Dance Movement Psychotherapy

“Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) recognises body movement as an implicit and expressive instrument of communication and expression."  - ADMP UK

Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) acknowledges the multi-faceted nature of being human, as well as the connection between our physical self and emotional and cognitive selves. The invitation is to be in the moment, tune into important and subtle bodily signals, and take a break from rumination. 

One of the aims of DMP is to help participants to reconnect to their body. Sometimes, due to busy lives and needing to ‘push through’, or because of mental health struggles or trauma, bodily signals can end up being tuned out. Other times, our body’s response can take over, placing us in a state of overwhelm. 

Being present in the body can be explained as being aware of your body and its position in relation to your surroundings and experiences. The benefits of this could mean feeling more secure within your body, and having a better ability to notice your own bodily triggers. This can often mean noticing your own emotions or unhelpful thought patterns earlier on, and using a coping tool kit to respond to this.

Therapy sessions are not dance classes and there is very little, if any, 'follow my lead' movement instruction. You don’t have to be ‘good’ at dance, or have any formal experience of dance to make use of DMP. 

Instead, movement and creative exploration is encouraged through a variety of facilitated processes. This can involve the use of play, internal focused exploration, and noticing felt sensations (such as tension, nerves, relaxation). Sometimes it can be easier to start by moving an object external to you, and so use of props like scarves, balls, and other sensory items are also offered. There is also time to verbally consider experiences in the sessions and reflect on possible application outside of the therapy space.