Dance Movement Therapy Commons^™

Body Based Meditative And Mindfulness Practices For Veterans With Combat Related Ptsd, Jessica Steurer

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review investigates and examines how body based meditative and mindfulness practices can be an effective treatment method for Veterans with symptoms of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Yoga Therapy and other Expressive Therapy modalities (Art, Music) have developed evidenced-based practices and supporting research for this treatment area. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has shown effectiveness when treating conditions Veterans often present with such as combat-related PTSD, Substance Abuse, Anxiety, and Stress. DMT is a modality that focuses on the integration of the mind and body. Veterans benefit from body-based practices because they help to focus on the present moment while …

How Can The Attunement Needs Of Children With Disorganized Attachment Styles Be Supported Through Expressive Arts Therapy?, Jayne Paley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Treatment strategies for school age children with disorganized attachment are not well established. This population exhibits a range of difficulties in social relationships and self-regulation. Additionally, children with disorganized attachment generally rely on defense mechanisms and present with other comorbid conditions, adding to the complexity of treatment. This paper explores current research and theories about disorganized attachment and then, on the basis of evidence provided throughout this paper, proposes the concept of attunement needs in relation to working with children with disorganized attachment. The attunement needs described in this paper, derived from the literature, include safety/security, control/power, consistency, affective release, …

Patterns Of Stigma: Dance Therapy As An Intervention Method For People Living With Hiv, Elizabeth Jezorski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper will explore the impact that dance movement therapy (DMT) has for people living with HIV. DMT is an evidence-based modality that engages the body in the therapeutic process for individuals and groups in various settings. DMT has been shown to increase social connectedness, empathy and body awareness in many populations; however, there is a lack of research using DMT as an intervention for people with concealable stigma. Concealable stigma is an experience of oppression that can often be hidden or concealed. To explore this, four DMT sessions were implemented with people living with HIV. These sessions were analyzed …

Dance Movement Therapy With Adolescents In A Partial Hospital Program: A Method For Engagement, Claude Michelle Aubourg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Therapeutic engagement during adolescence can be a major challenge in adolescent mental health. Research has indicated therapeutic techniques designed for engaging clients are often ineffective for adolescents because adolescents bring distinctive qualities to the therapy process that differentiate them from other therapy populations. There is also limited research showing effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) with the adolescent population. This capstone will present an adaptable method utilizing dance/movement therapy interventions with participants ages 12-17 in a Partial Hospital Program. The objective of this project was to examine how DMT can improve engagement in treatment with adolescents in a partial hospital program …

Self-Applied Touch To Promote Self-Regulation In Adolescent Males With Problem Sexual Behaviors: Development Of A Method, Nicole Krzeminski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescents who have experienced problematic attachment relationships in infancy often have difficulty with self-regulation and therefore may cope using destructive means such as harmful sexual behavior. Self-regulation is the ability to calm the mind and body and manage emotions appropriately. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) may be a beneficial treatment tool for adolescents with problem sexual behaviors (PSB) to teach self-regulation techniques that may have not been developed due to early traumatic experiences. Self-applied touch is a DMT intervention that may assist individuals with self-regulation that was missed during critical developmental periods. This Capstone project implemented a self-applied touch warm-up with six …

Imagination Station: Activating Creativity In Children With Disabilities, Allison Dukes

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Play is a major topic of conversation when discussing childhood development is associated with creativity and imagination. Although there has been some research involving the creative process amongst children, little has been explored in regards to expressive arts as a technique to further current studies on play. This paper presents a combined method of intermodal expressive arts therapies and play therapy techniques to aid in the fostering of creativity within children with disabilities by utilized the theoretical framework provided by the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC). A current review of literature on the ETC, cognitive functions, and expressive arts modalities is …

Distinguishing Between Empathy And Enabling: Dance/Movement Therapy For Family Members Of People With Addiction, Kellyn L. Uhl

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This theoretical inquiry investigates the experiences and needs of family members of people with addiction; a group which is rapidly growing in the United States, and one that has been largely neglected by health service providers and medical professionals. With more than 22 million Americans currently addicted to drugs and alcohol (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017), and 365 drug-related deaths occurring each day (Sheff, 2013), the scope of family member grief and suffering is immeasurable. Evidence-based research reveals that family members lose touch with their own basic needs and experience high rates of psychological and physical health …

Witnessing Another, Witnessing Oneself, Kyra Hess

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Witnessing is a crucial, defining mechanism of dance/movement therapy that demands physical awareness, emotional recognition, and verbalization with humble honesty. Although witnessing has the potential to arise in nearly all encounters, as dance/movement therapists work directly with multifaceted and complex individuals, there has been a lack of delineating the various elements required to accomplish this task. This thesis is an attempt to begin outlining of the process and elements of witnessing. Beginning with the history of witnessing and its unique features within the field of dance/movement therapy, the author provides the essential qualities to consider in order to witness another …

Smadditisation: Dancehall In Dance/Movement Therapy To Address The Loss Of Cultural Identity Within The Jamaica Diaspora, Allison Johnson

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This is a theoretical based study that focuses on members of the Jamaican diaspora in the United States. Jamaican immigrants, or members of the diaspora, comprise the largest Caribbean immigrant group in the United States. These individuals have encountered a race stratified culture that is vastly different from their native culture. The culture within the United States also encourages individualism which is counter to the community-based values of the Jamaican culture. Encountering a new culture can be difficult and being assigned a new way of identifying can be stressful. This stress can manifest as depression, anxiety or feelings of isolation …

More Than A Witness: How Dance/Movement Therapy Uses The Body For Processing Exposure To Interparental Violence, Kristen Taylor Reyes

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Children are often overlooked when violence between two parents occurs. As a result, they grow up with the potential to become adults who repeat their parents’ violent actions or become victims of violence. This theory based study aims to highlight the often secretive nature of domestic violence between parental figures, heighten awareness of the effects of child exposure to the violence, reveal how those effects manifest in them as adults, and educate readers about the power of the body during traumatizing events. Through this study, a modality is offered for processing those traumatic experiences using the body through movement. That …

Bridging The Gap: Using The Body As A Conduit Within Dance/Movement Therapy To Enhance Holistic And Integrative Development In Early Childhood, Jennifer R. Moskowitz

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper presents development and learning in early childhood as a fully integrated and embodied experience, which is available for use in dance/movement therapy to help pre-school aged children bridge the gap between non-verbal expression and verbal communication. Cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of intelligence begin to accumulate in infancy by physically interacting with the environment. These interactions are enacted and refined through developmental patterns of movement and expression that have been laid out in the frameworks of the Kestenberg Movement Profile, Body-Mind Centering, Laban Movement Analysis, and Bartenieff Fundamentals. The wealth of knowledge, which is accumulated through bodily sensations …

Using Dance/Movement Therapy And Laban Movement Analysis To Build A Better Model Of Rehabilitation For Chronic Pain, Victoria Hughes

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper aims to explore the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain, the current treatments for chronic pain, and the use of Dance/Movement Therapy with Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals to build a better rehabilitation model that integrates the treatment of both the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain for long-term treatment. Currently, chronic pain is medically managed by separating the physical and psychological symptoms, creating an oversimplified and fragmented treatment process. Many medical and alternative treatments are reliant on pharmaceuticals and do not integrate the treatment of physical and psychological symptoms, rendering the current chronic pain …

Using Dance/Movement Therapy To Improve Mental Health Of Modern Chinese People, Si Wang

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This article introduces dance/movement therapy as a unique psychotherapeutic modality in treating Chinese clients facing depression, isolation, and other mental health issues in the 21st century. The article shows how dance/movement therapy can help Chinese clients reduce psychological difficulties produced by the conflict of needing to individuate in a modern society but not having enough social and cultural support for this individuation. It also discusses how Kestenberg Movement Profile and its developmental movement concepts can support Chinese clients to reintegrate developmental rhythms that help with individuation. Lastly, the article gives examples of how group therapy can help Chinese clients overcome …

Dancing, Mindfulness, And Our Emotions: Embracing The Mind, Body, And Sole, Alisha M. Collins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines dance, as an intervention and mindfulness practice that assists with managing our emotions. There is a need for dance therapy in social institutions such as, healthcare facilities, schools, and community centers. Dance therapy has the potential to reduce negative emotions, create mindfulness, improve self-expression, and promote a healthy well-being. I am proposing that dance therapy is applied as a regular practice in social institutions to develop mindfulness and promote emotional stability.

In this study, I argue that dance therapy can contribute to our well-being long term. In addition to this written thesis, a visual component of …

Creating Safety: Dance/Movement Therapy With Refugees, Jessica Lee Arroyo

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis is a research based study that focuses on the use of dance/movement therapy in creating the experience of safety for refugees. With 65.6 million displaced people worldwide, and 22.5 million being refugees, the need for safety is ever growing. Beginning with a brief de-scription of the policies and process refugees must go through when entering the United States, this thesis aims to scratch the surface in describing the difficulties refugees experience. Much of the trauma they have endured has affected their bodies, and especially their integration of self. Dance/Movement therapy, which focuses on the body and movement, can …

Healing Through Attunement: Adolescent Eating Disorders And Family Dance/Movement Therapy, Grace Rezendes

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis addresses the patterns of communication and boundaries within the families of adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders. Using aspects of Attunement, the Kestenberg Movement Profile, and Laban Movement Analysis, dance/movement therapy (DMT) can support the family using a body-based and primarily non-verbal method of treatment. Clinical application of the material is discussed.

Empowering Young African-American Males Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Ashanti Woods

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This paper provides a brief overview of the history of African-American males in the United States, and how they have been degraded since the founding of this country. Due to the continuation of them being victimized by multiple stereotypes that are inaccurate, it makes it hard for this population to face issues within their environment. Implementing Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) in the school curriculum for African-American males between the ages of thirteen to eighteen to help cope earlier in life with their reality will be examined. Research has been done on Rap/Hip Hop therapy with this population which addresses the current …

Expressive Arts Group Therapy With Children And Adolescents Who Have Experienced Trauma, Shade Alfred

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Experiencing traumatic situations is an inevitable part of life that many have struggled to understand and have difficulty working through its effects. This results in persons seeking therapy to better cope and heal from the impact of the traumatic experience. Children and adolescents who are considered vulnerable require more assistance to help them when they have encountered a traumatic experience. Research has highlighted that Expressive Arts Therapies is a favorable treatment option used with traumatized children and adolescents. Hence, this paper reflects research that has been conducted on group expressive arts therapy with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Rhythmic Movements And Feeling States, Melanie Johnson

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study was conducted to test the validity of a theoretical framework in developmental psychology of body movement analysis, the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP). Motor patterns associated with needs and foundations for affect expression, the tension flow rhythms (TFRs), were examined. Recent research examined the validity of the TFRs in nonclinical adults and found preliminary support for some of the KMP’s assumptions associating smooth (indulging) rhythms with indulgent affects and sharp (fighting) movements with assertive or aggressive affects. This study aimed to test the TFRs associated with the first two years of development—the sucking, biting, twisting, and strain/release rhythms. The …