-TV.
Nov. 13, 1996
"Good Morning America" ABC-TV; gueston NationalTV broadcast live and taped interview, speaking about nonverbal communication between parents and children, Charlie Gibson - host.
CERTIFICATIONS
2009 Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist (BC-DMT)
2006 New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT)
2006 New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
2003 Affect Based Language Curriculum (ABLC)
2003 National Board of Certified Counselors (NCC)
1986 Academy of Dance Therapists Registered (ADTR)
1982 Kestenberg Movement Profiler (KMP)
1982 Certified Laban Movement Analyst (CMA)
1981 Massachusetts Elementary Education K-8
1981 Massachusetts Teacher of Young Children 3-7 years old – special needs
SELECTED FACULTY POSITIONS/PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT
2012 – Present
Faculty – Tanter- Association for Dance Movement Therapy of the Czech Republic. Director: Radana Syrovatkova
2012 – Present
Faculty – Codarts Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dance Therapy Department. Families in Motion: The Dancing Dialogue – Using the power of movement to support communication and attachment with infants, young children and families using Ways of Seeing Director: Nicki Wentholt.
Sept 2009 – 2015
Adjunct Professor – New School for Continuing Studies, Dance/Movement Therapy for Children. New York City, NY.
2007 – Present
Faculty – Dance Therapy 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center: Dance/Movement Psychotherapy with Infants & Children.
Director: Miriam Roskin Berger
Jan 2004 – 2015
Visiting Associate Professor– Masters Program in Dance/Movement Therapy Dept. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. Director: Joan Wittig.
Apr. 2003 – June 2013
Faculty - Postgraduate Institute for Infants, Children & Families, Infancy Training Program, Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, NYC NY. Director: Rebecca Shahmoon Shanok.
Jan 2004 – Present
Guest Lecturer – Teachers College, Columbia University – “Artistic Live of Children” Graduate Studies Curriculum and Teaching & Arts and Humanities Department, NY, NY. Directors: Lori Custodero, Patricia St. John
Sep. 2001 – 2015
Program Development – For Innerkids Foundation, meditation for children - Susan Kaiser, founderwww.innerkids.org.
ORGANIZATIONS/BOARD MEMBER
Spring 2017 – Present
Education Committee – Sub-group Alternate Route American Dance Therapy Association.
Spring/Summer 2016
Program committee – European Association of Dance/Movement Psychotherapy (EADMT) for Milan ConferenceSept 9 -11, 2016
Fall 2013 – Fall 2014
Advisory Board – Mid-Hudson Children's Museum. Poughkeepsie, New York. Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Executive Director.
June 2007 – Present
Program committee – New York Zero-to-Three Network
Aug. 2007 – 2010
Chairperson, Website Committee – New York Zero-to Three Network Board
June 2007– Present
Consultant, Advisory Board Member – MarbleJam Kids Inc, A Non-profit Serving Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders- Founder, president, Anna Villa- Bager.
Feb 2007 – June 2010
Appointed Board Member – Garden Road Preschool Program and Special education elementary program. Croton-on-Hudson, NY.
Oct 2006 –Present
Appointed Board Member – New York Zero-to Three Network
Sept 2006 – Present
Director & Founder – Dancing Dialogue: Healing and Expressive Arts – A center for movement, music an dance-based arts that support healing and self-expression, Cold Spring, NY & NYC
Jan. 2004
Program committee – for American Dance Therapy National Conference New Orleans, La.
Sep. 2001 – 2015
Program Development – for Innerkids Foundation, meditation for children - Susan Kaiser, founderwww.innerkids.org.
SELECTED LECTURES
International Guest/Faculty Teaching/Training
July 10 – 12, 2017
“Ways of Seeing: Teacher Training for Child Nonverbal Communication.” For Xi’An A Discover Education. (April) Jing Su, Director/Partner, Xi’an, China.
July 7 – 9, 2017
The Power of Nonverbal Communication: Dance/Movement Therapy Workshop. For Xi’An A Discover Education. (April) Jing Su, Director/Partner, Xi’an, China.
July 13 – 14, 2017
Resilience or Rebound? How Your Childhood Experiences Shape Who You Are Today. Human in Motion. Director (Tina) Hongyun Ma, Beijing, China.
May 17 – 20, 2017
Four day advanced training “Ways of Seeing: Dance Movement Therapy with Infants, Children & Families” Programa de Entrenamiento en Danza Movimento Terapia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Director: Dianna Fischman. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
March 6, 2017
“The Multi-Sensory World of the Infant: Understanding the Baby’s Embodied Experience and Nonverbal Cues to Support Attachment” Pre-Congress Training by Irish Association of Infant Mental Health (IAIMH) & World Association of Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), Dublin, Ireland.
Oct 6 & 7, 2016
“Dance Therapy for Children with Cancer – Experiential Workshop” & “Dance therapy in Psycho-Oncology “– Keynote Lecture. Complementary Therapies in Oncology: Dance, Yoga, Music, Art. Are there Evidences of Efficacy? Italian Psycho-Oncology Society Congress, Bresia, Italy.
June 7 – 10, 2016: February 17 – 21, 2014
"Families in Motion: The Dancing Dialogue- Using the Power of Movement to Support Communication and Attachment with Infants, Young Children, and Families using Ways of Seeing”, at Codart University for the Arts, Masters in Dance Therapy. Director: Nicki Wentholt. Rotterdam, Netherlands.
June 3 – 5, 2016
Dance/Movement Psychotherapy with Infants, Young Children and Their Families, Charles University; Driector: Iveta Koblic Zedkova. Prague, Czech Republic.
March 14 – 24, 2016
Embodied Parenting Workshops; Experiential Workshops; supervision. Bejing Apollo Education, Beijing, China.
March 14 – 24, 2016; March 11 – 26, 2015; April 15 – 25; 2014; February 23 – March 1, 2013
"Ways of Seeing" – The Dancing Dialogue: Understanding the Power of Nonverbal Communication to Promote Healthy Relationships at All Ages” Training Program. Apollo Education and Consulting Director: Weixiao Li,. Beijing, China.
August 27 – 30, 2014
Four day advanced training “Ways of Seeing: Dance Movement Therapy with Infants, Children & Families” Programa de Entrenamiento en Danza Movimento Terapia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Director: Dianna Fischman. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
June 16, 2014
"Workshop: Non-verbal interactions as a port of entry for insight-oriented family therapies” with Miri Keren, Elisabeth Fivaz, Diane Philipp. 14th World Conference of the World Association for Infant Mental Health, Edinburgh, Scotland.
February 17 – 21, 2013
"Dancing dialogues: DMT with children and families” Training Program, Director: Irina Biryukova. Moscow, Russia.
August 10 – 15, 2012
“Dance Movement Therapy in Early Childhood Treatment” China- Germany Professional Dance Movement Therapy Training: Weixiao Li, Apollo Education and Consulting & Susanne Bender, EZETTHERA. Beijing, China.
June 25 – 29, 2012
"Families in Motion: The Dancing Dialogue- Using the Power of Movement to Support Communication and Attachment with Infants, Young Children, and Families using Ways of Seeing”, at Codart University for the Arts, Masters in Dance Therapy. Director: Nicki Wentholt. Rotterdam, Netherlands
July 2 -6, 2012
"Families in Motion: Early Childhood Attachment and The Multisensory Movement Relationship” for Netherlands Dance Therapy Association (NVDAT), Director Elizabeth Ng. Rotterdam, Netherlands.
July 9-16, 2012
“Dance Therapy with Children” - 4 day training; “Using Dance Therapy to support the Attachment Relationship” 2 day workshop. TANTER - Czech Dance Therapy Association, Director: Radana Syrovatkova, M.D. Prague, Chech Republic.
April 20, 2012
Interface: Interactive Guidance versus Dance Therapy – Susan McDonough, Suzi Tortora, Miri Keren (discussant). 13th World Conference of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) Cape Town, South Africa.
April 20, 2012
Master Class: Understanding the Unspoken: Nonverbal Expression and the Felt-sense of Attachment. 13th World Conference of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) Cape Town, South Africa.
August 24 – 27, 2011
Four day advanced training “Ways of Seeing: Dance Movement Therapy with Infants, Children & Families” Programa de Entrenamiento en Danza Movimento Terapia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Director: Dianna Fischman. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
June 29 – July 3, 2011
Dance Movement Therapy Training Ways of Seeing Program –Director: Alexander Girshon DMT. Moscow Russia.
June 25 – 26, 2011
Dance Movement Therapy Training Ways of Seeing Program –– Institute of Applied Psychology and Psychoanalysis. Director: Irina Biryukova. Moscow Russia
July 24 – 26, 2010
Keynote lecture: “Trauma, stress and postpartum” depression: Video-analysis and treatment of a parent-infant attachment relationship”; Workshop: “The essential role of the body in the parent-child relationship: Nonverbal analysis of attachment”; Keynote Panel Discussant: “Dance/movement therapy now and in the future” at the European Center for Dance Therapy (EETTHERA) Moving from within - International Congress on movement analysis in education, therapy and science. Freising, Germany.
July 3, 2010
Workshop "The essential role of the body: How movement and nonverbal experience inform implicit knowing and Intersubjectivity in early childhood development" at the 12th World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), Leipzig, Germany.
October 24 – 25, 2009
“Trauma, Stress and postpartum depression: Video-analysis and treatment of parent-infant attachment relationship”. Attachment and Early Disorders of Development International Conference. Sponsored by Dr. Karl Heinz Brisch of the Ludwig-Macimilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany.
July 29 - 31, 2009
“Dance Therapy with Children” - 2 day training; “Using Dance Therapy to support the Attachment Relationship” 1day workshop. TANTER - Czech Dance Therapy Association, Director: Radana Syrovatkova, M.D. Prague, Chech Republic.
July 20 - 26, 2009
"Dance Therapy with Infants, Children, and Families” - 5 Day training; 2-day conference Director: Oleh Romanchuk, M.D. Sponsored by Ukrainian Dance Therapy Association. Lviv, Ukraine.
August 27 – 30, 2008
Four day advanced training “Ways of Seeing: Dance Movement Therapy with Infants, Children & Families” Programa de Entrenamiento en Danza Movimento Terapia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Director: Dianna Fischman. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
August 4 – 5, 2008
Two sessions: Workshop training and poster session: “Autism Unfolded”; and “Beyond Crying: Pain, Trauma, and Stress in Early Childhood”- World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)- Yokohama, Japan.
April 21, 2007
“Transmission of Trauma: Implications for Intervention in the Wake of Loss Derived from the World Trade Center Project: The Use of Nonverbal Movement Analysis in the Treatment of Women Pregnant and Widowed in 9-11”: 9-11 Mothers and Young Children Project Director Beatrice Beebe presented to Division 39 of the American Psychological Association. Toronto, Canada.
October 31 – November 3, 2007
Plenary speaker & workshop training, “Baby Cues: the Nature of Nonverbal Communication between Parent & Child”; “Let’s Dance! Nurturing Relationships through Multisensory Interaction” - Australian Association of Infant Mental Health (AAIMH), Sidney, Australia.
Nov 21 –26, 2006
5 day training “Ways of Seeing: Dance Movement Therapy with Infants, Children & Families” Programa de Entrenamiento en Danza Movimento Terapia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Director: Dianna Fischman. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
October 4 – 6, 2006
“The Form is not separate for the Content” & “LMA/BF based Dance Therapy” – Laban for the 21st Century: Bratislava in Movement – International Festival of Contemporary Dance, Bratislava, Slovakia.
July 2006
“The Use of Nonverbal Movement Analysis in the Treatment of Women Pregnant and Widowed on 9 –11”: 9-11 Mothers and Young Children Project Director Beatrice Beebe - World Association of Infant Mental Health, Paris, France.
July 12, 2005 “The use of nonverbal movement analysis in the Treatment of Women Pregnant and Widowed on 9 –11”: 9-11 Mothers and Young Children Project Director Beatrice Beebe.” International Psychoanalytical Association, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
August 1-4, 2004
"Riverdance Boy" - dance movement psychotherapy with a child with PDD. Taipei University of the Arts in Taiwan CORD international conference, Dance, Identity and Integration. Taipei, Taiwan.
June 28 - July2, 2004
5 day course: Dance Movement Psychotherapy With Young Children And Families: Observation, Assessment, Intervention And Educational Programming. Korean Dance Therapy Academy President: Boon Soon Ryu, PhD, ADTR. Seoul, Korea.
August 4 – 5, 2008
Two sessions: Workshop training and poster session: “Autism Unfolded”; and “Beyond Crying: Pain, Trauma, and Stress in Early Childhood”- World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)- Yokohama, Japan.
Zero to Three National Training Institute & New York Zero to Three Network
April 17, 2015
"Shall We Dance? Collaboration Across Disciplines Including Integrative Medicine And Child Life To Support Medically Ill Babies And Their Families In A Cancer Hospital” with Jennifer Whitley, LCAT and Jessica Anenberg , CCLS. 19th Annual Spring Conference of the New York Zero to Three Network. NYC, NY.
November 29, 2012
“Where attunement and Mindfulness Meet-Supportive caregiving of infants and young children through attention, embodiment, compassion and dance-play.” Suzi Tortora & Susan Kaiser Greenland. Zero to Three: 27th National Training Institute. Los Angeles, California.
December 10, 2010
"Beyond the face and words: How the body speaks. Military Families and Complicated Parental Death: Supporting the Youngest Child in the Context of Traumatic Loss and Suicide” with Suzi Tortora, Kathy Mulrooney & John Bradley presented at the Zero to Three NTI Training. Phoenix, Arizona.
May 15, 2009
“Trauma, Stress & Postpartum Depression: The Role of Implicit Knowing and its Effects on the Parent-Infant Attachment Relationship” presented at the 13th Annual Spring Conference of the New York Zero to Three Network. NYC, NY.
December 6, 2008
“Beyond Crying: Pain, Trauma, and Stress in Early Childhood” ZERO TO THREE, 23th NTI: Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.
November 3, 2005
Pre-institute: "Nurturing Multisensory Development in Infancy and Childhood " ZERO TO THREE, 20th NTI: Hilton Washington Hotel, Washington, DC.
Clinical/Educational In-service Training
June 13, 2017
“Ways of Seeing: Case Study Parent-Infant Dyadic Treatment for Post Partum Depression”. For New Alternatives for Children Child/Play Therapy Training Program, Phyllis Cohen, PhD. Director NY, NY.
June 1, 2017
“More Than Just “Use Your Words: Promoting Positive Communication with Children.” Video Conference for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and The Professional Development Program Statewide Sites, Albany, NY.
March 16, 2017
"Dancing Dialogues: Interdisciplinary Non-Verbal Communication Through Movement” Inaugural New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Creative Arts Therapy Conversations in Healthcare and Therapeutic Transformation Conference – Creative Arts Therapy week. NYC, NY.
March 15, 2017
“Shall We Dance? Using Creative Arts Therapies to Promote Play, Social -relatedness and Self-Expression in ASD”, Creative Arts Therapy Week. Psychiatry Grand Rounds, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.
November 1, 2014
"Your Body Speaks: Nonverbal Cues to Attachment Styles.” Advances in Psychotherapy: Mind-Body Approaches to Adult Attachment Disorder. Hudson Valley Guild of Mental Health Professionals. SUNY New Paltz, New York.
November 6, 2014
“Super Fast! Kids Spinning Out of Control & What to Do About it: 14th Early Childhood Forum” American Dance Therapy Association 49th Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
June 22, 2014
“General opening session speaker – Dr. Suzi Tortora” . Early Childhood Music and Movement Association. Atlanta, Georgia.
March 19, 2014
“How the Body Speaks -- The Use of Dance and Nonverbal Analysis as a Creative Therapeutic Approach with Children” Health & Madness: Awakening Vitality, William Alanson White Psychoanalytic Society. 2013 – 14 Colloquium Series. New York, New York.
March 7, 2013
”Families In Motion: The Dancing Dialogue - Using the Power of Movement to Support Communication and Attachment with Infants, Young Children and Families”. Full day training sponsored by Institute for Parenting, Adelphi University. Director: Marcy Safyer.
May 6, 2011
“Families in Motion: Early Childhood Attachment & The Multisensory Movement Relationship” Full Day Training for MD-CD-VA ADTA Chapter. Sandy Spring, MD.
June 17 – 18, 2009
Two- day training and parent evening workshop “Using Movement to Support Your Child’s Development”; “Emotions in Motion – Focus on Autism”; “Using Movement and Nonverbal Cues to Support Development” Sponsored by Clearbrook and Illinois Early Intervention Training Program, Arlington, Heights, Illinois.
May 5, 2009
“Seeing You, Seeing ME: The Role Attachment in the Intergenerational Transmission of Body Image” presented to the White Institute with Susie Orbach, Miriam Steele, Tiffany Haick, Bernadette Buhl-Nielsen & Linda Garafallou. NYC, NY.
March 4, 2009
“Creating Dance-Play Experiences to Foster Social and Emotional Relationships for Children with Challenges” clinical in-service presented to the New York Center for Child Development, NYC, NY.
June 9, 2007
“Emotions in Motion: The Dancing Dialogue: Using the Power of Movement to Support Communication and Attachment with Young Children and Families ”: full day training for Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho Falls, Region 7, Idaho State University.
National/Regional Professional Meeting & Conference Lecturing
November 3, 2017
ADTA Annual Conference to be held in San Antonio, Texas - Early Childhood Forum - Where Somatic Movement Therapy and Dance/Movement Therapy meet: Similarities and Distinctions Suzi Tortora & Martha Eddy.
Nov 16, 2017
The Dancing Dialogue: Using dance, movement, music, rhythm and the analysis of nonverbal communication to support babies, their families and the professionals that care for them. Full day lecture and workshop for The Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health Annual conference at WoodWinds, Branford, CT.
October 26, 2017
The Dancing Dialogue: The Role of the Unspoken and the Creative Arts in Therapeutic Change with Infants, Children and Their Families. Presenting within the group lecture titled Creative psychotherapies in child and adolescent psychiatry, Jenna Saul-Kuntz MD, chair & Sergio Delgado, MD, discussant, at American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), Washington DC..
October 15, 2017
“Chronic Pain & Early Attachment: A Movement Process for Awareness & Healing ”. Expressive Arts Therapies Summit: New York, NY.
October 14, 2017
Keynote talk: The Dancing Dialogue: Promoting positive communication to support babies and toddlers social and emotional development before words for the Child Care Council of Dutchess & Putnam, Inc. Fishkill, NY.
May 2, 2017
“Ways of Seeing: Supporting Early Attachment and Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Using Creative Dance/Movement Psychotherapy”. For Young Child Expo and Conference, NY, NY.
March 31, 2017
“Chronic Pain & Early Attachment: A Movement Process for Awareness & Healing ”. Inaugural Expressive Arts Therapies Summit: Los Angeles - Creativity and the Arts in Healing, LA, CA.
October 20, 2016
"Still Dancing: The Evolution of Dance from Creative Process to DMT to Embodied Self Care” with Nancy Beardall, Amber Elizabeth Gray. 51st ADTA Annual Conference, Washington DC.
March 1, 2016
“Thinking (and moving) outside the box: Psychoanalytic psychotherapy and dance/movement therapy” with Larry Sandberg, MD, Columbia Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine (APM), New York, New York.
January 9, 2016
“Healing Unexplainable Pain: Translating developmental neuroscience into multimodal treatments for chronic pain” Keynote lecture. 2nd Columbia Psychosomatics Conference- Healing Unexplainable Pain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
October 21, 2015
“DMT, Mindfulness and Trauma: Creating Pathways for Healing and Compassion Across Cultures” with Amber Grey and Nancy Beardall. ADTA 50th Annual Conference, The American Dance Therapy Association, La Jolla San Diego, CA.
October 18, 2015
“Shall We Dance? Using Creative Arts Therapies to Promote Play, Social -relatedness and Self-Expression in ASD: Meet Evan a 17-year old dancer, musician and artist and his mother.” Keynote lecture for conference: The Power of Play: How to Keep Engagement and Creativity at the Forefront of Development for Children with Autism and Other Special Needs, Profectum, New York, New York.
February 21, 2015
“Advancing the Mind-body Connection: Seeking Embodiment in the Psychotherapeutic Process” with Larry Sandberg, MD, Training Institute for Mental Health (TIMH), New York, New York.
October 25, 2013
“Ways of Seeing: Sharing & Presence Through an International Webinar Training: 13th Early Childhood Forum” Suzi Tortora director, with Jennifer Whitley, Candy Beers, Elizabeth Rutten-Ng, Jennifer Ellyson, Tamara Sernec, Lea Comte, Jung-Hsu Wan, Chia Chun Hu, Fabiana Marchiori, Irina Biryukova. Brooklyn, NY.
October 26, 2013
“Integrating Pediatric DMT within the Medical Team- Drea’s Dream 10 years later. “Suzi Tortora, director with Therese Wesbrot, Karen Popkin, Jocelyn Shaw, Jennifer Whitley, Catherine Enero, Susan Rizzo Vincent. Brooklyn, NY.
January 16 – 17, 2013
Two-Day Clinical Workshop #4: Psychotherapy Technique and Process and Dance Movement Therapy. American Psychoanalytic Association 2013 National Meeting Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Larry Sandberg, M.D., Beatrice Beebe, Ph.D., Suzi Tortora. New York City, NY.
October 18, 2012
4th Annual Pennsylvania Infant Mental Health Conference: Understanding the Unspoken: Nonverbal Expression and the Felt-Sense of Attachment. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
October 10, 2012
Consortium for Behavioral Health Training and Research & American Dance Therapy Association present Dr Suzi Tortora : Families in Motion – Understanding the Unspoken: Nonverbal Expression and Attachment. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Nov 7, 2011
"The New ABCs= Attention, Balance, and Compassion - Implementing Mindfulness technique in Educational Settings Pre-K – 12”. Susan Kaiser Greenland, Suzi Tortora. The Mindfulness and Education Working Group (MEWG) Teachers College, Columbia University.
October 22, 2011
“11th Early Childhood Forum: The Essential Knowledge for Dance Educators and Therapists.” Suzi Tortora & Martha Eddy. ADTA/NDEO National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
October 20, 2011
“Dancing Through the Ages – How Infancy and Early Childhood Dance/Movement Therapy Informs Adult Dance/Movement Therapy. “ Full Day ADTA Intensive - ADTA/NDEO National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
October 19, 2011
“Peaceful Dancing/Inclusive Movement: The Social Neuroscience of Dance Through Education and Therapy.” Suzi Tortora, Karen Bradley, Martha Eddy, Nancy Beardall. NDEO Full Day Intensive at the ADTA/NDEO National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
May 16, 2011
“Promoting Reflectivity Via Body Movement: Our Moving Bodies Tell Stories That Speak of Our Experiences” Keynote Address. At Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) Biennial Conference. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
May 16, 2011
“Opening Windows on Reflective Functioning” Case Presentation Panel with Suzi Tortora, Arietta Slade, Shelley Mayse, Robert Weigand & moderator Joan Shirilla. At Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) Biennial Conference. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
April 8, 2011
From Body to BODI: Introducing a New Clinical Assessment Tool to Explore the Intergenerational Transmission of Embodiment . Suzi Tortora, Susie Orbach, Victoria Silva, Catherine Baker-Pitts, Moderator Jean Petrucelli . White Institute, New York City.
April 8, 2011
From Body to BODI: Introducing a New Clinical Assessment Tool to Explore the Intergenerational Transmission of Embodiment . Suzi Tortora, Susie Orbach, Victoria Silva, Catherine Baker-Pitts, Moderator Jean Petrucelli . International Conference on Body Image and Identity in Contemporary Society. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City.
September 24, 2010
“10th Early Childhood Forum: The essential role of the body: How Movement and Nonverbal Experience inform implicit knowing and Intersubjectivity in Early Childhood Development”. American Dance Therapy Association 45th Conference, Brooklyn, New York.
September 24, 2010
“An Interactive/Experiential Panel: Exploring “Movement Thinking” , Labananalysis and DMT” with Suzi Tortora, Nancy Beardall, Catherine McCoubrey, & Carol-Lynne Moore. American Dance Therapy Association 45th Conference, Brooklyn, New York.
September 23, 2010
“The Need To Be Seen: From Winnicott to the Mirror Neuron System, Dance/Movement Therapy Comes of Age”, 2010 Marion Chace Award Lecture American Dance Therapy Association 45th Conference, Brooklyn, New York.
October 9 - 10, 2009
Two lectures: “Come Play With Me! Dance Movement Psychotherapy Social Skills Groups - Ninth Early Childhood Forum”; “A Dialogue: The Many Applications of Laban Movement Analysis” - presented with Nancy Beardall, Stacy Hurst, Sherry Goodill, Catherine McCoubrey. American Dance Therapy Association 44th Conference Portland, Oregon.