At Movéo, we specialize in kids who need to move.
We know that kids weren't meant to sit still!
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Traditional talk therapy works for some, but for many kids, healing is best accomplished through play, movement, and connection in-person with a therapist who gets it. That's why our specialty is providing an innovative type of mental health therapy that focuses on sensory regulation and child-led play.
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Sensory Motor Arousal and Regulation Therapy (or SMART for short) is a mental health therapy designed for children ages 2-18 with chronic challenges with emotional and behavioral regulation.
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When you walk into the SMART therapy room, you’ll see endless opportunities for sensory regulation and play. Children jump on a trampoline, balance on a rocking board, “swim” in a ball pit, design obstacle courses, and climb on a giant crash pad as they engage with their clinician.​​​
SMART might be right for your child if they...
Struggle with emotional and behavioral regulation
Your days may be filled with emotional meltdowns, tantrums, difficulty getting them to follow directions, and overall challenging behavior you and your child's teachers struggle to manage.​​
Frequently get in trouble at school
You're getting phone calls, emails, and reports
from the school of challenging behavior and you're feeling stuck on how to help them.
Are sensory-seekers or are difficult to settle
They’re constantly climbing, spinning, running, jumping or flipping upside down. Maybe their clothes need to feel or fit a certain way, are always chewing on something, have trouble sleeping, or frequent headaches and stomach aches.
Have difficulty using language to express themselves
You know they’re trying to tell you something with their behavior, but they don’t yet have the skills to process feelings and problems using words with you, peers, teachers, or therapists.
Have experienced trauma
Trauma comes in many forms and all can have an impact on your child's mental health and functioning, no matter when it happened or how minor it may seem.
Are anxious, withdrawn, or shut down
Your child is a frequent worrier, has withdrawn from you, their teachers or friends, complains of stomach-aches often has trouble sleeping, or appears numb or in "their own little world."
Haven't been successful in traditional forms of therapy
Maybe you've tried counseling before and your child refused to go, didn't want to engage with the therapist, wasn't getting meaningful work done, or struggled to stay physically safe during sessions.
Seek opportunities for movement and creative play
Your child thrives in environments where they can build relationships with others on their timeline and have opportunities for self-guided play and exploration
What can I expect when my child begins SMART therapy?
An Intake Session:
We'll spend time getting to know one another. I'll take a comprehensive history of your child's background, strengths, and needs, and answer all of your questions about SMART therapy and mental health treatment.
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Treatment Planning:
We'll collaboratively define your child's goals for therapy and I'll design a treatment plan specific to their needs. We'll include your child's voice in the treatment planning process as much as possible. I'll ask to connect with any other relevant professionals on your child's team (pediatrician, psychiatrist, school-based team, etc.) as needed.
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SMART Therapy Sessions Begin:
Your child will come to the SMART room and lead the way through creative, sensory-based play and movement. Depending on your child's goals and levels of regulation, we'll focus on somatic (body/sensory based) regulation, child-led trauma processing, and building healthy attachments to the clinician and caregivers. SMART therapy may involve physical touch from the clinician to scaffold physical movement (think: a helping hand to cross a balance beam or a push on the swing,) however, SMART is NOT a touch-based therapy like occupational therapy or physical therapy.
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​Ongoing Caregiver Involvement:
There will be time at the end of every SMART session for us to talk about how things are going. Depending on treatment goals, caregivers may also be invited into the therapy room for some of the child's sessions.​​
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What does a SMART room look like?
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Jump on the trampoline
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"Swim" in our ball pit
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Bounce on physioballs
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Launch onto the crash pad
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Toss weighted balls
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Snuggle into a body sock
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Crawl through the rainbow tunnel
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Spin on our swivel chair
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Balance on rocker boards
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Rest under a weighted blanket
Movéo clients have access to a wide variety of therapeutic equipment to help them regulate.
Our kids love to...
