Making sense of touch in dance movement therapy: A trainee's perspective

Abstract

This paper is based upon one dance movement therapy (DMT) trainee's attempt to match theory, practice and clinical governance issues regarding touch within DMT. In her training classes she experienced different kinds of therapeutic touch, yet found a lack of support within professional guidelines for the way touch is used in practice and DMT literature. The paper highlights ways in which touch is viewed differently within the related fields of both body and verbal psychotherapies. The essential nature and power of touch for development and communication is addressed. Useful ethical distinctions between types of touch and between ‘boundary crossings’ and ‘boundary violations’ are drawn from body psychotherapy as one means of discerning acceptable touch. The paper offers examples of the trainee's experiences of touch and the usefulness of touch for certain DMT client populations. It concludes by calling for research and professional guidelines to assist DMT practitioners to make sense of positive therapeutic touch.