Dance Movement Therapy Commons^™

Who Cares For The Caregivers? How Dance And Movement Can Benefit Caregiving Parents Of Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review, Haley E. Gilbert

Expressive Therapies Theses

Caregiver parents of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are not able to care for themselves as often as they should be able to for their own mental and physical wellness due to their caregiving responsibilities that often carry into adulthood. These can lead to anxiety, depression, grief, and dysregulation for the parent. Dance and movement practices have been found to relieve the symptoms of these experiences while helping the child with IDD and the parent connect more, building stronger relationships. This thesis will include a comprehensive literature review of body-based theories such as the Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute, 2025), Bowlby’s …

Towards Wide Implementation Of Dance Therapy In Mental Health, Pin-Wen Chou

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has been increasingly mentioned in the field of mental health counseling. Despite the progress of DMT in terms of studies showing its efficiency for various forms of mental health conditions such as depression and trauma, the implementation of DMT amongst mental health therapists is still not as widespread as other forms of therapies such as verbal and art therapies. In this project, we aim to determine the underlying causes of its low implementation by surveying a set of populations, specifically mental health patients, mental health therapists that do not specialize in dance/movement therapy, …

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 …

Dancing Through Life: Dance As Physical Therapy To Prevent Falls, Salon Gegel

Honors Projects

The basis of this project was to create a series of dance-based exercise activities to be used as part of an exercise class for elderly people who are classified as fall risks. The idea was to approach exercise through a medium that was convenient and versatile for the class leader, while being comfortable and fun for participants. The activities were developed and presented over the course of the six-week P.L.A.C.E. Program, held at the Montessori School of Bowling Green. Participants met four times to take part in a guided exercise class, and enjoy other activities. At these sessions, participants were …

Friendship And Dance/Movement Therapy With Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Elise Moore

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research study was to understand the role and impact of dance/movement therapy on friendships between adults with developmental disabilities. The primary question this study answered was: how does dance/movement therapy contribute to the formation and maintenance of friendships between adults with developmental disabilities? This study followed the single instrumental qualitative case study methodology and involved adult participants with developmental disabilities who were part of a day services program. The data were collected in the form of a research journal documenting signs of friendship during the sessions and interviews with group participants. The data were analyzed using …

Dance, Movement, And Performance With Israeli And Palestinian Children Living In War Conflict, Maria Ninos

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research was to unite Palestinian and Israeli children who are living in war conflict through movement. This research took place at a kibbutz in Israel, where I worked with an interfaith peace education organization whose mission was to motivate understanding, tolerance, and respect among Israeli and Palestinian children. Using a methodology rooted in performance ethnography, I studied the culture of 11 children in the camp as they engaged in four movement sessions. The focus of each session was to enhance their social and team building skills. Using the experience from the sessions, I facilitated the development …

Maintaining Stability In The Face Of Adversity: Self-Care Practices Of Human Trafficking Survivor-Traniners In India, Ashley Fargnoli

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

What are the lived experiences of self-care for human trafficking survivors in Kolkata, India who are working with other survivors? Within the human rights organization, Kolkata Sanved, survivors of human trafficking are implementing dance/movement therapy (DMT) based techniques to empower other survivors. These survivor-trainers are currently fulfilling the dual role of survivor and provider. Six women between the ages of 22 and 28 participated in this transcendental phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were the primary mode of data collection. Artistic methods were also included to engage participants in movement to further reflect on their experiences of self-care. To analyze the interviews, …

Exploring Empathy: A Dance/Movement Therapy Program For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Krista Samborsky

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this program development project was to assess how Rena Kornblum’s (2002) activities from Disarming the Playground: Violence prevention through movement and pro-social skills could be adapted for adults with developmental disabilities (DD), resulting in a Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) treatment program focusing on empathy. The project set out to answer the following question: How can Rena Kornblum’s activities from Disarming the Playground be adapted for adults with DD, resulting in the development of a DMT treatment program? The program development cycle created by Rossman and Elwood Schlatter (2008) with formative evaluation was used in the development of Exploring …

Creating Family: A Phenomenological Needs-Assessment Of Adoptive Parents For Implications In Dance/Movement Therapy, Eva C. Glaser

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify adoptive parents’ predominant, post-adoption needs through a phenomenological needs-assessment. While the initial lens of attachment theory was utilized, the phenomenological methodology allowed for a variety of needs and experiences to emerge. The results served as a basis for exploring how dance/movement therapy (DMT) may effectively play a role in adoption services. The participants of the study included five adoptive parents and two adoption counselors. The data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed using Anderson’s intuitive inquiry, including a resonance panel of individuals who had experience with adoption, personally or professionally. …

Religious Multicultural Competence Amongst Dance/Movement Therapists, Jaclyn Abramson

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand how dance/movement therapists, with BC-DMT or R-DMT credentials, acquire, foster, and perceive their own religious multicultural competence. The research question was how do dance/movement therapists develop religious multicultural competence? Through the methodology of a qualitative case study and the data collection method of a focus group, I examined the selfperception of each participant’s own religious multicultural competence. After I transcribed and analyzed the data, I uncovered several themes, highlighted in the Results section. Once the analysis was complete, I utilized the data analysis method of intuitive inquiry. Findings included a) a definition …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Dance/Movement Therapy Appraoches To Eating Disorders, Apryl Marie Grasty

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This thesis is an annotated bibliography of dance/movement therapy approaches to eating disorders. The leading question of this research was: What information exists on dance/movement therapy approaches to eating disorders? Through data collection of articles, book chapters, online interviews, and the suggestions of therapists in the field, a total of twenty-six sources were annotated in this bibliography. The bibliography is organized by the author’s last name and each citation provides the author’s qualifications, analysis of content, and assessment of strengths and weaknesses. During the research process, the writer discovered that the selection of sources, such as master’s theses, were not …

Unfolding Self-Esteem Adolescent Girls' Self-Esteem And The Dance/Movement Therapy Intervention Of Improvisation And Planned Movement Formation: A Pilot Study, Mallory Ingram

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this mixed methods single-subject case study pilot was to examine the impact that the dance/movement therapy intervention of improvisation and planned movement formation, created by dance/movement therapy pioneer Trudi Schoop, (Levy, 2005) can have on self-esteem. The research question was: How is adolescent girls’ self-esteem affected by the dance/movement therapy intervention of improvisation and planned movement formation? The hypothesis stated: If the dance/movement therapy intervention of improvisation and planned movement formation is utilized in dance/movement therapy sessions, then adolescent girls’ selfesteem will increase. The study occurred at a private high school with four participants for six sessions. …

The Lived Experience Of Vicarious Trauma For Providers: A Narrative Phenomenoleogical Study, Ambryn D. Melius

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This research seeks to gain a greater understanding of the first-hand, lived experience of vicarious trauma for providers who have worked with individuals experiencing trauma. Through the application of phenomenological and participatory action methodologies, the experience of vicarious trauma is illuminated. Narrative exchanges between the co-researchers–the author and eleven providers–further explore the roles of the body and narrative process within this phenomenon. A conceptual evolution of vicarious trauma is presented, along with literature connecting the body and narrative within the trauma field. Data includes co-researcher’s recorded and transcribed interviews, vicarious trauma narratives, and written feedback. Embodied writing selections conducted by …

Counselor Identity Development: A Heuristic Look Into The Past, Present, And Future Role Identities, Jaquel Stokes

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore and gain further insight into personal and professional roles. Through personal self-reflection, this researcher sought to better understand how her religious/spiritual and teacher roles influenced her professional identity as an emerging dance/movement therapist and counselor. This research study utilized and completed two full cycles of the heuristic methodology by engaging in two stages of data collection and data analyses, and therefore produced two creative syntheses through expressive movement. Nine co-researchers assisted during the investigation of personal and professional role identities. After analyzing and synthesizing the data as a whole, a movement piece …

A Journey Through The Embodiment Of Aggression, Anson Relick

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research study was to understand what I could learn from my body as I experienced movements based on the observation of children’s aggression. There were several research questions that guided this study: how could the embodiment of aggression prepare me in my journey of becoming a dance/movement therapist? What would develop for me on a body level when I embodied movement qualities I associated with aggression? How could I gain a greater sense of empathy for my patients who act out aggressively? And are there recuperative or preventative measures I could help my patients take, based …

The Phenomenon Of Play Within A Dance/Movement Therapy Setting With Adults, Alison Teichart

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the phenomenon of play and its integration into a dance/movement therapy (DMT) setting with adults. This research focused specifically on adults because play is often neglected during adulthood—despite the fact that play continues to be vital throughout life and has many therapeutic properties. In this phenomenological qualitative study, data was collected through interviews with dance/movement therapists, who identified themselves as using play within their clinical work. From the data, themes were identified, which revealed how dance/movement therapists integrated play into their work and what they experienced as a result of this integration. …

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 …

Dance Therapy And Self-Concept Change In Psychiatric Patients, Cheryl Jeanne Hall

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the effects of various forms of therapy (individual, occupational, and dance) on self-concept. Subjects were 29 psychiatric patients at Providence Medical Center who volunteered to participate in this study. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) was used to measure self-concept both at time of admission and prior to discharge. The data were analyzed in a step-wise multiple regression to determine which of the various forms of therapy are the best predictors of self-concept at second TSCS application. The results of the step-wise multiple regression did not support the hypothesis that exposure to dance therapy would be a significant …

Dance And Self Concept Change In Women, Robin Dale Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

Numerous authors in the field of dance therapy have proposed that dance movement employed as a psychotherapeutic tool yields positive gains in mental health for participants. Self concept is frequently cited as the mechanism affecting these gains. In order to explore the relationship of dance movement alone to self concept fifteen college women were tested with the Tennessee Self Concept Scale before and after participation in a course of dance with those of nineteen women enrolled in lower division psychology courses. An analysis of covariance showed no significant changes in self concept scores in either group. It was concluded that …

The Use Of Dance As A Tool For Personality Integration, Barbara Throckmorton Rankin

Dissertations and Theses

This study is exploratory in nature. The material was highly individualistic and subjective, so I have deviated from the traditional empirical research approach. My purpose is to grasp what kind of person was attracted to attending a dance workshop. How does Halprin’s use of dance assist people in learning about themselves? What kinds of information do people learn about themselves through her dance process? What techniques does Halprin combine with the medium of dance to get results? Are people enhanced, or better integrated by the Halprin process? Finally, my intention was to be stimulated by the Halprin process to explore …