Authentic Movement as a Training Modality for Private Practice Clinicians

Abstract

Self/other differentiation and the ability to work symbolically with clients are considered desirable therapeutic skills for psychotherapists whose theoretical orientations are in the areas of psychodynamic, object relations, analytical psychology, or psychoanalysis. Although supervision and individual psychoanalysis have been recommended to enhance these skills, this study introduces authentic movement as an additional training modality. The grounded theory approach developed by Glaser and Strauss (The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research, Aldine De Gruyte, New York, 1967) was used to develop the research design for the study. Janet Adler’s (Moving J 4(3):10–11, 1997; in: Pallaro (ed) Authentic movement: essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodorow, Jessica Kingsley Publication, London, 1999) approach to training participants in the practice of authentic movement was used to formulate the research findings into a training modality for private practice clinicians. Based upon analysis of the data, authentic movement was considered an effective modality in the enhancement of self/other differentiation and one’s capacity to work symbolically. The capacity for self/other differentiation was also found to have an influence on one’s ability to minimize overidentification. In addition to describing the training models generated from the research, this paper provides examples of other clinical skills attributable to the practice of authentic movement.