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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

An Intermodal Approach To Identity Formation And Empowerment In The Latina Community, Amanda Bravo

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

For many in the Latinx community, the question of “Who am I?” depends heavily on your skin color, your gender, your hair texture, your accent, and other factors that distinguish you as non-caucasian, rather than on how many languages you speak, how well you can dance, your passion, or how deeply you love. Identity reflections are at the core of self-esteem and empowerment and can take place in a variety of settings, but unfortunately, many of these settings are tailored to the majority group as well as the individual running the exploration, leaving many Latinx individuals left out.This workshop was …

Embodied Creative Arts Therapy Interventions With Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Brian Timothy Harris

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

With the primary purpose to extend therapists’ knowledge base, open dialogue on treatment efficacy, and stimulate creative yet effective interventions, this two-phase qualitative study pursued the guiding research question, How do creative arts therapists use embodied interventions in the treatment of psychological trauma? Phase One of the study was conducted with music therapists who had extensive experience with trauma and reported on their experiences with and awareness of embodied trauma treatment through a broad spectrum of creative modalities. Phase Two was grounded in theories of body awareness and creative arts therapy applications and included therapists specializing in music, dance/movement, art, …

Developing A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach To Qualitatively Analyzing Interview Data, Tomoyo Kawano

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a model for an embodied-artistic approach to analyzing interview data that could contribute to an enhanced narrative account and/or offer an alternate perspective. A new model was formulated by adapting and/or critically applying a combination of previously developed analytical frameworks. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) skills that encompass ways of listening through an embodied, empathic, aesthetic manner; and a movement observation and assessment tool, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) were at the core of this explicatory process. The researcher’s movement preferences were identified in the preparatory phase with a certified movement analyst (CMA) as a …

Examining Multicultural Competency Education In The Creative Arts Therapies, Donna C. Owens

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

In the changing landscape of the United States, the skills and competencies of helping professionals must continue to address the unique needs of its various populations. As a growing field, the creative arts therapies must adopt multicultural values and standards necessary to remain competitive and relevant.

This study addressed the issue of multicultural counseling competency training in the creative arts therapies from three perspectives: the governing association, the training institution, and the student/trainee. Throughout this study the term creative arts therapies includes art, dance/movement, drama, expressive arts, music, poetry, and psychodrama.

Information concerning the associations for each of the seven …

Creative Arts Therapies Students' Professional Development: Mixed Methods Longitudinal Research, Hod Orkibi

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This mixed-methods longitudinal study sought to describe, understand, and explain the professional development (PD) of graduate students during art therapy (AT), dance movement therapy (DMT), and drama therapy (DT) training (N = 51).

Repeated measures of students’ scores in profession-related variables were performed. Quantitative theory testing probed the extent to which students confirm Rønnestad and Skovholt’s (2003) theory of counselors and therapists’ PD as representative of their pre-training and in-training experiences. Qualitative theory derivation generated data-driven concepts to modify and refine the extant theory. Data were collected using My Vocational Situation, Career Commitment Measurement, and questionnaires for each developmental phase. …