We do not believe in the "box" that is often created by a diagnosis or, treating within that "box." At InnerLinks Communication, our family and child-centered approach aids our clients in achieving what is most important to them as individuals and families (regardless of diagnosis). With our approach, we focus our sessions on discovering and building from our clients' unique gifts, strengths, talents, and likes. This helps children develop confidence in their own abilities, thus improving self-worth and facilitating greater gains in all areas. It empowers parents by helping them to recognize that they have all they need within them to improve overall family communication and harmony!
As a result of not treating within a "box," common standard repetitive therapy techniques are intentionally absent from our sessions. Our approach is a movement-based/whole brain approach, and children leave with real world skills that they can use daily to help with emotional regulation, focus, and a sense of calm and peace. Our parent focused sessions and classes aid parents in increasing inner peace and strength. As these skills develop, the children (and parents) feel more empowered; the increase in self-confidence and ability to stay regulated in challenging situations result in a brain and body that are ready to learn new things.
We use personalized assessments instead of formal evaluations. While traditional therapy relies on standardized assessments to plot out formal goals, we rely on parent report and individual family goals. We guide our sessions and classes toward what is important for your family to support you in improving overall family harmony, communication, and resilience.
We are innovative in assisting parents and children to bridge gaps in communication between the brain and body, physical and emotional self, and parent and child. We use reflex integration techniques (from our ongoing training), mindfulness training, emotional regulation education, social-emotional communication, listening therapy programs, and other techniques to aid and assist our families.
How did we come to this alternative approach? Most people are familiar with the “mind-body-soul” dynamic. At InnerLinks Communication, we best describe our approach as a “body-soul-mind” dynamic.
How do we make this distinction? While we believe that all three areas work synergistically for effective communication, we've recognized that working with the body can be the doorway to the soul and the mind. Our bodies allow us to experience this world through our senses, and then our experiences help shape our self-perception (the soul). When we are in a calmer, peaceful, and more joyful state, our thoughts (mind) change to match that state and we are in a more ideal state for learning. Our new thoughts and beliefs influence how we show up in the world and therefore guide our experiences.
This is why we often start with reflex repatterning or other calming approaches to help the body feel safe and ready for change. Once the body is in a more peaceful state, limiting thoughts and beliefs are replaced by self-love and personal growth. Hacking into this amazing system creates new pathways to overcome adversity, grow from challenges, and improve communication.
Yes, this is very different from traditional methods that rely on repetitive, drill exercises. Most therapeutic styles focus solely on the cortex (the highest level of the brain) to facilitate change with a, “watch me, and do what I do,” approach. We recognize that this is equivalent to trying to build a house from the roof down. Intuitively, it just doesn't make sense, nor does it lead to a sturdy structure! The combination of my professional speech-language pathology education, continued professional training, and personal experiences have given me the gift to realize that the same goes for working with the children I serve, and that so much more is possible when we build from a solid foundation (a "bottom-up" approach).
Therefore, we offer techniques that speak directly to the brainstem and midbrain (or the foundation) to form a sturdy structure resulting in resilient children AND families!