COMMON QUERIES
Here are some common questions I get about dance/movement therapy. Please feel free to reach out if you have additional questions not addressed here.
WHAT IS DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY?
The American Dance Therapy Association defines dance/movement therapy as
“The psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual”
While dance/movement therapy (DMT) approaches vary depending on the population, dance/movement therapists can work somatically to increase self-awareness, improve self-esteem, foster effective communication, learn coping mechanisms, and understand behavioral patterns through the use of verbal and nonverbal observation and interventions.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY?
DMT provides a variety of techniques and approaches that are beneficial to individuals seeking therapy for diagnoses and behaviors such as PTSD, eating disorders, dementia, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, aggression/violence, Autism, and communication challenges.
DMT has been used in nursing homes, schools, private practice, psychiatric, rehabilitation, and medical facilities.
HOW IS DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY DIFFERENT FROM PERFORMANCE OR SOCIAL DANCE?
DMT utilizes the mind-body connection as a pathway to healing. It includes an awareness of the emotional and somatic connection and utilizes nonverbal communication to promote overall wellbeing. While it still holds the physical and emotional benefits from regular dancing, DMT incorporates therapeutic techniques to build the therapeutic relationship and to help clients explore and expand their movement repertoire through body awareness and nonverbal communication.
“In a dance class, someone is teaching movement or dance steps, while in dance therapy sessions, a therapist is exploring movement with us to process emotional or behavioral health. Recreational activities are those done for enjoyment. Most choreographed dance is done for leisure, fitness or pleasure, even if it is providing a mental health or behavioral component. Dance therapy on the other hand is a form of psychotherapy that relies on the relationship between client and therapist. A dance instructor is a person who teaches something, while a DMT practitioner is a person who processes and discusses movement that emerges from you” - The Art Therapist CoLab, artstherapists.com
WHAT IF I CAN'T DANCE?
No prior dance experience is necessary to participate in or benefit from dance/movement therapy. The therapist will meet you where you are at and base the session on your comfort level around movement. Sessions can have as much or as little movement as you would like. Some clients prefer sessions to have no movement at all, which is also completely ok.
WHAT TRAINING OR CERTIFICATION DO DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPISTS HAVE?
Dance/movement therapists hold a master's degree in psychology, mental health counseling, or other related field. DMTs are eligible for state licensure as mental health counselors and are typically licensed as an LMHC, CPC, or LPC. They hold additional licensure through the Dance Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB).
CAN DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY BE USED WITH TRADITIONAL COUNSELING APPROACHES?
DMTs are trained in traditional counseling approaches. DMTs are typically licensed as mental health counselors in their state (i.e LMHC, CPC, LMFC) in addition to being board certified through the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). DMT works from a client-centered approach that integrates traditional counseling theories with an awareness of mind-body relationship and nonverbal communication processes. DMT can be incorporated into a traditional counseling setting and be adapted to meet the needs of the clients and purpose of the therapeutic space. It could look like creating a specific dance/movement therapy group or using dance/movement therapy principles in individual sessions. The approaches in DMT range from improvisational expressive movement to discussing body awareness and everything in between.
WHAT DOES A DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY SESSION LOOK LIKE?
Each DMT session is unique. A group session will typically consist of a warm-up (stretching, breathing, saying hello to everyone), check-in (usually through sharing a word and a small gesture), theme development (exploring movement as a group, usually with music), and closing (wrapping up the group, calming the body). The therapist will guide the group every step of the way. Props may be incorporated to increase exploration and movement possibilities. An individual session will be catered to the needs of the individual. The therapist will check-in with the client and discuss any goals or issues the client would like to address. Art and movement explorations may be offered depending on the client's needs and desires. Together with the therapist, the client will build body awareness and harness the tools needed to feel connected and whole physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Dance/movement therapists are bound by ethical codes in order to protect client information and all sessions are confidential.
I'M INTERESTED IN DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY, HOW CAN I FIND A DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIST?
The American Dance Therapy Association has a directory of registered and board certified dance/movement therapists on their website, which can be accessed here: https://www.adta.org/find-a-dmt#/