Development of a Dance/Movement Therapy Program in Japan: A Case Study

Abstract

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) has become increasingly interesting to Japanese health care providers. In response to this growing interest, the Japanese Association of Dance Therapy was founded in 1992. However, there is not yet an organized system for educating, training, and certifying dance/movement therapists in Japan. In the absence of such a training system, a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo has been developing its own system of training dance/movement therapists, and providing DMT services with the help of an American ADTR supervisor since 1988. Ten years later, DMT has grown to be an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment team, very much like individual psychotherapy, group therapy, occupational therapy, art therapy, and psychoeducation. The historical background of DMT in Japan, as well as the present system of education and training as it has been adapted to the Japanese hospital environment is described. Reports from health and mental health professionals at the hospital who were trained in dance/movement therapy are included.