1 The integrative dimension of psychomotor therapy
Psychomotor therapy studies reciprocal interactions between movement, emotional life and intellectual functions. It rests on the fundamental principle that the body is the first foundation of self-experience and relationship with the world. When motor coordination or muscle tone regulation is disrupted, people experience bodily clumsiness, inhibition or agitation that impedes independence.
2 Psychomotor assessment: a methodical investigation of skills
The practitioner administers normed motor tests, such as the M-ABC battery for overall and manual coordination and the BHK test for handwriting quality and speed. They assess static and dynamic balance, body schema, laterality, spatial and temporal orientation and muscle tone, looking for hypotonia, associated involuntary movements or emotional hypertonia.
3 Common clinical indications at every age
Care is offered to children with developmental coordination disorder, including motor or visuospatial dyspraxia, dysgraphia that makes handwriting illegible or painful, and motor hyperactivity associated with ADHD, as well as stressed adults experiencing bodily tension and older people who have lost their sense of balance.
4 Varied therapeutic activities and everyday application
Sessions involve movement courses, rhythm games, dynamic bodily relaxation, manual precision exercises and juggling. By becoming aware of proprioceptive sensations, patients gain fluidity of movement and greater confidence in their physical abilities.
5 Transferring motor skills to real-life activities
The psychomotor therapist ensures that bodily ease acquired in sessions translates into everyday actions: buttoning a jacket, tying shoelaces, cycling with friends or holding a pen without pain. These bodily achievements strengthen independence and a sense of competence.