Dance Therapists

Dance Therapists

Dance-movement therapy, (DMT) or dance therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical conditions. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT assumes that movement and emotion are directly related. Since its origins in the 1950s, DMT has gained popularity and its practices have developed. However, its principles have remained the same. A typical DMT session has four main stages: preparation, incubation, illumination, and evaluation. Organizations such as the American Dance Therapy Association and the Association for Dance Movement Therapy, United Kingdom maintain standards of profession and education throughout the field. DMT is practiced in places such as mental health rehabilitation centers, medical and educational settings, nursing homes, day care facilities, and other health promotion programs. This form of therapy which is taught in a wide array of locations goes farther than just centering the body. Specialized treatments of DMT can help cure and aid many types of diseases and disabilities. Other common names for DMT include movement psychotherapy and dance therapy.