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Who is DMP for?
Benefits of DMP
Referrals
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FAQ |
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Dance Movement Psychotherapy 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. It is founded on the principle that movement reflects an individual’s patterns of thinking and feeling. Through acknowledging and supporting clients’ movements the therapist encourages development and integration of new adaptive movement patterns together with the emotional experiences that accompany such changes. Dance Movement Psychotherapy is practised as both individual and group therapy in health, education and social service settings and in private practice.
DMPs work in individual and group contexts with a wide variety of people from childhood, through adulthood. Clients can include including people who are emotionally distressed, people with learning difficulties, those with physical or mental illness and people who want to use the medium for personal growth.
While the historically documented use of dance as a healing art can be found in different cultures all over the world, the contemporary profession incorporates dance, movement and psychological theories and therapeutic practices developed primarily in Europe and North America. The profession continues to mature through ongoing debates between professionals in a national and international context and through research.
Who is DMP for?
- anyone experiencing emotional problems, conflict or distress
- people who want to enhance communication skills, self-exploration or self-understanding
- people who may find some feelings or experiences overwhelming or difficult to communicate by words alone, or for those who may avoid feelings or confuse issues in their use of words
- people whose problems are bound up in bodily form; for example distortions or concern about body image, tension or blocked areas of the body, impaired movements or anxieties about proximity, physical contact or trust
- people where impairment or trauma may hinder the capacity for them or others to acknowledge and understand personal areas of strength and weakness
- people during particular periods of distress such as those associated with loss, transition or change
- people concerned that problems they feel have gone on for too long, or who have a general sense that "things are not right" for them, their relationships or their family
- those for whom verbal communication is less available
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Benefits of DMP
- increasing self-awareness, self-esteem and personal autonomy
- experiencing links between thought, feelings and actions
- increasing and rehearsing adaptive coping behaviours
- expressing and managing overwhelming feelings or thoughts
- maximising resources of communication
- contacting inner resources through contained creative movement play
- testing the impact of self on others
- testing the relationship between inner with outer reality
- initiating physical, emotional and/or cognitive shifts
- developing a trusting relationship
- managing feelings that interrupt learning
- enhancing social interaction skills
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Referrals
- DMP may be recommended as a primary service or as a complement to other forms of on-going treatment, rehabilitation or education.
- The therapy can be short or long term and is available for adults and children.
- Enquiries may be made directly to a practitioner or referrals may be made through an individual or organisation.
Take a look at the FAQ for more information.
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