Children learn best when they are respected and honored. This is an essential part of what Lisa conveys to the children with her hands on work. The child must be valued as a human being and given input that allows them to tune into themselves rather than move away from themselves. When a child is pushed to move in a way that their system is not able to achieve they learn that they are not capable. For a special needs child (or any child for that matter) this is the opposite message they need to be given. It is essential for the child to feel good about themselves and to connect with their bodies as a vehicle for learning and interacting with the environment not to feel alienated from them. When they are given input that is not painful, when their system is listened to and respected, they learn to listen to themselves, to respect and connect with the amazing abilities that this connection offers them, despite their limitations. It enables them to develop clear pathways from the body and brain and enhances neuroplasticity, that is the ability of the brain to build new pathways for enhanced functioning.
Lisa’s work with children allows them to sense the relationships between the parts of themselves to the whole and how they work together harmoniously. Often difficulties in moving comes from a lack of clarity of these relationships resulting in excessive effort in one part of the body with no sense of the whole . If a child is encouraged to perform activities that are not available to them at present (for instance being encouraged to move a leg that they do not know how to shift their weight off of) this might cause them to use excessive effort and reinforce holding patterns that actually inhibit their progress.
Unfortunately we learn in our society that we have to force and work hard to excel. With babies and young children if we impose this way of working on them they often rebel and may become resistant. It is natural for a child to want to explore and even delight in movement; this is how we evolve from being organisms that move largely reflexively with lack differentiation to graceful skilled movers.
Children most often take pleasure and delight when provided with this input. They look forward to their sessions with Lisa. This way of working with a child allows them to reach their highest potential, and grow to become skilled movers with a zest for learning and life.
Lisa has a special place in her heart for working with infants and children. Her training as a physical therapist was where she was introduced to working with children. After getting licensed as a physical therapist she studied the Feldenkrais Method(R). Her original Trainer in the Feldenkrais Method was Anat Baniel. This became the main influence of her work with and way of relating to children. Anat Baniel took her work in new directions and developed the Anat Baniel Method TM. Lisa continued her studies with her and was trained in the Anat baniel Method for Children. Additionally, she had many years of mentoring with trainer of The Anat Baniel Method for Children Marcy Lindheimer .