UNIT 3

Movement therapy

This lesson will cover topic on movement therapy

Drama Therapy

Introduction

Dance movement therapy is the use of creative movement and dance in a therapeutic alliance. It uses the relationship
between motion and emotion as a vehicle through which an individual can engage in personal integration towards a
clearer definition of self During the last ten years dance movement therapy, along with the other arts therapies, has
consolidated as a separate and valid therapy in health, education, the voluntary and social services.

Dance Movement Therapy: Theory and Practice gives dance movement therapists and students, as well as allied
professionals, an insight into state-of-the-art DMT practice in the UK. The first book to document UK practice, it
provides a clear and balanced picture of representative work in the field, from its use with the mentally ill, learning
disabled, delinquent and emotionally disturbed, through to high-functioning adults.

The contributions reflect the adaptability of the discipline and celebrate the diversity of DMT. Including both
descriptive accounts and those based on research and academic scholarship, they highlight the different methods used
within different settings. No one model is stressed, as each reader will wish to think about the most appropriate model
for their own working context.

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT)1 is a diverse, complex but little-known subject area. This book presents a variety
of approaches in settings where the practice of dance movement therapy is appropriate, and individual contributions
recognize the varied roots of the subject whilst reflecting the practice which has been pioneered and developed in the
UK in recent years.

Each contributor has extensive experience in a specific setting but theoretical orientations are different and there are
considerable differences in the aims followed and the techniques employed in each setting. By presenting these
contributions together it has been my intention to provide the reader with a balanced and clear picture of what makes
up dance movement therapy, in the acknowledgement that there is no one style or truth.

Dance Movement Therapy is the use of expressive movement and dance as a vehicle through which an individual can
engage in the process of personal integration and growth. It is founded on the principle that there is a relationship
between motion and emotion and that by exploring a more varied vocabulary of movement people experience the
possibility of becoming more securely balanced yet increasingly spontaneous and adaptable. Through movement and
dance each person’s inner world becomes tangible, individuals share much of their personal symbolism and in dancing
together relationships become visible. The dance movement therapist creates a holding environment in which such
feelings can be safely expressed, acknowledged and communicated.

Dance/movement therapy

Definition. Dance therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses movement to further the social, cognitive, emotional,
and physical development of the individual. Dance therapists work with people who have many kinds of emotional
problems, intellectual deficits, and life-threatening illnesses.

Dance/movement therapy, usually referred to simply as dance therapy or DMT, is a type of therapy that uses
movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. Beneficial for both
physical and mental health, dance therapy can be used for stress reduction, disease prevention, and mood
management. In addition, DMT's physical component offers increased muscular strength, coordination, mobility, and
decreased muscular tension. Dance/movement therapy can be used with all populations and with individuals, couples,
families, or groups. In general, dance therapy promotes self-awareness, self-esteem, and a safe space for the
expression of feelings.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS DANCE THERAPY?

HOW EFFECTIVE IS DANCE THERAPY?
Research has demonstrated that dance therapy can be effective in the treatment of mental health issues like disordered
eating, depression, and anxiety. Some recent examples include:

 A study from the journal The Arts in Psychotherapy (2007) found that dance therapy had a positive effect on
participants experiencing symptoms of depression.
 A study from the American Journal of Dance Therapy (2004), in which 54 students participated in a dance
therapy violence prevention program, found that aggression among participants decreased and pro-social
behaviors increased.
 A study from Alzheimer's Care Today (2009) suggests that DMT can directly improve memory recall in
people with dementia.
 A literature review from the American Journal of Dance Therapy indicated that DMT may be a treatment
option for children on the autism spectrum.
 Due to its social and physical components, dance/movement therapy is also being considered as a treatment
option for childhood obesity.

Mission:

 Facilitate life-span development.

 Prevent, diagnose, and treat issues that interfere with healthy functioning.
 Assess, evaluate, and develop treatment goals.
 Implement planned interventions.
 Develop and adjust treatment to continuously meet the needs of the client.

History of Drama therapy

This is a brief timeline of important events and dates in the history of Dance and Movement Therapy

 1916- The idea of dance as psychotherapy was first recorded by Carl Gustav Jung. His original paper was
widely circulated but remained unpublished until 1957[1].
 1942- Marian Chace, one of the founders of modern dance and dance therapy, was invited to work at St.
Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.[2]
 1947- Trudi Schoop began working in facilities with schizophrenic patients. She pioneered the combination
of comedy and dance therapy working jointly together[3].
 1947- Marian Chace was made the first full time dance therapist[4].
 1950s- Authentic movement was created by Mary Whitehouse. Authentic movement is a branch of dance
therapy that involves deep inner listening and expressive movement[5].
 1966- The American Dance Therapy Association was founded. The ADTA advocates nationally and
internationally for the development and expansion of dance therapy training and services. The first president
of the ADTA was Marian Chace[6].
 1977- Dance therapy was represented on President Carter’s Commission on Mental Health[7].
 1993- The Office of Alternative Medicine of the National Institute of Health awarded one of its first
exploratory research grants to investigate dance therapy for those with medical illnesses[8].
 1993- The Authentic Movement Institute was founded[9].
 1993- The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health
awarded the ADTA one of the first grants to explore dance therapy in patients with medical illnesses[10].

Origins

Dance therapy began as a profession in the 1940s with the work of Marian Chace. A modern dancer, she began
teaching dance after ending her career with the Denishawn Dance Company in 1930. In her classes, she noticed that
some of her students were more interested in the emotions they expressed while dancing (loneliness, shyness, fear,
etc.) than the mechanics of the moves. She began encouraging them by emphasizing more freedom of movement
rather than technique.

Benefits and Description

Benefits
Dance therapy can be helpful to a wide range of patients—from psychiatric patients to those with cancer to lonely
elderly people. Dance therapy is often an easy way for a person to express emotions, even when his or her experience
is so traumatic he or she can't talk about it. It is frequently used with rape victims and survivors of sexual abuse and
incest. It can also help people with physical deficits improve their self-esteem and learn balance and coordination.

Dance therapists also work with people who have chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases to help them deal
with pain , fear of death, and changes in their

body image. Many people with such illnesses find dance therapy classes to be a way to relax, get away from their pain
and emotional difficulties for a while, and express feelings about taboo subjects (such as impending death).

Dance therapy is suitable even for people who are not accomplished dancers, and may even be good for those who are
clumsy on the dance floor. The emphasis in dance therapy is on free movement, not restrictive steps, and expressing
one's true emotions. Children who cannot master difficult dances or can't sit still for traditional psychotherapy often
benefit from free-flowing dance therapy. Even older people who cannot move well or are confined to wheelchairs can
participate in dance therapy. All they need to do is move in some way to the rhythm of the music.

Dance therapy can be useful in a one-on-one situation, where the therapist works with only one patient to provide a
safe place to express emotions. Group classes can help provide emotional support, enhanced communication skills,
and appropriate physical boundaries (a skill that is vital for sexual abuse victims).

Description

There are currently more than 1,200 dance therapists in 46 states in the United Sates and in 29 foreign countries. Like
other mental health professionals, they use a wide range of techniques to help their patients. Some of the major
"schools of thought" in dance therapy include the Freudian approach, Jungian technique, and object relations
orientation. Many therapists, however, do not ascribe to just one school, but use techniques from various types
of dance therapy.

The authentic movement technique is derived from the Jungian method of analysis in which people work with
recurring images in their thoughts or dreams to derive meaning in their life. Instead of asking the patient to dance out
certain emotions, the therapist instructs the patient to move when he or she feels "the inner impulse." The moves are
directed by the patient and the therapist is a noncritical witness to the movement. The moves are supposed to emerge
from a deep level within the patient.

In Freudian technique, dance therapists work with patients to uncover feelings hidden deep in the subconscious by
expressing those feelings through dance.

In object relations technique, the therapist often helps the patient examine problems in his or her life by considering
the primary initial relationship with the parents. Emotions are expressed in a concrete, physical way. For instance, a
patient would work out his fears of abandonment by repeatedly coming close to and dancing at a distance from the
therapist.

Dance therapists sometimes use other types of therapy along with dance, such as art or drama. Therapists also discuss
what happens during a dancing session by spending time in "talk therapy." Dance therapists use visualizations during
sessions, too. For example, the therapist might instruct patients to imagine they are on a beautiful, peaceful beach as
they dance.

In one frequently used technique, the therapist mirrors the movements of the patient as he or she expresses important
emotions. This is especially powerful in private one-on-one therapy. It is thought that this device provides a sense of
safety and validates the patient's emotions.

The underlying premise of dance therapy is that when people dance, they are expressing highly significant emotions.
A fist thrust out in anger into the air or a head bent in shame has deep significance to a dance therapist. Through dance
therapy, the theory goes, patients are able to more easily express painful, frightening emotions, and can progress from
there. After experiencing dance therapy, they can talk about their feelings more freely and tear down the barriers they
have erected between themselves and other people. The hope is that eventually they can go on to live more
psychologically healthy lives.
Processes of dance Therapy

How does a movement therapy session work?

Many of us have inhibitions about our bodies; some of us don’t like to dance in public because we believe we have
two left feet. Every movement therapy session is designed keeping the clients’ challenges in mind. Each movement
therapy session has four aspects:

1. Warm-up or movement building through games and activities, which helps participants tune into the session
and get comfortable with movements. Props such as balloons may be used to help the person get comfortable
and begin expressing themselves.
2. Theme development in which the client’s or the group’s specific needs are addressed. For example, for
clients with disability, the theme development may be geared towards meeting goals of body coordination and
motor development. The therapist then creates activities that help the person explore their body coordination
and improve it.
3. Cool-down phase which uses breath and movement to help the person wind down.
4. Verbal processing or closure, in which the person or group does a debrief with the therapist about the
session. The therapist and the client may discuss possibilities for integration: how can the client take back
what they experienced during the workshop and use it in their daily life?

But I have two left feet! Dance is not for me!

A movement therapy session is not exclusively for dancers, nor is it a dance class. A dance class focuses on style,
form and technique. Movement therapy, on the other hand, does not focus on technique, form or style. No participant
is assessed on how they execute the steps, or how they look when they are dancing. There is no pressure on achieving
a pre-decided outcome. During a movement therapy session, a person is encouraged to share what is happening within
them.

Unlike in a dance class, participants at a movement therapy session are not expected to begin dancing the moment the
music begins. The therapist guides them through a variety of movement activities, giving the body several movement
experiences until the body is at ease and begins to express itself. The therapist only offers movement ideas, and the
movement is led by the client. The pace builds up slowly, with each person deciding what pace they are comfortable
with, and how much they would like to stretch themselves.

Dance therapy

This lecture will cover topic on effectiveness of dance movement therapy

Effectiveness of Movement therapy

Effectiveness of dance movement therapy

Research suggests that DMT can be an effective treatment for a range of mental health challenges. For example:

 A review of studies found that DMT was effective in treating anxiety. The review also reported that adults and
adolescents appeared to benefit from DMT more than children. (1)
 A more recent review of the research found that DMT was effective in helping improve well-being, mood and
body image. (2)
 A comprehensive Cochran review found that DMT shows promise as a treatment for depression, but that it
requires further research. (3)

How dance movement therapy can help

DMT aims to improve wellbeing through the benefits of gentle physical activity through dance and psychological
therapy. By holistically integrating the emotional, spiritual and thinking parts of ourselves, DMT helps us to develop
new ways of coping with mental health challenges.

It helps people in the following ways: (1)

  It enables nonverbal creative expression
 It encourages increased awareness of the body, the self and improves self-esteem
 It improves coordination and movement, and encourages the release of tension
 It can be a pleasurable activity and provide an opportunity for relaxation
 Group DMT provides an opportunity for social contact

DMT is not about working towards a public performance of dance, physiotherapy or occupational therapy. It does not
require any dance ability; those without formal dance training may even find it easier to participate in initially. (4)

Frequency and length of dance movement therapy sessions

DMT therapists are quite diverse in their approach. As such, session frequency and length of therapy can vary widely.

DMT tends to provided in group therapy more often than in individual therapy.

What happens in a typical dance movement therapy session

DMT therapists vary widely in their theoretical orientation, aims and techniques (4). This means that a DMT session
can look quite different depending on the therapist.

Your therapist may keep sessions structured or take a non-directive approach and encourage you to lead the session.

Elements that may be involved in some - but not all - DMT sessions include: (5)

 In some models, dance and movement are used throughout the entire therapeutic process, for observation,
assessment, communication and interaction, as well as treatment. (6)
 You’re likely to start the session with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.
 Often, the therapist will encourage you to explore new forms of movement to encourage growth.
 In many cases, music is used to accompany dance.
 The therapist may mirror some of your movements, to help them to understand your experience and
communicate their understanding of it. The therapeutic relationship is central in DMT.
 The therapist might help you to develop a better awareness of your body through movement or dance. They
might ask you to make a gesture, change it in some way, or observe it mindfully.
 You might create a sequence of movements or dance that is symbolic of your inner experience. This can be
particularly helpful for working with difficult emotions.
 At the close of a session, the therapist might ask you to talk about the experience, or help you to connect your
nonverbal experience with words.

Dance Therapy Techniques and Benefits

Dance Therapy Techniques and Benefits

Dance therapists may utilize a number of different dance and movement activities and techniques in addressing client
needs. A couple of examples include—

Mirroring. Matching and echoing movements can show empathy and validate what a person is feeling. A therapist
may mirror a client’s movements, or have clients mirror for one another, allowing participants to see a reflection of
themselves.

Movement Metaphors. Using a movement metaphor or prop can help a person physically and expressively
demonstrate a therapeutic challenge or achievement. For example: a therapist may give a person in treatment a white
flag to celebrate emotional surrender.

Jumping Rhythms. Therapists may incorporate jumping into a dance for clients experiencing depression because
research has shown decreased levels of vertical movement in people with depression.

Important skills can be acquired during the dance movement therapy process. Here is a short list of some of those
skills—

 Learning how to develop and trust your ability to be present empathetically.

 Being able to respond authentically and truthfully.
 Learning how to translate the nonverbal movements into insights that can be used in recovery.
Feelings and life experiences live inside the body and can get trapped there. The body can be the key to unlocking
profound levels of healing. DMT is not a dance class. It is a therapeutic exposure that can be used in conjunction with
other therapies to help access genuine, long lasting change.