Dance Movement Psychotherapists Research Articles

Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of school-based dance movement psychotherapy for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

BackgroundSchools have been increasingly employing dance movement psychotherapists to support children cope with daily worries and stress, express and understand their emotions, develop self-awareness and self-esteem. However, evidence on the impact of dance movement psychotherapy as a tool for prevention of mental health difficulties in childhood remains limited.MethodsSixteen children (aged 7–9) with mild emotional and behavioral difficulties from two primary schools were randomly assigned to a Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) intervention or to a waiting list, within a larger pilot cross-over randomized controlled study which aimed to (a) test whether all elements of study design can work together and run smoothly in a full-scale RCT; and (b) investigate the effectiveness of arts therapies in improving children’s health related quality of life (HRQOL; EQ-5D-Y), wellbeing and life functioning (Child Outcome Rating Scale; CORS), emotional and behavioral difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ), and duration of sleep (Fitbits). The therapeutic process was also evaluated through interviews with children, participant observations, the Children’s Session Rating Scale (CSRS), and ratings of adherence to the therapeutic protocol.ResultsThe findings indicated that DMP led to improvements in children’s life functioning, wellbeing, duration of sleep, emotional and behavioral difficulties, but not in quality of life. The improvements were maintained at the follow-up stages, up to 6 months post-intervention. Interviews with children also suggested positive outcomes, such as self-expression; emotional regulation; mastery and acceptance of emotions; improved self-confidence and self-esteem; reduced stress; and development of positive relationships. However, children would have preferred smaller groups and longer sessions.ConclusionThis study indicated that all outcome measures would be suitable for inclusion in a larger randomized controlled trial, though the EQ-5D-Y is not recommended as a stand-alone measure due to its lack of sensitivity and specificity for young participants. The adherence to the therapeutic protocol ratings differed between children and adults, highlighting the need to include children’s voice in future research. Strategies are also proposed of how to conduct randomization of participants in ways that do not hinder the therapeutic process.

Dancing at 6:64. Relational-biographies for philosophical clarity of a dance movement psychotherapist

This article discusses the relational co-creation of a dance movement psychotherapist’s (DMPs) philosophical perspective. Through participation of people who have a beneficial influence on my life I have explored how my way of being as a DMP is shaped by my life in dance and interpersonal relationships. The development of relational-biographies to elicit data offers a unique perspective that may be valuable for other embodied practitioners and students to gain clarity on their philosophical and theoretical frames of reference. My autoethnographic writing process has given me greater awareness of the subtle webs of connection on which we move together, the importance of how and when we tell life stories, of revelling in the body I have now, and of my great appreciation for implicit shared learning through interpersonal relationships. This philosophical shaping provides a more coherent inter-relational frame of reference for my dance movement psychotherapy practice, teaching and supervision.

Expanding: a case study exploring online work and relationship in one-to-one sessions in an adult learning disability service

ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced changes to how clinical services are offered in some settings. dance movement psychotherapists have had to contend with their embodied modality being translated through a screen. This case study explores the shifts that working online allowed in the DMP process for a client with learning disabilities. Where working together in a shared physical space might have previously included the use of props to aid movement exploration and relationship building, online therapy offered the challenge of working together without props, and a new way of moving in relationship for the client.

‘Putting themselves out there’ into the unknown: Dance movement psychotherapy as perceived by five educators and three pupils

ABSTRACTThe introduction of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) to a mainstream secondary school in the United Kingdom was explored from the perspectives of some educators (n = 5) and pupil-clients (n = 3) to discover perceptions of, and influences on the process of establishing a DMP practice to support pupils within this setting. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using constructivist grounded theory by an ethnographically situated therapist-researcher. Two polarities of themes emerged: constraints, normative inhibitions and expectations, versus empowerment, novel perceptions and awareness. These polarities were evident at two levels of process: school structures and community mind-set and individual engagement with DMP. The results highlight inherent dynamics in positioning of therapeutic provision within a school environment, amplified in unconventional, creative and embodied forms of intervention. An awareness of the tension between these opposites may be useful for dance movement psychotherapists in setting themselves within mainstream education.

Orientating myself: A gay dance movement psychotherapist’s gender experience in training and practice

ABSTRACTThis paper offers a subjective account of the struggles and pleasures of being a gay dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) lecturer and therapist. The author shares stories of how this individual reality is informed by his life experience as a gay child and man. This gay intersubjective perspective of embodied therapeutic relationships posits a queer theory outlook that deviates from other DMP and embodied perspectives. The intention is to invite more critical reflection on diverse sexual and gender experience and relationships in the training and therapy space, in the hope of opening the door to more transparency with sexual orientation and gender diversity in the body, movement and dance in psychotherapy professions.

Developing a shared language within arts psychotherapies: A personal construct psychology approach to understanding clinical change

This study aims to answer the question, How do arts psychotherapists describe their practice in session with clients who have severe mental illness? Personal construct psychology (PCP) methods were used to gather and build consensus about how arts psychotherapists describe in-session therapeutic constructs in adult mental health services, working with patients diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.PCP techniques were used in interviews with seven arts psychotherapists (art, music, drama and dance movement psychotherapists). The practitioners were encouraged to discuss in-session constructs relating to clinically significant events. PCP assumes that the interviewee holds personal perspectives and makes decisions based on their system of personal constructs.The results showed that there were overarching categories for the in-session constructs elicited from arts psychotherapists during interviews. These constructs were subjected to an intensive categorising process that produced a final set of 14 bipolar constructs describing 28 alternative therapeutic interventions. The in-session constructs cover a wide range of interventions from empathic attunement to narrative reconstruction.

Embodying kinaesthetic empathy through interdisciplinary practice-based research

This paper draws on a practice-based interdisciplinary research project to examine ‘kinaesthetic empathy’ as an intersubjective phenomenon within clinical practice. Research participants included both experienced movers (a group formed by qualified dance movement psychotherapists and dance artists) and non-experienced movers (a group comprising multidisciplinary clinicians within a National Health Service mental health unit). The investigative work was grounded in embodied interdisciplinary research and was informed by dance movement psychotherapy (DMP), phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience. Research outcomes included: (i) A measure of motor cortex involvement in movement processing; (ii) phenomenological analysis of participants’ accounts and (iii) embodied performance work. This paper straddles art, science and clinical practice boundaries and contributes to discourses of embodied empathy and intersubjectivity within clinical contexts.

‘Going far is returning’: Dance Movement Psychotherapists find resilience and learning and call for more collaboration and dialogue

Abstract Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) can contribute more to the care of people with dementia, a subject of increasing interest and importance in the United Kingdom and globally. This article was first presented at the International Centre for Research in Arts Therapies Conference at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. It contributes to growing knowledge in the field by discussing and analysing two different, yet complementary narratives about practice then and now: first, from the perspective and learning of someone just starting out in their career as a dance movement psychotherapist and second from one who started out using dance therapeutically in the mid-1980s. The outcomes of this dialogue have helped build resilience, have fostered dialogue and learning between practitioners, and are clinically relevant to students in training and experienced practitioners alike. Outcomes also shed light on transference and counter-transference, and make a call for more collaboration and communication between dance movement psychotherapists just starting out in their careers and those more experienced. Much can be learnt from more collaboration and dialogue between DMP’s, dancers and other somatic practitioners working in the dementia care field.

Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of body psychotherapy in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia significantly impact on quality of life and social functioning, and current treatment options are limited. In this study the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of group body psychotherapy as a treatment for negative symptoms were compared with an active control. A parallel-arm, multisite randomised controlled trial. Randomisation was conducted independently of the research team, using a 1 : 1 computer-generated sequence. Assessors and statisticians were blinded to treatment allocation. Analysis was conducted following the intention-to-treat principle. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, a health and social care perspective was adopted. age 18-65 years; diagnosis of schizophrenia with symptoms present at > 6 months; score of ≥ 18 on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative symptoms subscale; no change in medication type in past 6 weeks; willingness to participate; ability to give informed consent; and community outpatient. inability to participate in the groups and insufficient command of English. Participants were recruited from NHS mental health community services in five different Trusts. All groups took place in local community spaces. Control intervention: a 10-week, 90-minute, 20-session group beginners' Pilates class, run by a qualified Pilates instructor. Treatment intervention: a 10-week, 90-minute, 20-session manualised group body psychotherapy group, run by a qualified dance movement psychotherapist. The primary outcome was the PANSS negative symptoms subscale score at end of treatment. Secondary outcomes included measures of psychopathology, functional, social, service use and treatment satisfaction outcomes, both at treatment end and at 6-month follow-up. A total of 275 participants were randomised (140 body psychotherapy group, 135 Pilates group). At the end of treatment, 264 participants were assessed (137 body psychotherapy group, 127 Pilates group). The adjusted difference in means of the PANSS negative subscale at the end of treatment was 0.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) -1.11 to 1.17], showing no advantage of the intervention. In the secondary outcomes, the mean difference in the Clinical Assessment Interview for negative symptoms expression subscale at the end of treatment was 0.62 (95% CI -1.23 to 0.00), and in extrapyramidal movement disorder symptoms -0.65 (95% CI -1.13 to -0.16) at the end of treatment and -0.58 (95% CI -1.07 to -0.09) at 6 months' follow-up, showing a small significant advantage of body psychotherapy. No serious adverse events related to the interventions were reported. The total costs of the intervention were comparable with the control, with no clear evidence of cost-effectiveness for either condition. Owing to the absence of a treatment-as-usual arm, it is difficult to determine whether or not both arms are an improvement over routine care. In comparison with an active control, group body psychotherapy does not have a clinically relevant beneficial effect in the treatment of patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia. These findings conflict with the review that led to the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines suggesting that arts therapies may be an effective treatment for negative symptoms. Determining whether or not this lack of effectiveness extends to all types of art therapies would be informative. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN842165587. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 11. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

How body psychotherapy influenced me to become a dance movement psychotherapist

This article explores the influence of how body psychotherapy influenced the author’s decision to become a dance movement psychotherapist. It highlights how embodied practices from body work influenced by Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen have impacted on the author’s body, dance and choreography. The influence of dance is explored on the development of body psychotherapy and Gestalt Therapy. Embodied dialogic relationships are reflected on in the context of these therapeutic approaches with neuroscience providing a framework for understanding them. Similarities and divergences between dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) and body psychotherapy are identified and considered from personal, clinical and training perspectives. The question of how body psychotherapy can be used in DMP training is explored. An attempt is made to consider how each modality can provide a positive input on the other’s training and suggestions for future crossover are proposed.

Exploring sensory sensitivities and relationships during group dance movement psychotherapy for adults with autism

The aim of this study was to explore sensory experiences of adults with autism and to find how they form relationships, including attachment behaviours, within a dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) group. The research paradigm was a qualitative, reflective participant observation methodology within a realism perspective. Triangulations have been used to strengthen the internal and external validity. The method used was a case study of four adults diagnosed with autism, attending group DMP over an eight-week period. Systematic observations recorded by two therapists, feedback from the participants and literature have been used to triangulate different perspectives. In conclusion, the findings show that the participants were experiencing sensory sensitivities that were systemically influencing their relationships. An awareness of sensory processing differences will have implications for how dance movement psychotherapists, parents, educators and other health and social care professionals adapt the micro dance of movement and gestures, when interacting and communicating with children and adults with autism. The recommendation from this study is that further research is needed, particularly in relation to adults.

Dance movement psychotherapy practice in the UK: Findings from the Arts Therapies Survey 2011

Arts therapies practice in the UK, due to its complexity, is rarely adequately described and what constitutes main features of the professions often remains unclear. A nationwide Arts Therapies Survey was conducted in 2011 with the aim to offer a description of clinical practice with particular emphasis on work with depression. The survey received responses from 395 arts therapists, among whom 36 were dance movement therapists. While complete data from the survey is available elsewhere, this paper presents results particularly relevant to dance movement practitioners and highlights key areas of their practice, including usual work settings, client groups and preferred theoretical approaches. Both quantitative and qualitative data are used to illustrate the points discussed. Additionally, dance movement psychotherapists' responses concerning their work with depression are presented against other arts therapies professions' practice with this condition in the UK. Finally, areas for further research are recommended.

Embodiment and dementia – Dance movement psychotherapists respond

The last edition was a milestone in the field, representing the work of a prestigious group of scholars and researchers with its sole focus for the first time on embodiment and dementia. By concentrating energy on various aspects of embodiment, a ‘fire’ is started in a metaphorical sense. Interest and energy intensify, drawing people in towards this growing body of knowledge and skill. This metaphoric fire will assist new shoots to grow in its wake as real fires do. With chagrin Coaten admits that although invited to submit a paper for the previous edition, by missing the author deadline an opportunity was missed to contribute detailed discussion concerning movement and dance to the topic. As joint authors, we are grateful therefore for this opportunity to contribute post-edition, celebrating the achievements, whilst reflecting on missing elements and highlighting future directions. This editorial recognises the significant practical and theoretical expertise Dance Movement Psychotherapists (DMPs) bring to this discourse and to the work of the Centre of Excellence in particular. Through this ‘bridgebuilding’ process between the social sciences, the arts and Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) in particular, we aim to contribute to a better, more embodied quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners. One obvious omission to our minds was a clear definition of embodiment in the context of dementia care. We attempt here a working definition. Embodiment is a concept pertaining to lived-body and phenomenal experience that is crucial to better understanding what it subjectively means to be human. In addition, it can be described as a continuum, requiring at least part of human awareness to be grounded in the internal subjective sensations of lived-body experience, from little awareness at one end to considerable awareness at the other. Also, a subjective sense of the lived-body experience may be more grounded, for example, in a kinaesthetic awareness of some muscles, bones or organs rather than others. The extent to which one is grounded in the lived-body experience affects one’s perceptions, understandings and sense of relatedness to the world. Since embodiment is the experience and awareness of the lived body, constantly in movement, there can be no discussion about embodiment without it: whether movement

Embodiment and the supervisory task: The supervision of Dance Movement Psychotherapists in training

Supervision is an intimate act of creation and this article endeavours to understand the mercurial nature of this task, drawing on theoretical perspectives grounded in a Jungian framework. With a focus on training, supervisor and supervisee negotiate a labyrinth as they co-create a process within a triangular relationship, in which one key player, the client, is absent. The role of embodied knowing shapes a process involving the body as an active agent of change, whilst the wider matrix of the institution offers a multi-layered universe of parallel processes. The article offers composite vignettes to illustrate how unarticulated embodied wisdom transforms into a conceptualised understanding of clinical material through the transcendent function. The article illuminates the value of the body as radar for unconscious communication within the supervisory relationship.

The benefits of creative therapy for people with dementia

To evaluate the use of creative therapy, including dance, drama, music and movement, with people who have dementia attending one NHS organisation that provides day treatment and inpatient services. A one-day training package in the use of creative therapy in dementia care was commissioned from a dance movement psychotherapist. Creative therapy sessions, including dance, drama, music and movement activities were implemented over an eight-week period, a minimum of three times a week. Observational outcomes of creative self-expression, communication, pleasure and enjoyment, and general engagement were recorded. Implementation of creative therapy resulted in improvements in creative self-expression, communication, pleasure and enjoyment, and general engagement in people with dementia. The evaluation has emphasised the positive effects of creative or artistic approaches on dementia care, and supports previous research on the use of such approaches in NHS dementia care services. Further research on the immediate and longer-term outcomes and benefits of creative therapy for people with dementia is recommended to support the routine availability of such therapy in dementia care.