Dance Therapy Essay - 1803 Words

Dance Therapy Dance therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses movement to further the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development of the individual. Dance therapists work with people who have many kinds of emotional problems, intellectual deficits, and life-threatening illnesses. They are employed in psychiatric hospitals, day care centers, mental health centers, prisons, special schools, and private practice. They work with people of all ages in both group and individual therapy. Some also engage in research. Dance therapists try to help people develop communication skills, a positive self-image, and emotional stability. Origins Dance therapy began as a profession in the 1940s with the work of Marian Chace. A†¦show more content†¦She developed a process called movement in-depth, an extension of her understanding of dance, movement, and depth psychology. She helped found the contemporary movement practice called authentic movement. In this type of movement, founded on the principles of Jungian analysis, patients dance out their feelings about an internal image, often one that can help them understand their past or their current life struggles. One of Whiteheads students, Janet Alder furthered Whiteheads work in authentic movement by establishing the Mary Starks Whitehouse Institute in 1981. In 1966, dance therapy became formally organized and recognized when the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) was formed. Benefits Dance therapy can be helpful to a wide range of patients--from psychiatric patients to those with cancer to lonely elderly people. Dance therapy is often an easy way for a person to express emotions, even when his or her experience is so traumatic he or she cant talk about it. It is frequently used with rape victims and survivors of sexual abuse and incest. It can also help people with physical deficits improve their self-esteem and learn balance and coordination. Dance therapists also work with people who have chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases to help them deal with pain, fear of death, and changes in their body image. Many people with such illnesses find dance therapyShow MoreRelatedDance Therapy1988 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Dance therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that uses movement to promote the social, mental, emotional, and physical improvement of an individual. Dance is the most important key of the arts it involves a direct expression of someone’s self over one’s body. It is specifically a powerful medium for therapy. Dance therapy is the use of movement to recover the mental and physical health of a person. Dance therapy is the use of movement to recover the mental and physical health of a personRead MoreDance Therapy Essay1852 Words   |  8 PagesDance therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses movement to further the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development of the individual. Dance therapists work with people who have many kinds of emotional problems, intellectual deficits, and life-threatening illnesses. They are employed in psychiatric hospitals, day care centers, mental health centers, prisons, special schools, and private practice. They work with people of al l ages in both group and individual therapy. Some also engageRead MoreInformative Essay About Dance Therapy1515 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is dance? Dance is defined as lively movement using one’s body with or without music. Dancing means to feel someone existence to feel vitality, joy, and most importantly to feel alive. Anyone can define dancing as whatever they would like, but how is dance useful to our lives? Whether you are a ballerina from birth or if you are newly introduced to the art of dance, everyone can dance some way, shape, or form. Dance therapy provides psychological and physical benefits. 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