Interoception is an important sensory system that helps us to feel internal body signals like an empty stomach, tense muscles or racing heart. Research indicates that these internal body signals provide valuable clues to how we feel and what our body uniquely needs for regulation and comfort. For example: Are we Anxious? Overwhelmed? Hungry? Full? In pain? Many people can experience interoception confusion and disconnect, including neurodivergent clients and/or clients that have experienced trauma.
This course will provide an overview of what the latest research tells us about interoception as well as how this important sense influences our ability to recognize, understand, regulate, and/or communicate how we feel. An evidence-based framework for supporting interoception connection will be shared, including multiple strategies for nurturing the three main aspects of interoceptive awareness: body, emotion, action.
– Define and understand interoception, our 8th sensory system
– Describe the impact that interoception has on areas such as self-regulation and social connection
– Identify at least 3 evidence-based strategies for building interoception
**NOTE** An intermediate/advanced training day is also planned for April 2024. Stay tuned for details on this additional opportunity to expand your skills beyond this workshop!**
This workshop is geared for professionals including but not limited to occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, and mental health therapists.
Kelly Mahler OTD, OTR/L, earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. She has been an occupational therapist for 20 years, serving school-aged children and adults. Kelly is winner of multiple awards, including the 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging and Innovative Practice Award & a Mom’s Choice Gold Medal. She is an adjunct faculty member at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA as well as at Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. Kelly is a co-principal investigator in several research projects pertaining to topics such as interoception, self-regulation, trauma & autism.