DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY

What is Dance Movement Psychotherapy?

Dance movement psychotherapy, or DMT, is a form of psychotherapy where you can use movement and dance to explore, make sense of and express your feelings and thoughts. It is based on the idea that the way you move is linked to the way you think. By exploring your movement, you will learn more about yourself. This will help you to explore different options and make choices in your day to day life. DMT also helps you to connect with your body in a deeper way and integrate your physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual self.

Do I need to be a good dancer, physically fit or able-bodied?
Not at all. Everybody moves! DMT is about exploring and experiencing different ways of moving.

Why might I choose DMT?
You might choose DMT because:

• You''re looking for a supportive and caring relationship in which you can explore any issue at your own pace
• You find it hard to express your thoughts and feelings by talking
• You think about things constantly and want to get out of your head (and into your body)
• You like moving or dancing to music
• You are creative and like to express yourself through the arts i.e. music, art, dance or drama

THE BENEFITS OF DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY:

DMT can help you to:

• Increase your self-awareness, self-esteem and sense of personal autonomy
• Have a deeper sense of connection between your thoughts, feelings and actions
• Improve ways of adapting to situations and coping
• Improve your verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction skills
• Increase your ability to recognise feelings, make sense of them and express them appropriately
• Improve your body image and your sense of comfort in the body
• Develop new ways of seeing your situation and to make choices about your situation
• Develop a trusting relationship
• Experience enjoyment and pleasure

WHAT KIND OF ISSUES CAN DMT ADDRESS?

DMT helps people of all different ages and situations. DMT can address many issues including:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Dealing with life changes
• Coming to terms with the past
• Difficulty with communication and expression
• Feelings of being out of control
• Relationship problems with friends, lovers or family
• Trauma related problems
• Addiction or substance misuse problems
• Disordered eating patterns
• Body-related problems

WHAT HAPPENS IN A DMT SESSION?

You can choose to do DMT individually or in a group with people who are going through similar things to you. The best way to decide what is best for you is to consult with a dance movement psychotherapist.

Before you start therapy, you will get a chance to meet the therapist and talk about your life and the issues that you want to explore and deal with. A "contract" will be drawn up between client and therapist to agree on number of sessions and frequency of DMT sessions. Each session lasts one hour.