Play is a motivational force that drives healthy neurodevelopment and the dynamic interplay of sensorimotor, cognitive and social-emotional processing. Recent research associates a lack of differentiation between sensorimotor and memory brain networks with traumatic re-experiencing. This contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sensorimotor or 'body-based' play therapy may be an effective approach for helping children process trauma.

Sensorimotor input directly influences a child’s arousal level and perceptual experience which are foundational for felt-safety, bodily awareness, and agency. While play therapy has long been a trauma-specific intervention for children, it often overlooks the contributions of sensorimotor engagement to the child's sense of safety, which may impede their capacity to stay present and connected. Sensorimotor interventions are garnering research support and clinical traction in working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. However, guidance on how to engage in clinical reasoning and reflection when implementing sensorimotor play-based approaches remains limited. 

In addition to the guided use of sensorimotor interventions, it is essential that clinicians are mindful of their own role in the therapeutic process when implementing individualized trauma-focused interventions. Attunement to their own physical, physiological and social-emotional responses allows clinicians to be present and connected, reducing the risk of retraumatization. This ability to reflect on one’s role in the therapeutic dyad is key in increasing a therapist’s confidence in the use of sensorimotor play-based interventions. 

This presentation focuses on PROOF (Professional reasoning and Reflection on Observation: an Organizational Framework) a framework that guides sensorimotor play-based interventions and clinicians’ embodied reflection. Through video-based case studies, participants will be guided through an in-depth reasoning process which considers the child’s individual differences and preferences across play, praxis (sensorimotor planning), posture, and social-emotional development. Additionally, it will guide clinicians in their own bodily self-reflection, facilitating full participation in co-regulated, co-created play-based interventions.

Complex and developmental trauma has long been linked with personality disorders, but is increasingly understood as being critical to their origin. In this talk, we propose a new model for understanding personality disorders, which links early relational trauma to the basic interpersonal responses to threat (fight, flight, seeking a protector). We aim to show how personality disorders are fundamentally about having a restricted set of options for relating to others, usually as a consequence of complex trauma.

We anticipate that this model will help practitioners and clinicians to make better sense of clients who suffer from personality disorders, more so than focusing on their symptoms which can sometimes feel perplexing or frustrating. Using the analogy of ‘keys’ as representative of relational strategies to get needs met and ‘locks’ as relational responsiveness to specific strategies used by others, we can better understand the effects these clients have on others, including ourselves as professionals.  

The authors have applied this model across contexts including inpatient and outpatient mental health services as well as out of home care, working with complex young people and their families. The model is helpful in demystifying the effects of complex trauma on relationships, not only in those with a diagnosable personality disorder, but also where the effects are milder but still cause distress and reduced interpersonal flexibility. It also sheds light on the ways that trauma may be passed through generations via relationships. In the process we hope to destigmatise those who suffer from personality disorders.

Delivered by a multi-disciplinary group, this talk is aimed at practitioners and clinicians across contexts who wish to practice more effectively with complex presentations in their current work.

Childhood trauma presents complex challenges that require innovative, community-driven solutions. This presentation highlights the collaboration between The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) and Hoops 4 Health, a First Nations-led organisation with over 25 years of experience serving NT, WA and SA communities. Hoops 4 Health works across sectors, including community engagement, education, youth justice, and adult prisons, achieving remarkable results by using sport and culture to foster healing and positive behavioural change.

CHJS integrates neuroscience-backed research, showing that sport—an activity that has brought humans joy for millennia—has both physiological and psychological healing effects. Partnering with the Neurosequential Network (NM) and its field-leading Neurosequential Model, CHJS has developed trauma-informed, healing-centred programs that equip coaches and others in sport with simple, brain-based skills proven to have a therapeutic impact on young people. These programs help coaches, program directors, and sports practitioners create environments that promote healing through key elements such as relationships, movement, and resilience-building activities.

Through a dynamic partnership with Hoops 4 Health, these healing-centred principles are integrated into culturally responsive programming. Hoops 4 Health’s deep engagement with First Nations communities—particularly within youth justice and adult prison settings—demonstrates how sport can be a powerful force for building positive relationships, critical skills in regulation and resilience, reducing recidivism, and promoting long-term healing for individuals affected by trauma.

This presentation will share real-world examples from our joint programs, illustrating how trauma-informed sport supports individual recovery while addressing systemic challenges in underserved communities. By highlighting the work of CHJS and Hoops 4 Health, we aim to inspire practitioners, educators, and policymakers to see sport as a vital tool for healing and social change, equipping coaches and sports practitioners with the tools and knowledge they need to support all young people everywhere.

https://www.hoops4health.org/impact-and-strategy
https://chjs.org/resources/read-nothing-heals-like-sport-a-new-playbook-for-coaches/