The Power of Touch
The power of touch is miraculous in its simplicity. It is a necessary gift of nature, without which a human being cannot thrive. The Peaceful Touch approach integrates healthy touch into children's activities, from games and story-telling to reading, math, and science. In Sweden, where more than 300,000 children practice Peaceful Touch on a regular basis, both teachers and parents report lower levels of anxiety and aggression, and improved group functioning.
Peaceful Touch, from Sweden to the US
Axelson Institute began the program in Stockholm in the early 1990s. The trainings raised the consciousness of teachers and child care professionals about the importance of healthy touch and gave them hands on tools to bring into classrooms. Graduates of the training saw such strong and immediate results that today the program is almost a standard in Swedish preschools and elementary schools.
In the US, Peaceful Touch is just beginning. A recent training at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) Early Childhood Education Lab School is leading to requests from similar college and university programs as well as from elementary and preschools. The concentration is in California and Connecticut where trainers are currently available.
Fundamentals
The Peaceful Touch program is based on three fundamentals:
- That touch is necessary for human growth and development
- That the calming hormone, oxytocin, is activated through touch
- That a permission process supports healthy touch and helps establish good boundaries
Working together like the three legs of a stool, these fundamental concepts support the integrity of the Peaceful Touch program.