Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Developing A Movement-Based Group For High Schoolers With Anxiety During Covid-19, Samantha Harding

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with negative mental health outcomes, including increased rates of anxiety among adolescents. Adolescents with social-emotional disabilities experience additional challenges adapting to disruptions in routine and coping with feelings of anxiety caused by the pandemic. While effective treatments for reducing symptoms of anxiety exist, a large proportion of adolescents with clinical or sub-clinical levels of anxiety lack access to such treatment or do not seek out treatment on their own. Schools are seen as an ideal setting to implement programs that teach adolescents effective coping skills, however, the pandemic has drastically altered school settings and …

The Implementation Of Mindfulness And Dance/Movement Therapy For Women With Postpartum Depression: A Literature Review, Angel Nga Ying Chan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review discusses the impact and effectiveness of using mindfulness-based interventions and a dance/movement therapy approach on mothers with postpartum depression (PPD) to promote their holistic well-being. The experience of giving birth and the transition to motherhood can be rewarding and remarkable, yet challenging and overwhelming. It is widely suggested if a mother who suffers from postpartum depression is left untreated and unattended, the ongoing depression and emotional distress can have negative impacts on their child’s well-being and development. The practice of mindfulness with women with PPD is suggested to be significant in reducing depression and improving psychological well-being …

The Ripple Effect: ‘Training The Trainer’ On The Impact Of Body Image Through A Dance/Movement Therapy Technique, Marina Gearhart

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis describes the capstone project which was a psychoeducation and experiential workshop for fitness trainers. The workshop investigated the impact trainers’ work may have on the body image of their clients through a dance/movement therapy (DMT) technique. The aim was to enhance the trainers’ sensitivity around body image issues of their clients and to create a space for vulnerable movement conversation that may in turn lead to better mental health advocacy for their clients within the scope of ethical practice. The participants of the workshop were six white female identifying trainers ranging from 24 to 35 years of age. …

Storytelling And Performance As Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Taylor Ottley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Inspired by a personal experience, this thesis discusses the use of storytelling and performance as dance/movement therapy. I answer these research questions: What practices, if any, exist in the field of DMT? What is the full spectrum of benefits for dancers and witnesses? What populations are best suited for this work? Non-DMT resources were chosen for their therapeutic value and adaptability to DMT contexts. I categorize the literature by these themes: “Making the Invisible Visible: Stories of Mental Illness”; “Processing Tragedy”; “Storytelling and Performance with a Social Justice Aim”; “Exploring Individuality”; “Crafted by Intuition: DMT’s Authentic Movement”; and “Physical Storytelling.” …

Starting At The Root: Dance/Movement Therapy Implications For Early Childhood Anti-Bias Education, Ashlyn O'Dowd

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores implications for dance/movement therapy as a tool for early childhood anti-bias education. Bias and prejudice are consistently consumed by children in American society. The presence of racial prejudice and cisnormativity in children’s everyday environments distort understandings of race and gender, and guide the development of conscious and unconscious bias in early childhood. Dance/movement therapy, specializing in body-based practice and non-verbal communication, provides a unique approach to anti-bias work through somatic methods. With a focus on race and gender, this literature review discusses bias in children, bias communicated through the body and behavior, early childhood anti-bias education, and …

In And Through The Body: The Benefits Of Dance/Movement Therapy On The Mental Health Of Lgbtqia+ Adults; A Literature Review, Maria Napoli

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The benefits of dance/movement therapy on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ adults is a topic that is widely underexplored. It is one that is of utmost importance due to the body-based nature of LGBTQIA+ experiences. This literature review will further elaborate on the complexities of LGBTQIA+ identities and the incredible impacts that dance/movement therapy has on a body-level. Throughout the research, it was discovered and emphasized that movement as a healing practice can bring a sense of comfort and allow for expression for those a part of this marginalized community. Diving deep into the understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and …

A Review Of Integrated Embodied Therapies And Racial Healing In Public Schools, Grace Fosler

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Anti-Black racism lies in the social, political, and economic foundations of the United States of America. Race and racism are manifestations of unhealed generational trauma that negatively impact the minds and bodies of all Americans. Black children are exposed to institutional and interpersonal racism upon entering the public school system, leading many Black students to experience discrimination and segregation, exclusionary discipline, and juvenile entry into the Prison-Industrial Complex. Educators have a unique opportunity to engage in individual and collective racial healing while fostering social change and collective healing in students. An integrated approach of individualized coaching and group embodiment, dance/movement …

Trauma Effects, Empathy, And Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Jenna Soldati

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Trauma exists at many levels, affecting people in various ways biologically and emotionally. Trauma and adverse experiences have been researched, suggesting effects on the whole individual including their psychological, physical, and social wellness (Cristobal, 2018; Greenberg, Baron-Cohen, Rosenberg, Fonagy, & Rentfrow, 2018; Levy, Goldstein, & Feldman, 2019; Olofsson, Iddli, Hoffart, Eielsen, & Vrabel, 2020). Similarly, empathy and empathic behaviors exist on a varying scale as well. Investigating the effects of trauma on empathy, themes of resilience emerge in survivors of trauma and provide insight into alternative healing modalities. Dance/movement therapy and other mindfulness-based treatments provide a method of trauma-informed care …

Moving Parts: The Integration Of Dance/Movement Therapy And Internal Family Systems, An Evolving Method, Juliana Willey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses the integration of dance/movement therapy and internal family systems. I proposed the integration of these two frameworks as a way to foster individuals’ ability to develop a more solidified sense of self, purpose, and agency in their lives by using the information from the body to identify parts that may be hindering their full wellness. I implemented a three-part structure that included an internal family systems meditation, artistic processing, and movement at a day treatment program for four weeks with a group of five Caucasian women between the ages of 53 and 67. This work has taught …

Creating A Movement Group In The 2-Dimensional World: Using Dance/Movement Therapy Interventions To Build Connections For Children, Naomi E. Muhs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The world experienced many changes after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, including counseling sessions transitioning to being delivered through the service of distance counseling. As a growing field, dance/movement therapy must explore distance counseling services to expand and have relevancy within the demands of current society. This project addressed the gap in the research on the integrating of distance counseling services and dance/movement therapy while presenting an interactive remote method for facilitating a group therapy session with a dance/movement therapy approach. Every piece of literature that was researched helped in creating the interventions that were implemented with the clients. The following …

Connecting Mind, Body, And Earth Through Authentic Movement With Nature As Mover And Witness: A Community Engagement Project, Helen Berger

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Ecopsychologists emphasize that humanity cannot be healed separately from nature. Research in this budding field indicates that communing with the natural world has a mutually positive effect on both the human psyche and the environment. This thesis explores the intersection between dance/movement therapy practices, which address the mind/body connection, and the tenets of ecopsychology, which address the connection between humanity and earth, to develop an ecosomatic community workshop that integrates the mind/body/earth connection. The practice of Authentic Movement, in which a mover and witness engage in a movement dialogue, was adapted to re-animate the natural world by including more-than-human beings …

Dmt And Dissociation: Opening The Window Of Tolerance To Embodiment; Development Of A Method, Erin Wilmanns

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dissociative symptoms show in many different types of diagnoses, and dance/movement therapists have the skill set to introduce embodiment as a distress tolerance and regulatory skill. The current literature regarding effective dance/movement therapy as a tool for working with dissociative symptoms does not include the intersection of those that hold a queer identity. Inclusion of dissociative symptoms with trans* (any person who is not cisgender) identity allows for empowerment of recovery. The discussed development of a method is designed to contribute to the strengths and limitations dance/movement therapy holds in relation to dissociative symptoms, specifically working within the window of …

The Weight Of Trauma: Exploring A New Method In Dance/Movement Therapy For Trauma Processing With Adolescents, Xavia Hawkins

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This author developed a movement-based trauma informed method that implemented symbolic play with sandbag weights with light and dark colored scarves, with adolescents at the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, MA. This thesis was developed to observe how adolescents prioritize the magnitude of their trauma experiences to serve as additional insight towards treatment planning. Over a four-week process, participants created artistic responses to the trauma they identified most prevalent and engaged in symbolic play with different mediums in order to ultimately choose which prop felt most representative to how they viewed their trauma. This movement-based study supports …

The Effects Of Dance/Movement Therapy On Treatment And Medication Compliance For Individuals Diagnosed With Schizophrenia: A Literature Review, Natalie Jacobs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

With a high prevalence of non-medication compliance in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and a wide range of side effects from administered antipsychotics, it is imperative that the field of dance/movement therapy advocates for the implementation of dance/movement therapy in the treatment for this population. This literature review addressed the gap in dance/movement therapy research on the use of dance/movement therapy to reduce antipsychotic medication side effects and increase medication compliance. The multiple challenges faced by individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia were explored such as, stigmatization, the wide range of possible symptoms, poor insight, and movement dysfunctions. Side effects affecting cognitive, behavioral, …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Reintegration Tool Within Dissociative Identity Disorder Diagnosis, Laura Goff

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a widely misunderstood and underrepresented diagnosis. DID is most commonly thought to be a trauma response, but lacks thorough research regarding the best means of treatment. This paper seeks to explore the literature in order to identify the possible benefits of using dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a primary form of treatment for those with DID. Because of the limited number of available resources on the topic, this thesis’s primary source of information is literature surrounding the topic of trauma, trauma responses, and the use of DMT in the treatment of trauma. The reviewed literature outlines …

The Weight Of Trauma: Exploring A New Method In Dance/Movement Therapy For Trauma Processing With Adolescents, Xavia Hawkins

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This author developed a movement-based trauma informed method that implemented symbolic play with sandbag weights with light and dark colored scarves, with adolescents at the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, MA. This thesis was developed to observe how adolescents prioritize the magnitude of their trauma experiences to serve as additional insight towards treatment planning. Over a four-week process, participants created artistic responses to the trauma they identified most prevalent and engaged in symbolic play with different mediums in order to ultimately choose which prop felt most representative to how they viewed their trauma. This movement-based study supports …

Beyond Pathology: A Critical Review Of The Literature On Black Female Sexuality, Twerk, And Dmt, Patricka James

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis uses a dance/movement therapy investigative and critical lens to examine the controversial twerking phenomenon. This literature review investigates twerk’s historical, embodied, and hyperlocal cultural settings as it relates to the stigmatized sexuality of U.S. Black women, the history and effects of oversexualizing Black female sexuality that influences twerk’s negative review, the dance/movement therapy field’s cultural movement bias, and dance/movement therapy's potential as a therapeutic intervention for Black women. Racial and sexual socialization of Black female sexuality is found to be attributed to twerk’s negative review and its existence as an embodied form of resistance and liberation. In examining …

How The Expressive Therapies Continuum Informs Intermodal Transfers, Erin M.L. Little

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy (ExAT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement into the counseling environment. An essential element in ExAT practice is the intermodal transfer, an intentional shift between arts modalities to enhance clients’ understanding and realization. Currently, no theoretical guidelines for intermodal transfers exist in the field of ExAT. In search of a theoretical structure, the author of this Capstone Thesis proposed that the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) informed intermodal transfers. Predominantly presented as an art therapy approach, the ETC originally intended to include all expressive therapies. Yet, there is minimal recent literature that …

Fostering Attachment In Romantic Relationships Through Creative Art Therapies, Mary Hachey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Attachment theory examines the infant/caregiver’s relationship by the attachment style they develop in the first years of life. Over time, these same attachment styles affect adult romantic relationships. Bowlby defines four infant/children attachment styles as securely attached, anxious-ambivalent-insecurely attached, avoidant-insecurely attached, and disorganized-disoriented-insecurely attached. These four styles transferred into three main types for adults: secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant. A couple’s relationship can become affected by personal values, behaviors, environmental situations, attachment styles, and beyond. This literature review discusses how couples behave, relate, and interact with one another based on their attachment styles and it also gives critical details on how …

Mind-Body Trauma And Interoception: Reintegrating Into The Body Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Elisha Lloyd

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review will provide an argument for the integration of dance/movement therapy (DMT) into neuropsychological spaces for the treatment of trauma, dysregulation, and mental health challenges. Reflecting on the United States of America’s dualistic foundation of body and mind in both medical and psychological spaces, I will build an understanding of the nervous system’s bidirectionality and its implications. Neurobiological research has shown that we can gain as much understanding of ourselves from our bodies as we can from our brains; they are interconnected. The theories provided will show that the path to trauma resolution and healing must incorporate a …

Connecting The Dots: Positive Effect Of Dance Movement Therapy With Immigrant Children; A Literature Review, Kyeyoung Park

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Growing data recommends dance/movement therapy as a promising approach for documented immigrant children’s mental health. I was a documented immigrant when I was 12 years old, and dance as therapy supported me emotionally and behaviorally. This paper mainly focuses on documented immigrant children with dance/movement therapy. This paper touches on various categories of refugees and undocumented immigrants, though insights into the lives of undocumented immigrants was also added to better understand the challenges they experience in general, including mental health issues. Immigrant children face challenges in every aspect of their life, such as adjusting in their new country, peer relationships, …

Helpers In Divided Times: The Psychological Experience Of Care Providers In The Ongoing Social Movement In Hong Kong, A Community Engagement Project, Sofia Lee

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This community engagement project highlights the psychological experience of care providers from Hong Kong in the ongoing social movement. While the largest-scale Hong Kong social movement since June 2019 has led to an unprecedented mental health crisis, little is known about the psychological narratives of its affected communities, including care providers. The literature review first introduces the historical context of Hong Kong, as well as the relationship between social movements and internal experiences using the Movement Cycle framework. It then discusses the concept of political trauma, challenges for care providers, and the importance of an embodied approach in community-based work. …

Dance/Movement Therapy: A Treatment Option For Postpartum Depression, Olivia Mandracchia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnancy and motherhood are associated with many expectations, guidelines and stressors. To some, these factors have no impact while to others these factors can contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression. When discussing pregnancy, one may already have a history of depression while others may start to experience symptoms during their pregnancy journey. Unfortunately, many of these women will experience these symptoms (shortly) after delivery as well. These women will be diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Using these ideas, this literature review explores and addresses how Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) can be beneficial to those who suffer from depression. Unfortunately, there …