The role of dance movement psychotherapy for expression and integration of the self in palliative care.

Abstract

To explore clients' experiences of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) in a day hospice setting. DMP is a creative arts therapy, enabling people to use movement to express themselves and promote physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. This is the first known research about DMP in palliative care in the UK. A case study approach explored four clients' experiences of DMP in depth. Participants' ill bodies had become obstacles to them expressing their sense of self. The safe therapeutic conditions, gentle movement, music, words and props in DMP enabled them to express interconnected physical and emotional pain and loss of sense of self. DMP enabled them to reintegrate with their estranged bodies, releasing tension by expressing themselves as a whole person. Wider practice of DMP could relieve holistic pain by enabling people with terminal illnesses to express a complete sense of who they are as a human being.