By Karen Carter Movement/dance therapy is the therapeutic employment of dance and movement in supporting motor, intellectual, and emotiona...

The Origin And Development Of Movement Therapy

By Karen Carter


Movement/dance therapy is the therapeutic employment of dance and movement in supporting motor, intellectual, and emotional functions of the human body. The abbreviation DMT is often used for dance therapy. The use of the word dance therapy is common in Australia and the US while people in United Kingdom use the term dance movement psychotherapy. Dance movement psychotherapy is usually abbreviated as DMP.

DMT makes one of the many forms of expressive therapies. Identification of the relationship between motion and emotions is the main goal of this field. Movement therapy has one of the longest histories. In the ancient world, dance was used during healing rituals in fertility, sickness, birth, death and similar events. In Europe and the United States, the belief that dance was more than just one of the expressive arts came up between 1840 and 1930 and continued to develop into what it is today.

Even though dance has traditionally been used for healing for thousands of years back, it is in the 1950s that it got established as a profession and therapy. American Dance Therapy Association founder, Chance Marian had a big role to play in this establishment. DMT has historically had two waves of development throughout. The first wave owes its development to Chance whilst the second wave interested American therapists a great deal.

The theory of DMT bases on the belief that there is constant interaction between the mind and the body. Conscious and unconscious movements people make base on the dualist premise of mind body. Those movements reflect personality and affect total functioning in people. As such, the relationship between clients and therapists are in a small part based on body language and other non-verbal cues. A sense of wholeness is offered to every individual by DMT by exploring the unity of the spirit, body, and mind.

There are four main stages involved in this therapy that need to be completed. Each stage is composed of smaller goals that the client needs to accomplish, which contribute to the larger purpose of DMT. There is a huge variance in the stages and goals depending on the individual. The stages generally progress from one to the next. However, the stages may also be revisited over and over through the entire process.

The therapy involves four stages, which include preparation, evaluation, incubation, and illumination. The name warm-up may also be used for the preparation stage. This stage entails preparation of adequate and safe room with no distractions or obstacles. Supportive relationships with the witnesses are also formed at this point. Participants need to close their eyes and still be able to move around.

During the incubation stage, participants are prompted by the leader to venture into their subconscious. The prompting is done verbally. The participant needs the relaxation and serenity provided by the subconscious to exploit their emotions. The illumination stage comes after incubation. Illumination is integrated into the dialogue. Dialogue is offered by the witness to the conscious awareness for allowing self-reflection.

Motivations hidden in the subconscious are resolved and uncovered through self-reflections. Positive as well as negative effects are associated with excess self-awareness. The session comes to a conclusion with the therapist evaluating insights gathered and discussing their significance.




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