What Dance Movement Therapy Looks Like Online: Healing through Movement in the Virtual World
“Dance, dance otherwise we are lost.” - Pina Bausch
Dance movement therapy is a somatic psychotherapeutic approach to further healing and connection to the self through a deepening of conscious connection between your body and mind. Through engaging in somatic-based interventions such as meditations, body scans, somatic sensing, breath-work, movement improvisation, structured movement phrases, imagery, and movement explorations you can reach places within yourself that words can not. During virtual dance movement therapy, you will be met where you are at in your process. All you need is your laptop, tablet, or phone to access the tele-therapy platform, a physical space that allows enough space to stretch your arms, lay down a yoga mat, or step away from your device to explore your body’s expression.
How do dance classes and dance movement creative arts therapy sessions differ?
To incorporate dance movement therapy into your healing journey you do not need to have any previous dance training or dance experience. The dance movement therapeutic process invites you to meet your body’s narrative and expression in the here-and-now through authentic connection to your physical, emotional, and mental self through the therapeutic alliance. Unlike dance classes, dance movement therapy invites you to move your emotional experience in compassionate ways while honoring yourself. The somatic interventions may include meditations, naming felt sensations, movement exploration, or another creative approach such as art-making or writing, that support you in your process.
What does the online Dance Movement Therapy process look like?
• Throughout our time together I will actively meet you where you are in your healing journey. During our first session together we will begin with a mindfulness exercise to invite you to somatically check in and to find grounding. We will work together to verbally process where you are on your journey and to define your therapeutic goals.
• At the start of each session, we can work together to find and co-create a space in your home that you feel safe for movement therapy and will work together to find a time in your day that is best for us to virtually meet.
• At the start of each session, we will make sure the audio and video are properly working.
• In the early stages of developing our therapeutic relationship, I will meet you where you are in your present moment and invite you to check in with your current feeling state through verbal processing and somatic focused directives that may include breath work, guided imagery meditations, mindfulness meditations, breathing meditations, body scan meditations, or sensation naming. Based on your current feeling state, I will introduce somatic directives that will support you where you are in the present moment with your therapeutic goals in mind.
• As we collaboratively build trust and the therapeutic alliance over time, I will begin to introduce dance and movement interventions which may include imagery-based movement, journaling paired with movement, art-making, movement paired with art-making, gestural representations, authentic movement, movement mirroring, movement improvisation, structured movement phrases, vocalizations, and/or music listening paired with movement exploration to support you where you are.
• As your therapeutic process continues, we can discuss ways to adjust the somatic and movement interventions to meet you in your growth and to provide you with somatic tools to deepen your somatic healing journey.
• I will be available to answer questions about your dance movement therapeutic process and to listen and integrate your feedback.
Scheduling Online Dance Movement Therapy Sessions
If dance movement therapy and creative arts therapy speaks to you and you would like to find out more, Repose offers a 15-minute phone consultation for you to learn more about our offerings. If needed, you can also connect with me before scheduling sessions.