Professional Impact: Kimberly Witman

When Kim first heard about rhythmic movement therapy, she was seeking answers to help her three-year-old son.  As an infant, he struggled with feeding, sleep and sensory challenges and as he grew, she saw his struggles become night terrors and bed wetting, hyperactivity and food sensitivities. He became physically ill at the bus stop and fought school with extreme separation anxiety. She searched for answers through research and discovered the role that primitive reflexes played in her son’s challenges. 

It was the discovery of RMTi, and a recommendation to connect with Elizabeth, that changed everything. Her evaluative call was long, and fruitful. Suddenly, her son’s behavior felt connected and made sense. Thanks to Thrive’s outreach program, Kim was able to co-host and attend her first Rhythm, Movement and Play workshop from the convenience of her own town. 

As a parent, Kim loved the concept of utilizing a gentle, drug-free approach to overcoming her son’s challenges. She performed the RMTi exercises alongside her son as he grew more comfortable with the work, and as a result, felt the impact in her own body as well. She felt compelled to share the powerful, transformative principles in a professional setting. 

Her work as a Sunday School leader allows Kim to interact closely with her young, active students. Noticing the natural desire for many children to move, and how many struggled with attentiveness or other behavioral challenges, she started to incorporate rhythmic movement activities into their daily floorwork and song.

“Performing the rhythmic movements paired well with the curriculum at this age. It’s about meeting each child where they are, and intentionally offering the children choices, as to whether they would like to perform the activities along with me or simply observe,” says Kim, noting that children with retained reflexes may feel safer watching before participating. “The journey begins at their own pace, by simply activating those mirror neurons. It’s so wonderful to see these same children begin to initiate the movements, which amazingly unlocks the reflexes that help them feel safe enough to both experience the world around them and find their voice.”

Kim references a case in Sunday school, where a child would cling to and refuse to separate from their mother at the start of each class. This child would not speak or respond during small group activities, often shielding their face and retreating to the corner of the classroom. Recently, Kim was delighted to have the same child eagerly approach her, asking for the simple rhythmic movement called ‘wipers’. And after only a few minutes of movement, Kim recalls, this child transformed into a polite, responsive and interactive classmate. This once extremely shy, withdrawn child had miraculously blossomed into a more confident, engaged and organized version of themself. 

“The really cool thing about reflex integration is when the children start to make the connections for themselves,” says Kim, of the deep neurological connection to RMTi. “They begin to understand that when I move my body smoothly, fluidly, symmetrically and rhythmically, I begin to feel calm, safe and more organized. I really love it whenever the kids begin to ask me, “Can we do the movements? It still amazes me to see the profound effects that these simple movements can have on us, regardless of our age!”