Dance/movement therapy for children suffering from earthquake trauma in Taiwan: A preliminary exploration

Abstract

This study used short-term dance/movement therapy to examine children who were at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the 9/21/99 earthquake in Taiwan. Fifteen elementary-school age children (grades one through five) who were at high risk for PTSD participated in a two-day “Happy Growth” dance/movement therapy program. This program was designed by a team consisting of one dance/movement therapist and three clinical psychologists. At the beginning of the program, the children's behavior was obstreperous and disorderly. During the program, they made coffins and tombs, and then they built castles. The way in which the group process developed was extremely different from the direction that the therapists had originally planned. In terms of the phenomenon displayed through dance/movement therapy, three therapeutic issues were emphasized: (1) What impact does psychophysical liberation have on the possibility for healing? (2) Is making Death Rituality the mourning process for survivors? (3) What is the significance of “holding” by the therapist in dance/movement therapy? The implications from the study are discussed.