Table of Contents

What is the Neurosequential Model?

NMT is not a specific therapy technique. Developed by Dr. Bruce Perry and the Child Trauma Academy, it’s a brain-based, developmentally-informed approach that can help professionals understand a child’s history and functioning. Specifically, NMT may:

  • Help identify which areas of the brain may be underdeveloped or impacted by trauma
  • Guide treatment plans that align with the child’s developmental stage and needs
  • Create a “brain map” based on relational history, trauma exposure, and developmental functioning

What Happens in an NMT Session?

Sessions using the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) focus on understanding and supporting brain development rather than on using machines or medical devices. It’s a therapeutic approach, not a medical procedure.

Here’s what you can typically expect during the NMT process:

  • No machines or wires are involved.
    NMT does not require the individual to be hooked up to equipment. Instead, it relies on clinical interviews, caregiver input, and behavioral observations.
  • Comprehensive assessment phase
    A mental health professional gathers detailed information about:

    • The child’s developmental history
    • Trauma exposure and relational patterns
    • Current behavioral, emotional, and cognitive functioning
  • Brain mapping process
    Using specialized tools developed by the Child Trauma Academy, clinicians create a “brain map” to identify underdeveloped or affected areas of the brain.
  • Discussion-based therapy
    • Talk therapy (age-appropriate for the child)
    • Play therapy, art or movement-based activities
    • Parent or caregiver involvement to build healthy relationships and routines
  • Targeted interventions
    Based on the brain map, therapists design a customized plan with developmentally appropriate activities and therapies aimed at helping the child regulate, connect, and learn.
  • Ongoing support
    Progress is monitored over time, and interventions may shift based on how the child’s brain and behavior respond.

NMT sessions are warm, interactive, and personalized. The goal is to meet the child where they are developmentally, using nurturing relationships and rhythm-based activities (like music, movement, or play) designed to help build healthier brain pathways.

What Does NMT Assess?

NMT focuses on four critical areas of brain function that are often affected by trauma:

  • Sensory Integration
    • Helps the brain sort incoming information
    • Challenges may cause difficulty with emotions, behavior, and learning
  • Self-Regulation
    • Helps manage stress and respond appropriately to stimuli
    • Children may struggle with impulse control, emotional outbursts, and social relationships
  • Relational Ability
    • Supports connection, communication, and empathy
    • Issues may include trouble forming friendships, understanding others, or engaging in play
  • Cognitive Skills
    • Enables reasoning, learning, and problem-solving
    • Delays may affect academic success and abstract thinking

LifeStance Health is a national leader in mental, behavioral, and emotional wellness with multiple locations in 33 states. Services vary by location.

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What Can NMT Help Treat?

NMT is known for treating children and adolescents who have:

  • Experienced complex trauma, neglect, or early adversity
  • Struggled with emotional regulation, attachment issues, or developmental delays
  • Symptoms such as aggression, self-harm, academic struggles, or withdrawal

By identifying the specific parts of the brain affected, NMT may:

  • Guide targeted treatments that aim to support healthy neural pathways
  • Offer education to caregivers, teachers, and families for better support
  • Enhance therapy outcomes when strategies are aligned with developmental readiness

Who Can Benefit from NMT?

Children and Teens:

  • Those who have experienced chronic trauma or neglect
  • Foster or adopted youth struggling with behavior or school challenges
  • Young people with emotional or relational difficulties

Adults:

  • Individuals with unresolved early trauma
  • Adults who have not responded well to traditional therapy approaches

If your child, or someone you love, has experienced early trauma, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics may offer a compassionate, brain-based path to healing and hope. Find a provider and accepted insurances now.

References:

Perry, B. D., & the ChildTrauma Academy. (2006). The neurosequential model of therapeutics. The ChildTrauma Academy. Retrieved from https://www.childtrauma.org

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Clinically Reviewed By:

Matt Solit, MSW, LMSW
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Matthew received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona and his master’s in social work from the Catholic University of America in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He has engaged in numerous speaking events on topics from clinical diagnostic skills-building to clinical best-practices and risk management.