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Celina Demeo
Erin Workman
ENC 1145
Research Paper Assignment 2
Dance Movement Therapy
Throughout many years there have been various methods people have sought after for
psychological help and help to improve their daily lives. Each method is different and some can
even be tailored to fit what ones personal needs. In the early 20th century, a new form of therapy
began to develop, dance movement therapy. It originally started as a way for people to release
emotional and mental burdens and eventually developed into a way for people to receive
psychiatric help. Now, it can be found in different forms such as individual to group therapy
formats, and is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational, and forensic
settings, as well as in nursing homes, day cares, disease prevention, health promotion programs
and in private practice. While the field is small, it is growing and employment is expected to
increase 15% from 2008 to 2018 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). There are benefits to movement
therapy as a whole that may differ from traditional therapy formats. Spoken text is used to
enhance dance movement therapys purpose and goals.
Traditionally, when people picture therapy, they picture a room with a bookshelf, a long
comfy couch for the patient and big chair for the doctor. There are various categories that fall
under psychotherapy, some of which include cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, biological

therapy, humanistic therapy, and psychoanalysis. Each have a different approach as to how to
treat certain psychological disorders.
Cognitive therapy tends to focus and empathize with how people think and reason instead
of what they do. The main belief here is that dysfunctional thinking leads to dysfunctional
emotions or behaviors and by changing their thoughts, people can change how they feel and what
they do (American Psychological Association).
Behavioral therapy focuses on the specific behaviors that lead the client to seek therapy
and address the current variables that maintain problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
(Antony & Roemer). One example many may be familiar with in regards to behavioral therapy is
Pavlovs dogs. Pavlov used what is known as Classical Conditioning to train his dogs to respond
a certain way when presented with a bell and then food.
Biomedical treatments, while some may be a bit extreme, are also used to help with
psychological disorders. These treatments focus on the use of psychopharmacotherapy, which is
the use of medications to treat psychological problems. There are different medications one can
take, such as antianxiety, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and/or antipsychotics. More extreme
biomedical treatments include electroconvulsive therapy, which is where patients receive brief
electrical pulses to the brain, and then some use psychosurgery as a last resort, where the patient
undergoes brain surgery to target and treat the psychological problem.
The humanistic approach to therapy relies on peoples capacity to make rational choices
and develop to their maximum potential; concern and respect for others are important themes

(American Psychological Association). This type of therapy more client-centered and being in
the now as well as finding ones self-determination and meaning.
The last of the more traditional forms of therapy is psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis works
to change behaviors and feelings by discovering their unconscious meanings and motivations. A
famous psychoanalyst within this field is Sigmund Freud. Patients learn about themselves by
exploring their interactions in a therapeutic relationship (American Psychology Association).
In all of the forms of psychological therapy listed above, a certain type of relationship
needs to be established between the patient and the therapist. Within these different
relationships, a certain type of spoken text is most likely established and is used for interaction.
For example, the humanistic approach is client centered and focuses on the person, it would
involve questions like, How are you today, What would you like to discuss, Does that
trouble you, and Tell me more about your thoughts, (Scott O. Lilifeld 564). This is just one
example of how spoken text like dialogue is tailored to a certain therapy, which leads me to infer
that a different spoken approach may be used for dance movement therapy.
Dance Movement Therapy (as defined by the American Dance Association) is the
psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social
integration of the individual. It is based on the premise that the body, mind and spirit are all
interconnected. Body movement is the core component of dance and mode of intervention for
dance/movement therapy. It is used for people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds that
seek developmental, medical, social, physical, and psychological help. This form of therapy is

known world-wide. Another similar definition given in Britain for movement dance therapy is
the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance through which a person can engage
creatively in a process to further their emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration
(Bonnie Meekums 4).
There is an idea that the body and the mind are interconnected; Freud was one of the first
to come up with this mind-body entity. He stated, Emotions and instinctual gratifications and
feelings of frustrations do not consist of mere thoughts but of physical alterations. (Penny
Lewis Bernstein 1). It is a hard line to draw between being physically sick and/or emotionally
sick. Another psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, also seemed to find there to be a big connection between
the mind and body. He says, It is highly probable that the psychic and the physical are not two
independent parallel processes, but are essentially connected through reciprocal action... (Joan
Chodorow 44). In this case the psychic includes both the physical and spiritual aspects of a
person. This idea is closely related to the James-Lange theory which states that when we are
physically stimulated we then emotionally feel something. This is also related to the opposite
Cannon-Bard theory that suggests when we emotionally feel something we then have physical
stimulation after. In both of these theories, though, the bodys physical responses and emotional
thoughts are connected and play off of each other to form a whole response to a given situation.
This connection of psyche and physicality is explained one way by the flow of energy
from our minds to related muscles, organs, and other physiological processes. There is a natural
flow of energy that occurs in all life forms that can be changed by internal conflict and the lack

of feeling whole (Penny Lewis Bernstein 1). While this explanation may be a little abstract for
some, a more concrete type of explanation has to with neural plasticity. Neural plasticity is the
brains way to adapt and change its neural pathways and synapses because of changes in
environment and behavior. The brains ability to change and adapt may explain why sometimes
our thinking and emotions are affected by accidents or other disheartening events that happen in
life. In the video, Is the Mind-Body Connection Scientific? Dr. Richard Davidson, a
neuroscientist, touches on this topic of neural plasticity. He says, There are certain psychosocial
factors, for example, which can influence the course of certain physical illnesses.
One of the ways Dance Movement Therapy is practiced is through a four step process:
Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Evaluation. Preparation is the warm up, it is where the
client comes in with his/her personal life problems; this is where the client-therapist relationship
is established. The therapists spoken text is characterized by positive regard for their client,
along with empathic responses and congruence in order to establish a safe, trusting environment.
Congruence is about being outwardly as you are inwardlythere is a harmony between internal
process and outward behavior (Meekums 16), meaning that the therapist must be open and
honest about his/her feelings and thoughts in order to create a comfortable environment for the
client so they also feel open and honest. In this introductory phase of movement therapy, the
spoken text plays a crucial part in the success of the session and therapy to come.
The second step is called Incubation, or otherwise known as the process. It is after the
warm up, the client-therapist relationship has been established, and the client is beginning to feel

more comfortable. The clients movements will begin to become more spontaneous and
expressive. In this phase, the movement will be looked at as metaphoric, meaning it symbolizes
something for the clients whether they realize it or not. During this part, the client may be weary
stepping into new territory, so the therapist must be patient and know when to sit back or step in
in assurance that the client is not clinging to what is comfortable for them. Once the client is
able to let go, it will become more of a release, this state might lead to a potentially spiritual
sense of fusion and oneness (Meekums 18).
Illumination is the third step, here the meanings and symbols of the session are revealed.
This phase could involve both bold revelations, which may or may not be exciting or distressing
for the client, and subtle revelations that are only really understood in hindsight. Either way, the
moment of realization of the movements meaning marks the start of the clients understanding
and insight to their problems.
The final step in this process is Evaluation. This is the closing step in which the client
and therapist discuss the session and significance of the therapeutic process and how it can be
applied to the clients everyday life. This is where the session ends, but the lessons do not. The
therapist and client talk about how whatever was learned or discovered in the session and its
purpose in the real world. Here the client may make resolutions such as spending more time with
a loved one or reading a book, or anything that was desired but not given.
The central tool throughout this process is the Movement Metaphor mentioned before.
This is where the movement or positioning of the clients body relates to what is going on in

their life and how they are feeling. For example, a clients hunched over posture could represent
and burden in their life or the feeling of something weighing them down. Here, a comfortable
space must be established so the client and therapist can mediate between the conscious and
unconscious materials. These movement metaphors, when examined, can be used to provide
insight to the clients behaviors, beliefs, and relationships.
An example is given by Meekums where the process described above is put into action.
Sandra and I were throwing the ball back and forth to each other. Sandra told me
that the ball felt like it was in her face, just as she often experienced friends and
family in this way, I told her that I had noticed she was throwing it overarm. I
wondered what would happen if she threw it underarm? She tried this out, and
said that she had a much clearer view of everything. [] She realized she was
being engulfed by the problems of her extended family and that she needed to
take steps to prevent this happening to achieve more of a balance between her
own needs and those of the people she loved. She decided to make the problems
of others less central to her vision by assessing the personal cost of each demand
made upon her, and sometimes saying no.
The Preparation step here is when the therapist and Sandra begin throwing the ball, it is the warm
up where the two are getting into the session and talking. This is also leading into the Incubation
step, the process. The movement is becoming metaphoric. When Sandra explains that she feel
cannot see clearly when she is throwing, it is symbolic of how her vision is sometimes clouded

by loved ones and their needs versus her needs. The Illumination step is also molded in when the
therapist directs Sandra to throw underhand. Here, the changing of throwing the ball overarm to
underarm is a metaphor for how little steps and changes can help Sandra get more control over
her life. The final Evaluation step is when Sandra commits to changing the way problems and
needs are perceived and weighing the conflicts in a different manner.
As noted above, the metaphor plays a big part in the success of Dance Movement
Therapy. It is a major way Spoken Text is used to enhance the purpose of this type of
psychological therapy, Anni Johnston, a current certified dance movement therapist when
interviewed said that she currently uses a lot of metaphor in my DMT group or individual
session, I ask them to show and move in ways that represent states of being, then have them
embody the opposite, or find a way to expand that movement to include another feeling state,
etc. Johnston seems to have a real love for being a movement therapist and says that, DMT is
so incredibly powerful that you can tap into a deep expression with such simple movement. It
also tends to sidestep defense mechanisms so a person will get in touch with a feeling they
hadnt even realized they were feeling.
Spoken text is a key factor in the therapys session successes. The therapist must create a
calm, open, honest, judge-free, comfortable zone in order for the client to reap the benefits of
their session. The therapist creates this safe zone through an easy going dialogue where he/she
will be honest and transparent in order for the client to feel like he/she can trust the therapist.

While Dance Movement Therapy is a small, but growing, field, the benefits for both client and
therapist are rewarding and make a job in DMT to be worth the while.

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Works Cited
"ADTA - Home." ADTA - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://adta.org/>.
Bernstein, Penny Lewis. Theory and Methods in Dance-movement Therapy: A Manual for
Therapists, Students, and Educators - 2nd Ed. Dubuque: Ia. Kendall-Hunt, 1975. Print
Chodorow, Joan. Dance Therapy and Depth Psychology: The Moving Imagination. Hove:
Brunner-Routledge, 2004. Print.
"Different Approaches to Psychotherapy." Http://www.apa.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.apa.org/topics/therapy/psychotherapy-approaches.aspx>.
"Is the Mind-Body Connection Scientific?" YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3G6SAPEMuk>.
Meekums, Bonnie. Dance Movement Therapy: A Creative Psychotherapeutic Approach.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2002. Print.