PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS
The "psycho" - "motor skills"
Psychomotor therapy is a paramedical health profession that focuses on the body , and more specifically on how the body develops over time . Thus, psychomotor therapy begins at birth and ends at the end of life. It therefore works with a very wide range of people , from babies to the elderly.
From the moment of conception, we are programmed to follow the same developmental path. However, throughout life, there are differences in the rate of development between individuals, depending on circumstances or the environment in which we live.
Thus, during our development , we may encounter difficulties , both physical and/or psychological . These two components, body and mind , are closely linked and cannot exist without each other. For example, if a child lacks self-confidence, this will impact their physical ability to use their body; and conversely , if a child experiences difficulties with their body or balance, their self-confidence will be weakened.
Psychomotor functions
Psychomotor skills are defined as the set of psychomotor functions :
Le bilan psychomoteur
et le projet thérapeutique
The psychomotor therapist, a specialist in psychomotor development , intervenes on medical prescription . Because they consider the patient holistically , encompassing both physical and psychological aspects, they observe the individual to assess their psychomotor functions and their developmental stage: their way of moving, locomotion, orientation in time and space, communication, interaction with others and the environment, and emotional management.
Thus, the psychomotor assessment , based on observation and the administration of psychomotor tests and evaluations , allows the psychomotor therapist to measure the patient's abilities in order to define the objectives of individual or group therapy. It is the implementation of this personalized therapeutic plan that will allow the patient to (re)discover harmony between their body and mind, through the practice of therapeutic interventions .
Les médiations
Since psychomotor therapy is an approach based on working with the body and movement, the psychomotor therapist will rehabilitate impaired mental and motor functions through the body , because it is by moving the body that one sets thoughts and representations in motion. It is by providing the patient with unusual experiences that they will gradually assimilate new learning to overcome their difficulties .
To do this, he uses a "toolbox": mediations .
These body-based mediations , which can be adapted in countless ways, are offered by the psychomotor therapist who will adapt them according to the desires and interests of the patient, so that the patient can express themselves in a playful and PLEASURE way.
Examples include: relaxation techniques, therapeutic touch , body expression (theatre, mime, dance…), artistic expression (painting, drawing, modeling…), manual activities (DIY, construction, cooking…), rhythmic activities (voice, body percussion, singing, musical instruments…), motor and coordination games (motor courses, aiming games, juggling…), free, directed and symbolic play , sensory stimulation , animal-assisted therapy (equine therapy)…
The qualities of a psychomotor therapist
The psychomotor therapist is first and foremost a specialist in observing the expressiveness of the body. Always attentive to their patient, they must also be available themselves, since during the sessions they invest themselves psycho-physically with their patient.
He demonstrates a great capacity for adaptation and creativity in offering varied and playful approaches to care, thereby creating a bond of trust with the patient and their family: this is the therapeutic alliance .
The psychomotor therapist is a professional who works as part of a team , even in private practice. They are in constant contact with families , the various prescribers and healthcare professionals involved in the patient's care, and their environment (school, institution, etc.) in order to best adapt the therapeutic plan and maintain the holistic view of the patient that characterizes our profession.
