Dance therapy


Dance/movement therapy in USA and Australia or dance movement psychotherapy in the UK is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body. As a modality of the creative arts therapies, DMT looks at the correlation between movement and emotion.

Efficacy

Dance/movement therapy, alone and in conjunction with other forms of therapy, has been shown to be an effective form of treatment for anxiety and anxiety related disorders across age ranges and across a wide population of individuals. Certain studies show that dance movement therapy has been an effective form of anxiety treatment for those with and without intellectual disabilities and musculoskeletal disorders. It has also been shown to be effective at reducing aggression in young children.
There are insufficient high quality trials to assess the effect of DMT on behavioral, social, cognitive and emotional symptoms in people with dementia.

Principles

The theory of DMT is based mainly upon the belief that body and mind interact. Both conscious and unconscious movement of the person, based on the dualist mind body premise, affects total control, and also reflects the individual's personality. Therefore, the therapist-client relationship is partly based on non-verbal cues such as body language. Movement is believed to have a symbolic function and as such can aid in understanding the self. Movement improvisation allows the client to experiment with new ways of being and DMT provides a manner or channel in which the client can consciously understand early relationships with negative experiences through non-verbal mediation by the therapist.
By integrating the body, mind, and spirit, DMT aims to foster a sense of wholeness among participants. The body refers to the "discharging of energy through muscular-skeletal responses to stimuli received by the brain." The mind refers to "mental activities...such as memory, imagery, perception, attention, evaluation, reasoning and decision making." The spirit refers to the "subjectively experienced feeling of engaging in or empathically observing dancing."
Dance movement therapy works to improve the social skills, as well as relational dynamics among the clients that choose to participate in it to better improve their quality of life. This therapy seeks to deepen clients' self-awareness through a meditative process that involves movement, motion, and realization through exploration of one's body.

Methodology

DMT/P methodology is fairly heterogenous and practitioners draw on a variety of psychotherapeutic and kinetic principles. Most training in Dance Movement Therapy will have an established theoretical base which they work from – for example Psychodynamic theory, Humanistic psychology, Integrative therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Existential therapy etc. Depending on the approach or combinations of approaches practitioners work from very different processes and aims will be worked towards.
Additionally to the psychotherapeutic basis of their work, different approaches to movement and dance may be employed.
Some dance therapists use codified dance styles, like ballet, folk dance, and contemporary dance. Majority of dance therapists work within a kinetic framework of creative and expressive movement practices, incorporating structured improvisation.
Commonly requirements of most DMT/P graduate programmes are Movement Analysis and Profiling, human development and Developmental psychology.
Additionally since a variety of populations may be encountered in DMT/P, methods are adapted to meet the needs of the circumstances and clients and this further reduces standardisation.
Bonnie Meekums, a second wave dance therapist, described four stages of the therapy process, based on her experience in the field:

The use of props

Dance movement therapists frequently use props during sessions to support grounding skills and to increase clients' awareness of their bodies and personal boundaries. These props might include blankets, sensory balls, weighted blankets, colorful scarves, coloring pencils, and resistance bands. Clients also often can select the type of music they prefer for the session.

Proposed mechanisms

Various hypothesis have been proposed for mechanisms by which dance therapy may benefit participants. There is a social component to dance therapy, which can be valuable for psychological functioning through human interaction. Another possible mechanism is the music that is used during the session, which may be able to reduce pain, decrease anxiety, and increase relaxation. Since dance requires learning and involves becoming active and discovering capacities for movement, there is also the physical training that could provide benefits as well. Dancing may be considered more uplifting and enjoyable than other types of exercise. Dance therapy can also involve nonverbal communication, "which enables participants to express their feelings without words. This might be helpful when normal communication is absent or has broken down."

Locations

DMT is practiced in a large variety of locations. Such locations include:
Organizations such as the American Dance Therapy Association were created in order to uphold high standards in the field of DMT. Such organizations help connect individuals to therapists and DMT.

American Dance Therapy Association

was founded in 1966 in order to uphold high standards throughout dance therapy. The ADTA was created by Marian Chace, the first president of the ADTA, Elissa Queyquep White, Claire Schmais, and other pioneers in dance movement. Along with setting standards for which therapists must attain to become licensed therapists, ADTA keeps an updated registry of all movement/dance therapists who have met ADTA's standards. In addition, ADTA also publishes the American Journal of Dance Therapy and sponsors annual professional conferences. According to the ADTA, movement is considered to be a language which allows our body. mind, and spirit to communicate. There are recorded webinars that you can watch at any point in time that can educate and give you more knowledge about the dance therapy field. Along with this, there are also live webinars that you can purchase which allow you to receive a deeper education about how you can use dance therapy in your daily life.

Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy, United Kingdom

The Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy, United Kingdom was one of the first organizations established to regulate the field of dance therapy. ADMP UK accredits therapists and oversees that all regulations are followed. The association actively promotes dance in the UK and other countries, and collaborates with other art therapy organizations. The ADMP UK is providing dance therapy to the community which can be done individually or in group sessions. They use Dance Movement Psychotherapy, which explains how body movement is a key instrument of expression and communication, throughout these sessions. DMP can support trust within the relationships in your life, the potential for you to physically and spiritually grow within yourself, and the discovery of who you truly are.

European Association Dance Movement Therapy

The European Association of Dance Movement Therapy is an umbrella association which represents national professional bodies for Dance Movement Therapy in Europe. It represents members in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain and the UK; with partial members in Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Switzerland, Ukraine and associate members in Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, Portugal, Romania and Sweden. Their mission statement is to work extremely hard to continue the development of dance therapy and the legal recognition of this practice. This association aims to exchange ideas and collaborate with other countries about dance therapy.
NVDAT
The Nederlandse Vereniging voor Danstherapie supports the interests of dance movement therapists based in The Netherlands.

Korean Dance Therapy Association

The Korean Dance Therapy Association was established in 1993 by Dr. Ryu Boon Soon as the first dance therapy association in South Korea. It was modeled after the structure of the ADTA and provides education, credentialing, and professional development opportunities to dance therapists in Korea.

Allied professions

Allied professions are areas that a person could do, special studies, short courses, or eventually become trained in the area of DMT.
American Association of Dance Therapy
ADTA is the main regulator of the required education and training in order to become a dance/movement therapist in the USA. A master's degree is required to become a dance/movement therapist. "Registered Dance/Movement Therapist" is the title given to entry-level dance/movement therapists who have completed requisite education and a minimum 700-hour supervised clinical internship. Those who have completed over 2400 hours of supervised professional clinical work may apply for the advanced credential "Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist.
Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy, United Kingdom
ADMP UK is the main regulator of the required education and training in order to become a dance/movement therapist in the UK. The ADMP is also a member of the European Association Dance Movement Therapy. To become a licensed dance/movement therapist, a Master's Degree in Dance Movement Psychotherapy is required. There are three DMP training programs in the UK – at the Goldsmiths University of London, University of Roehampton in London, and University of Derby.
European Association of Dance Movement Therapy
EADMT is the main regulator of the required education and training in order to become a dance/movement therapist in the EU.  DMT training is taught in private and university settings across the EU in countries that include Austria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Introductory course training in DMT ranges from 10–120 hours. These hours vary based on country. Full university accreditation courses at the bachelor's and postgraduate levels range from 2–4 years.
The EADMT training standard criteria were adopted by the EADMT General Assembly in Barcelona, Spain in 2017. These criteria help DMT programs meet best practice and achieve high quality DMT practitioners across Europe.