Tomatis Method Certified and Psycho-Motor Integration(R) - Sacarin Listening, Movement, Development

Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French Ear, Nose and Throat physician and surgeon, is a researcher in and creator of the field of Audio-Psycho-Phonology and the Tomatis Method. For over a half-century he continuously searched for answers involving our listening ability and its role in many areas of our life. His work and his listening training techniques provide answers and help to many of the questions related to the quality of the listening function with its multiple listening abilities such as:

- Why are some of us able to engage in multiple tasks or follow verbal directions at the same time while others spend so much energy to only focus on one single task, thought or person?

- Why are some of us able to use our bodies so effectively and convincingly when moving and communicating with a group of people (in a social context), while others are overtaxed with social communication (missing important parts of the verbal/nonverbal interaction) or have difficulties with their body organization in relationship to space and conversation partners, especially when paying attention to what is being said?

- Why do some of us have an ability to hear the nuances when learning a foreign language, while others struggle to pronounce even the most simple words and need so much more work to achieve progress?

- Why do some children or adults tire much sooner than others even though they are performing the same activity, after which some of us remain energetic and ready to move on while others need a break and recovery time?

- Although we all enjoy music, some of us are able to perceive the individual instruments in music and even replicate the melody while others can only say, "The music sounds good to me but do not ask me to hum because I have never been able to remember or sing a melody." Why is this so?

Tomatis Effect Listening Training
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Enhancing Our Listening Abilities and Skills - Using the Listening Method Developed by Dr. Alfred Tomatis

Dr. Alfred Tomatis has extensively studied for more than 50 years the listening function and its relevance to emotional, cognitive, social and motor learning in children and adults, creating a new and the most comprehensive understanding today of how good or poor listening affects our lives.

Listening, distinctly defined for the first time by Dr. Tomatis as separate from hearing, is an active, voluntary and complex process. As opposed to simply hearing, through listening we can decide which information we want to take in and which we need to filter out in the context of every situation. He developed a series of techniques and technologies to educate and strengthen our listening abilities. This is often called the Tomatis Method.

Dr. Tomatis discovered that our listening abilities affect our psychological development and our expression and communication capabilities. He recognized the strong impact of neuro-psychological aspects of good and poor listening skills for learning and personality development, and stressed that internal motivational aspects are equally important when learning to listen efficiently. He also emphasized the interactive relationship between a well-developed vertical posture and good listening and communication skills.

In his fifteen books and many journal articles he theorized his unique perspective of hearing and listening and shares his clinical experience about the many different areas in which listening abilities are involved and can be enhanced:

- School learning (reading, writing, math, etc.)

- Social interaction and communication, such as peer interaction or child-parent interaction, especially in adoption and international adoption cases, work in teams, PDD, Autism, and other areas

- Concentration and attention skills such as exam and test preparation, or in children and adults with ADD or ADHD

- Communication in foreign cultures (learning foreign languages in their entire aspect: body language, language melody, pronunciation, grammar, and syntax)

- Boosting energy and creativity (based on the ear's important role in providing the brain with energy especially in intense periods of work, highly demanding professions and jobs)

- Singing and musical performance (refining musical skills)

- High sports performance

Tomatis Effect - Listening Education Programs™
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Sacarin Listening, Movement and Development Center

The Tomatis Method has a long history in Europe, with a Tomatis Center in many major cities there. Today, there are over 250 Tomatis Centers worldwide.

The Sacarin Listening, Movement and Development Center uses the method developed by Dr. Alfred Tomatis in the center's work to help develop and enrich listening skills as a means to expand learning potential in both children and adults.

In addition to the Tomatis Effect our other techniques at the Sacarin Center are Psycho-Motor Integration™ and Sensory-Motor Education™, using movement and neuro-cognitive development. We also provide our clients' parents, educators and therapists with Consulting and Training on listening, and movement development, and their key influence on learning, language, communication skills and social behavior.

We work with a variety of clients who search for us to help with a diverse set of problems such as Attention Difficulties (ADD), Learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyscalculia), Sensory Integration and Developmental Disorders (PDD, Autism, Asperger's etc.), Communication and Social Interaction challenges (developmental language and communication challenges, interaction in adoption cases), Emotional Disquiet (Stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and energy levels), Neurological Problems and Genetic Syndromes (CP, Stroke, Down Syndrome), etc.

Other children and adults of all ages also approach us with the simple desire to enhance their existing abilities and reach their full potential profiting from our Tomatis Effect- Listening Learning Programs™ and our counseling. Their goals are to learn foreign languages, expand personal listening in communication and learning strategies, refine their personal interaction skills, develop voice and body control in professional vocal expression (singers, actors, and public speakers), perfect movement control in high-performance sports, increase energy and creativity levels as well develop listening and a sense of wellness (for adults, mothers-to-be and senior citizens).

Our mission is to facilitate cognitive, emotional and social learning, creating a solid foundation through effective movement and listening skills. These skills enhance potential and support positive change in children and adults of all ages. We offer the highest quality professional support based on our qualifications and substantial experience using an integrative holistic approach and drug-free educational and therapeutic techniques.

The Sacarin Listening, Movement and Development Center is located in Seattle, Washington. Visit our main website to learn more about our Center and its activities