Dance/Movement Therapy
What is it?
The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) defines dance/movement therapy as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote the emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual.
Dance/Movement Therapy is focused on movement behavior as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship. Expressive, communicative, and adaptive behaviors are all considered for group and individual treatment. Body movement, as the core component of dance, simultaneously provides the means of assessment and the mode of intervention for dance/movement therapy.
Who is IT for?
Dance/Movement Therapy is for everyone, regardless of age, background, or dance ability. Individuals, couples, families, or groups can all benefit from the creative psychotherapeutic use of movement to deepen their understanding of physical, mental, and emotional experience. Dance/movement therapy is typically for clients looking to take their treatment to the next step beyond talk therapy. This also applies to anyone who is ready to process and release unwanted tension, negative emotions, or trauma in the body--even if they have not yet experienced any talk therapy yet. Through this approach, clients further their connection between mind, body, and spirit during their healing journey.
WHAT are the benefits?
Dance/Movement Therapy has been proven to:
Reduce stress, anxiety, and tension in the body
Increase body awareness, emotional intelligence, and creative expression
Improve self-esteem and sense of self-worth
Help process traumatic, stressful, or painful events
Improve your mind-body-spiritual connection
Release what is no longer serving us, and increase our human potential
Elevate practices of self-care and self-love
Alleviate feelings of depression and increase endorphin levels
Improve overall quality of life with greater meaning and purpose
What can it look like?
During a Dance/Movement Therapy session, participants may be invited to:
Identify their awareness of breath, heartbeat, and other physical sensations
Move with and without music as desired
Embody and release any unwanted emotions or tension in the body
Explore sensation, images, feelings, and thoughts through movement
Use small gestures and/or whole body postures to imagine wholeness and health
Identify personal strengths and develop movements to embody them
Experience meditation, stillness, and progressive muscle relaxation
Connect with others in the room through the use movement, music, contact, and props
Explore rhythm states in the body and in nature
Utilize various props to explore different qualities of movement
Explore other avenues of expressive arts to deepen understanding and processing through: Art, poetry, drama, and music.
The possibilities are endless depending on the client!
