Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Utilizing Dance/Movement Therapy For Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Development Of A Method, Jayda Pearson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

While there is limited research on the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This thesis introduces an intervention focused on utilizing (DMT) to assist children with ADHD in self-regulation during periods of dysregulation associated with the disorder. The research is backed by literature reviews covering various topics related to ADHD symptoms such as dysregulation, impulsivity, and attention difficulties. Furthermore, the thesis delves into the background of dance/movement therapy and explores how DMT can be integrated with other modalities such as play therapy for a comprehensive therapeutic approach.

Utilizing Flow Arts Movement As An Expressive Arts Therapy Tool To Treat Trauma: A Literature Review And Autoethnography, Shannon Mcgrail

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This expressive arts-based autoethnography research explores the effectiveness of using flow arts movement as a tool of expressive arts therapy to treat symptoms of trauma for individuals who experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime. While research on the use of flow arts movement to treat mental illness is in its early stage, much can be drawn from the literature on expressive arts therapy and dance/movement therapy research with a range of populations addressing trauma. Through exploration of trauma through neuroscience, mind, body, and integrated mindfulness through flow, this work aims to bring an understanding of using intermodal expressive arts …

To Dance Or Not To Dance? A Dancer's Journey To Becoming A Movement Therapist, Madilyn Erber

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis explores the impact of the word dance on people’s idea of what dance/movement therapy is. Dance/movement therapy was created by dancers who realized that dance had the ability to be therapeutic. In the 1940s in the United States, when dance/movement therapy was established, dance was not what it is today. Dance has expanded and is now seen in competitions, television/movies, and social media, which places a strong emphasis on the validation from others. The author aims to look at this shift in dance and how ideas present within dance do not align with the focus of dance/movement therapy. …

Embodying The Spiral: A Critical Framework For Returning To The Body Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Lilah Van Rens

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Spirals are fundamental to human existence–present in natural geological forms, skeletal and muscular pathways, and developmental patterns. Characteristics of the spiral in relation to the body include: spatiotemporal nonlinearity, the embracing of polarities and dismantling of binaries, grounded curiosity, “contra-lateral connectivity” and multidimensional integration and transformation. Nonlinear and spiralic temporality have been continually embodied, recorded, and practiced transgenerationally in Black, Indigenous, and queer communities as a form of resurgence, resistance, self-expression, building community and being in the world. How can embodying the spiral be a radical resistance to systems of oppression that continually isolate and disconnect people from one another …

Boys Don't Cry: Dance/Movement Therapy As Effective Treatment For Men Who Adhere To Traditional Western Masculinity Ideology, Carter Turrell-Celente

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Traditional Western masculinity ideology, which is adhered to mostly by white men (Levant & Pryor, 2020, p. 12), is the dominant construct of masculinity in the United States that influences expectations of behavior among males (American Psychological Association, 2018; Levant & Richmond, 2016). Men who adhere strictly to traditional Western masculinity ideology may find their lives negatively affected by their behavior related to socialized gender norms. Seeking help for mental health challenges goes against traditional Western masculinity ideology, as does emotional expression, which makes these men especially vulnerable to the negative effects of poor mental health. Dance/movement therapy is an …

Follow My Lead: Partner Dancing As An Intervention For Couples Therapy, Ashmita Biswas

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Couples seek therapy for various reasons, including managing or navigating conflict, aggression, and infidelity, separation or divorce issues, and navigating psychological disorders or medical issues. Differences in communication style can also contribute to conflicts in couples, and much of this communication happens on a subconscious, non-verbal level. There are various components of partner dancing like,. This thesis proposes utilizing the elements of partner dance, such as nonverbal communication through the roles of lead and follow, use of music for synchronicity, spatial proximity, gesture and posture as interventions in dance/movement therapy with couples. Dance/movement therapy can help individuals be more aware …

Embracing Unity: Reconnecting With The Self In Contemporary Culture Through Dance/Movement Therapy Values, Dilara Akpinar

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis explores the interplay between a sense of wholeness, environmental factors, inner conflict and injuries, and the transformative journey towards rediscovering one's sense of Self on a psyche somatic level. This paper delves into the significance of the Self as a central archetype in the human psyche: the totality of one's consciousness, encompassing both the conscious and unconscious aspects of an individual. By recognizing and confronting the unconscious aspects– of inner conflicts, polarities and perceptions– individuals can start to develop a healthier sense of self, based on self-acceptance and self-compassion. The interconnection between movement through dance/movement therapy values and …

Examining State Of Flow And Its Future In Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Rachael A. Cohen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper analyzes State of Flow, the definition codified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and analyzes how Flow as a concept has developed in current psychological and artistic research, alternative therapies, and mainstream medias. This paper also views existing Dance/Movement Therapy frameworks such as Body-Mind Centering and Kestenberg Movement Profile to see how Csikszentmihalyi’s definition could integrate into current Dance/Movement Therapy practice, as well as looks at Laban Movement Analysis and its future in Dance/Movement Therapy. This thesis also examines how gender and neurodivergence may impact how one can experience State of Flow.

Postpartum Depression: Healing Through Archetypes And The Expressive Arts Therapies, Macushla Roulleau

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis is a literature review investigating treating postpartum depression through the expressive arts therapies and feminine archetypes. The expressive arts therapies explored for treatment are dance, music, art, and drama. Meditation, mindfulness, and writing are also included. The importance of expressive arts therapies in treating postpartum depression is of interest now because of the increasing number of mothers who experience postpartum depression who are looking for alternatives to treatment beyond, or complementing, traditional talk therapy and medication. A search for literature on treating postpartum depression with expressive arts therapies and archetypes was conducted on-line using the Lesley University database. …

Enacting Stories: Discovering Parallels Of Narrative And Expressive Therapies, A Literature Review, Zoe Reddig

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review will analyze the use of narrative therapy (NT) techniques, dance/movement therapy (DMT) techniques, and expressive therapy (ET) techniques in an effort to distinguish where theoretical parallels exist between these methods of counsel. Narrative therapy is a postmodern framework of counseling that assists clients in resisting damaging stories that have been embedded through bioecological systems of exposure throughout development. Narrative therapy structures its philosophy through processes of externalization and deconstruction, and encourages the process of reframing or re-authoring one’s personal self-narrative. At their core, DMT and ET already utilize components of foundational NT practices, through processes of enactment, …

Embodied Escapism: Liberation Within Incarceration, Grace Jane Luttrull

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Mass incarceration in the United States disproportionately impacts Black people, poor people, and people with serious mental illnesses. The criminalization of poverty, systemic racism, and deinstitutionalization combine to create a nation in which significantly higher numbers of individuals with serious mental illnesses are receiving treatment in jails and prisons rather than psychiatric hospitals. While mental healthcare in jails and prisons has shown improvement in recent years, limited resources and negative public sentiment continue to restrict the effectiveness of mental healthcare for incarcerated individuals. There is a profound need for embodiment and empowerment in jails and prisons, and dance/movement therapy offers …

“Nope. Don’T Like That.” In Search Of Justice And Commitment To Nonmaleficence In Dance/Movement Therapy, Johnee Border

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) and Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB) have ensured those dance/movement therapists who have been educated, registered, and board-certified share a commitment to equity, justice, and nonmaleficence according to the ADTA and DMTCB’s Code of Ethics and Standards (The Code) (ADTA, 2015). “Nope. Don’t like that,” has been the actual, verbal, expression of the embodied experience of intersectional harm from a lack of assessed, decolonized dance/movement therapy practice and pedagogy. The ADTA, students, educators, and credentialed dance/movement therapists hold an established, ethical responsibility to justice and nonmaleficence, and as such, must demonstrate a commitment to …

Connection, Collaboration, And Care: Using Creative Choreographic Approaches To Promote Adolescent Agency Within Therapeutic Structures, Iris Livia Ridley

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Adolescence is a critical stage of development which is defined by significant psychological, physical, cognitive, and social changes. Considering the complexities of this life stage environmentally and physically, it is the case that many adolescents are vulnerable to experiencing mental health issues and can benefit from therapy, including acute care in an inpatient setting. The adolescent life stage is also characterized by a desire to be independent and take risks, and therefore presents a unique challenge to therapists for a variety of reasons, including mental health stigmas, feelings of mistrust, and the lack of agency associated with being a teenager. …

Honoring The Spirit: A Model For Observing, Witnessing, And Celebrating Spirituality And Religion In Dance/Movement Therapy, Rebekah Brown

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Research has shown that people of color are less likely to seek out therapy for mental health care. Instead, they, specifically members of spiritual Black communities, have relied on turning to leaders in religious communities or spiritual practices. There is a stigma around mental health care amongst Black communities. These stigmas are deeply rooted in the racial disparities in the mental health field and the historical oppression of our spiritual practices or rituals throughout the African diaspora. My intention is to help bridge the gap between religious/spiritual Black communities and mental health care by offering a model for observing, witnessing, …

The Hero's Journey In Dance/Movement Therapy: Answering The Call By Entering Experiences Through The Doorway Of Awe, Rachel Alford

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The hero’s journey tells the story of an ordinary person leaving their known life, setting out on an adventure into the unknown to fulfill a quest, and returning to their known world with some form of gift for their society. This storyline can be traced throughout myths and legends across time and cultures and is still used in current books and films to this day. The hero’s journey can also be traced throughout the course of an average person’s life and can be entered into at any time as the person encounters and overcomes trials to develop self-trust and resiliency …

Movement As Medicine: Dance/Movement Therapy For Individuals With Autism, Parkinson’S Disease, And Cancer, Alessia Zanobini

CMC Senior Theses

Dance/movement therapy (D/MT) is the psychotherapeutic use of expressive, creative movement to support holistic well-being. D/MT views the human being as a single body-mind unit and movement as a manifestation of life experiences. While typically practiced as a mental health intervention, D/MT can be adapted for a variety of populations. This thesis evaluates scientific data for the non-traditional use of D/MT for three conditions: autism, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. For individuals on the autism spectrum, D/MT can strengthen attunement skills, provide creative communication outlets, and relieve harmful physical manifestations of autism. For individuals with Parkinson’s disease, D/MT can simultaneously ease …

Moving Through Loss: The Experience Of Ambiguous Loss With Hospitalized Children, The Development Of A Method, Peyton Edington

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The current method examined the effects of ambiguous loss with medical transplant patients in a pediatric hospital by utilizing a dance/movement therapy intervention. The development of this method was based on ambiguous loss theory with a dance/movement therapy approach. The explored literature identified central themes of ambiguous loss, such as resilience. These themes were connected to the practice of dance/movement therapy, such as embodiment. With this connection, the intervention was developed and implemented with participants. The central themes that emerged from the intervention were change, loss, meaning-making, and hope. One child and two adolescents were participants in this intervention, and …

Epistemic Injustice, Endometriosis And Dance/ Movement Therapy: An Autoethnographic Investigation, Kevana West

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As the field of dance/ movement therapy evolves to meet the demands of a rapidly changing social landscape, it is imperative that clinicians think critically about the degree to which our work is steeped in oppressive frameworks and ideologies. This investigation uses testimony to explore epistemic injustice as it relates to the author’s experience of living with endometriosis and the pursuit of professional licensure. Considering the limited amount of research on the condition, along with the perceived absence of literature within the field of dance/ movement therapy, further study is warranted. The experimentation phase of this research incorporated the use …

Embodied Self-Care: Cultivating Compassion Through The Art Of Surrender, Grace Holden

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Self-care is a vital component to the well-being and professional longevity of dance/movement therapists. Empathy, honored as a gift among highly sensitive therapists, invites exploration into certain vulnerabilities that contribute to the risks of compassion-fatigue and vicarious trauma in therapy professions. A collaborative intersection connecting the origins of self-care, kinesthetic empathy, energy healing and creativity provides therapists with an embodied self-care method. Radical love energy and interpsychic communication awaken nuanced opportunities for regenerative harmony to be experienced in the body, while enlivened states of compassion and surrender offer restorative possibilities. Practicing porous body-boundaries encourages sensory stimuli to pass through the …

Stressed Out And Stressed In: Regulating The Stress Response At An Endocrine Level Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Alicia Randazzo

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis proposes dance/movement therapy as an approach to regulating the stress response from the perspective of the endocrine system. By examining the endocrine system’s role specifically in the human stress response, one can gain clearer understanding of the hormonal components involved in the process of perceiving a stressor, reacting to it, and returning to homeostasis, as well as what happens when that process is interrupted, overworked, or dysfunctional. The impacts of these internal processes can manifest physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and cognitively – making dance/movement therapy well-suited to thoroughly address them. This assertion was made following the investigation of …

If I Can't Dance To It, It Isn't My Revolution: The Intersection Of Feminist Theory & Dance/Movement Therapy, Paige Kliewer-Mcclellan

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Feminism is a social, cultural, and political movement and set of theories which highlight the impact of gender inequality in order to push for equal rights in all spheres. Dance/movement therapy is a method of psychotherapy which utilizes movement rather than verbal language to identify and process emotional material, centering the lived, embodied experience of the client. Both dance/movement therapy as a practice and profession and feminism as a movement and ideology have faced difficulties in being recognized as legitimate, worthwhile areas of focus, and they have also faced similar challenges in embracing diversity and inclusion. The ideological similarities between …

A Taiwanese Perspective: Exploring The Relationship Between Confucian Body Philosophy And Dance/Movement Therapy, Chiu-Yi Chiang

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis explores the correspondence between dance/movement therapy and Confucian body philosophy. It is inspired by the author’s embodied experiences during her study in the field of dance/movement therapy in America while holding the identity as an international student who came from Taiwan. Because of the cultural differences, the author experienced a learning curve in understanding theories that are mostly developed in Western society. Through embodying foreign principles, the author pursues various perspectives in implementing American ideology while having a greater sense of her Taiwanese self. In these embodied experiences, three significant themes arise when paralleling Confucian body philosophy and …

Revelations, In Creation And Choreography: Alvin Ailey’S Application Of Dance/Movement Therapy In Mending Cultural Trauma, Asya Shaw

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Alvin Ailey’s 1960’s ballet suite, Revelations, utilizes elements of dance/movement therapy theory and practice to inspire and encourage empathetic connection and communal togetherness within the performing arts arena. Through depictions of mirroring interventions and the utilization of blood memory as body memory, Alvin Ailey created a movement narrative of the African American experience to communicate the emotional spectrum of human life. In witnessing both sorrow and joy through performance, audiences journey through emotional polarities to find shared empathy and unification toward mending collective pains from systemic oppressions. Expanding beyond barriers of racism and cultural difference, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations communicates, choreographically …

Reconciling The Body And The Spirit: A Dance/Movement Therapy Perspective On The Life Of Jesus, Hosanna Tolman

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis investigates the elements of breath, action, touch, consent, and empathy in dance/movement therapy through the lens of Jesus’ incarnation and life for the purpose of reconnecting the bodily experience to the spirit for Christian dance/movement therapists or those who work with people of faith. For dance/movement therapists who share a Christian faith with their clients, looking to the incarnation of Jesus is helpful and encouraging, as it so closely parallels the therapeutic work they do with the healing work that Jesus did. The relationship between spirit and body and how it can be connected through the Christian faith …

Bharatanatyam, An Effective Psychotherapeutic Intervention In Dance/Movement Therapy, Maanasa Marghashayam Bharath

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Dance/movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic modality that acknowledges the human body as a window to the human mind and spirit. Through creative and dynamic interventions, it fosters a healthy unification of the mind and body to enhance an individual's holistic health. This research focuses on the traditional dance form of India, Bharatanatyam, and its influence on the body and mind of the practitioner. Journeying through the history of the dance form to its relevance in the field of dance/movement therapy, the thesis explores how Bharatanatyam can be useful as an alternate method, in a therapeutic session to facilitate navigation through …

Divorce And Dance/Movement Therapy: Helping School-Aged Children Find A Sense Of Self-Agency, Madeleine Vouros

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The divorce rate currently sits at 50% for families in the United States. Divorce can and will look different for all families. Children are directly impacted by this event externally as their familial structure is shifts and internally on a body-level. This can cause children to have feelings of shame, neglect, self-doubt, fear of abandonment, embarrassment as well as behavioral issues.Many times, these feelings can go unaddressed and can cause new “challenging” behaviors.

Dance/movement therapy is a therapeutic approach that presents tools which are beneficial for school-age children going through divorce. More specifically, using body-based grounding techniques can help school-aged …

My Embodied Bicultural Experience And Dance/Movement Therapy, Anisabel Perez

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Culture is in the everyday. It is embodied in the way people walk, sit, stand, eat, wash, breathe, and otherwise comport their bodies as they go through daily life (Cohen & Leung, 2009). Culture is multifaceted and embedded and embodied within identity. Ignoring emotions and body signals is detrimental to mental and physical health. It is possible for an individual to have a sense of belonging in two cultures without compromising their sense of cultural identity (Kim, 2002). Biculturalism allows culture to be a choice rather than something that requires purging old practices and beliefs from the self for individuals …

Disconnecting From The "Dancer" Identity: Dance/Movement Therapy In Support Of Maintaining The Sense Of Self In Professional Dance, Sandra Ross

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

The culture of the professional dance environment perpetuates an ideal image of the dancer identity. In the pursuit of this ideal, dancers struggle with integrating their own personal identity, creating internal conflict that potentially underlies dance related mental health issues. Dance/movement therapy offers a different therapeutic environment that promotes self-awareness, acceptance, and trust within the body to establish a connection with a deeper sense of self. An examination of the research and documentation of the utilization of dance/movement therapy with dancers suggest it could be beneficial to the issues they face, including maintaining their own sense of identity. This discussion …

Teaching Through Movement, Michaela Laird

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Within the United States, many children struggle in the public school system to meet the demands required of them. Often the underlying issue stems from a lack of focus around the social and emotional needs of the children. The demand of this issue requires work on multiple levels: the individual, collective, and institutional, and can be met through better understanding and application of nonverbal communication. Dance/movement therapy is an approach that can be applied to address these issues in such a manner. Through the application of dance/movement therapy for students and teachers alike, improvement can be made to further promote …

Addressing White Body Supremacy In The Black Body: An Embodied Approach, Alexandra Stewart

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

Oppression, discrimination, and racism are deeply rooted within our country’s institution and are the framework for the ideology, political, social, and economic values that are still upheld today. The enforcement of White body supremacy has caused trauma related mental and bodily distress to develop into anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), and other mental conditions manifested in the body. As oppression is not officially acknowledged as trauma, it significantly complicates the process of healing for Black people. Degruy (2005) calls Black people to action to heal the traumas that have been passed down …