Dance Movement Therapy Commons^™

Thoughts From The Pit: Can Raving Change The World? A Literature Review Exploring Rave Culture As Expressive Arts Healing, Marissa Rose Renella

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examines the structural and philosophical commonalities between expressive arts therapy (EXA) and rave culture. Drawing on scholarship from anthropology, cultural studies, health sciences, transpersonal psychology, neuroscience, and expressive arts therapy, this review identifies five core principles shared between the two fields: transformational experiences, multimodality, entrainment and flow, containment and ritual, and community and social action values. Across each principle, the literature reveals not surface-level similarity but deep convergence — two fields that have, independently and through different lineages, arrived at the same understanding of what human beings need in order to heal, grow, and connect. To the …

Opening Space For Joy: Play As A Pathway In Dance/Movement Therapy With Adults In Addiction Recovery, Brittany M. Walsh

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examines the cultivation of joy through play in dance/movement therapy (DMT) for adults in addiction treatment. Substance use disorders (SUDs) and addictive behaviors are complex, multifaceted conditions influenced by biological, psychological, social, and systemic factors; however, treatment approaches often prioritize symptom reduction and traditional talk-based models. Although necessary, these approaches often fail to honor the whole person, and can inadvertently reinforce shame, stigma, isolation, and dehumanization. Drawing on trauma-informed, neurobiological, relational, and decolonizing frameworks, this review positions joy as a fundamental aspect of human experience and an affirmation of dignity. Playful processes in DMT have the potential …

From Worry To Invention: Developing The Lunch Bunch As A Multimodal Expressive Arts Model For Regulation, Collaboration, And Peer Connection In Elementary Schools, Pascale Lauren Mimran-Ugbabe

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis documents the development of the Multimodal Expressive Arts Lunch Bunch, a small group intervention for elementary students delivered during the school lunch period at a public elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. Grounded in multimodal expressive arts therapy, intermodal transfer theory, polyvagal-informed co-regulation, and principles of externalization, the intervention was designed as a low-barrier creative support group accessible regardless of diagnosis, referral status, or family pursuit of clinical services. Two cohorts of teacher-nominated students, one group of fourth-grade girls and one mixed-gender third-grade group, participated in a sequenced arc moving from worry externalization through collaborative invention, prototype construction, and …

Influence Of The Discipline Of Authentic Movement Practice On Interpersonal Relationships, Joy Ruben Welts

Educational Studies Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored how practicing the Discipline of Authentic Movement impacts relationships. This research was conducted to fill in the gaps around attunement and use of the Discipline of Authentic Movement as an intervention to support healthy relationships. Five self-selected adults met on Saturday afternoons for eight weeks to practice the Discipline of Authentic Movement. They completed a pre and post Revised Adult Attachment Scale and reflected weekly on their experience through journaling. Participants reported that it was the structure of the Discipline of Authentic Movement that allowed them to feel more comfortable being themselves with others. The …

Dropping Into The Expressive Art Therapy: A Community Engagement Arts Based Project, Sydney C. Smith, Meg Chang

Expressive Therapies Theses

This community engagement capstone explores how expressive arts practices (EXAP) may complement surf-based programming by supporting reflection, empathy, and meaning-making among participants. Research has demonstrated that surf therapy can promote emotional well-being, resilience, and social connection through embodied engagement with the ocean and supportive community environments. Integrating expressive arts practices within surf-based programs may extend these benefits by providing opportunities for reflection, creative expression, and interpersonal exchange. Grounded in expressive arts therapy (EXAT) theory and arts-based research (ABR) paradigms, this project examines how creative expression can support relational and emotional experiences within surf therapy settings. Using an arts-informed community engagement …

Mindfulness-Based Therapy For The Treatment Of Anxiety In Adolescents, Alicia Lemaster

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Abstract

Adolescent anxiety disorders represent a significant and growing public health concern, with increasing prevalence and associated functional impairment. Traditional treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacologic interventions, are effective but often limited by barriers such as access, stigma, and adherence. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as a promising alternative or adjunctive approach to address anxiety symptoms in adolescents. The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the effectiveness of structured mindfulness-based therapy programs in reducing anxiety symptoms among adolescents compared to usual care. A systematic literature search was conducted using databases including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, focusing …

Groove ‘N’ Grow: Promoting Social Participation Through Dance And Movement, Juliana N. Ward, Karen Park

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Groove ‘n’ Grow is a structured pediatric occupational therapy group program designed to improve social participation, engagement, and sensory regulation in children with developmental and sensory processing differences through dance and movement-based activities. The program was developed as part of an occupational therapy doctoral capstone project and implemented within a pediatric outpatient therapy clinic. The purpose of the program is to provide children with developmental and sensory processing differences opportunities to practice peer engagement, cooperative participation, emotional regulation, and emotional awareness in a supportive small-group environment.