North Star Conversations Transcript: Stress Inoculation Through Play—True Mind + Body
Mike Gortowski, LCPC, describes how structured play in the True Mind + Body space becomes a tool for stress inoculation. By recreating emotionally loaded scenarios through games and movement, kids learn to process anxiety and frustration in a safe, embodied way. Melissa Novack adds that this analog process mirrors real-life emotional challenges.
Mike Gortowski (00:00)
A lot of times they're not going to come in and sit on the couch and go, ⁓ Mike, what a week. Let me tell you about this test that made me so anxious that I got sick. But what they will do is come in and want to take control of the game. And if they come and they dribble the ball towards the hoop and this big 6'5" monster comes up and hits the ball back at them. How do they react to that threat stimuli? If they are avoiding math tests, I bet you they want to change the rule to the game. I bet you they want to take control. So how do we engage in that stimuli that starts that chain reaction to their thought process, how they're feeling within their body, and then the behavior that's usually the thing that we only see.
Brandon Gimbel (00:48)
You're creating an analogous stressful situation that might be safer for them to engage in. Change rules of a game versus change rules of life. Which sounds fantastic.
Melissa Novack (00:58)
Yes, yes.
Mike Gortowski (00:59)
Absolutely. And that stress inoculation is a huge part of play therapy. And one of the cool things about what we can do within that play space at InMotion is we have a lot more opportunity to stimulate that stress.