21. Becoming Physiologically Centered

Becoming Centered

This episode focuses on how to help child-clients become physiologically centered. Previous episodes have focused on helping children become emotionally and cognitively centered.

Emotional centering involves regulating extremes of emotions, and developing reaction inhibition and stress tolerance. Various tools, such as the Check-in and Empathic Listening can be really useful for helping kids become emotionally centered.

Cognitive centering techniques include the use of tools like the Feelings Thermometer and Feelings Maps to help kids describe their feelings. A complimentary approach focuses on leveraging clients’ physiology to help them become centered. Afterall, every emotion is expressed in various ways throughout a person’s body.

Co-regulation, achieved through shared activities and physical engagement, is a basic way in which a counselor can help a client become centered on a physiological level. Changing a child's physiology is a powerful way to influence regulate their emotions and thoughts. Techniques such as sitting down, drinking water, engaging in physical activities, and going on walks are explored.

Food also powerfully impacts physiology but in many ways it’s too powerful and overusing it as a way to change a kids mood or attitude can cause unwanted negative consequences. Likewise, touch, hugs, and hand-holding can be very physiological centering, but again there’s a need for judgment and clear program guidelines.

Various techniques, including sensory meditation, breathing exercises, and mindfulness, are recommended to help children become physiologically centered. The challenges of implementing these techniques are explored, including the need for months of daily practice and potential boredom of some exercises.

This episode concludes by introducing the Owl Eyes technique, a form of sensory walking meditation involving maintaining peripheral vision.