As we tune into our breathing, moving bodies, we invite pathways to open, leading us on a journey back home to ourselves.

Our bodies are not only the core instrument of our natural expression, they are each a vessel in which memories and experiences are stored.  Dance and movement in therapy allows embodied insights to rise to the surface for transformation. 
    Movement is with us all the time and humans have been dancing since the most primal of eras.  Many people in modern society have lost touch with this, but it is in our nature to move and to dance, as children can often show us with ease. 

Body movement tells a story with its patterns and preferences.  It holds messages and sends signals on a subconscious level.  In Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP), assessment tools such as the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP) and Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) can help observe and make sense of what moves, where, when and how. 
        DMP bridges mental processes with the intelligent and dynamic bodily experience so connection can be restored.  This can be a delicate process with trauma work, requiring dedication and care, and usually begins with grounding, presence, and gradual increased awareness of the felt sense. 

Dance and Movement in a therapy session can involve:

• body scanning
• breathwork
• leading and following
• mirroring movements
• authentic movement
• active imagination / journeying
• playing with rhythm
• using props
• isolating body parts
• exploring movement qualities (KMP and LMA)
• using gestures
• using touch
• improvisation
• movement metaphors
• movement stories
• sound and music

What can the Dance and Movement part help with?

“The focus on the moving body and non-verbal phenomena means that Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) can support

• an increase in self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, personal autonomy, and self-expression through the integration of emotional, cognitive, physical, and social aspects of self
• discovery of inner resources through contained creative movement play
• the development of tools with which to express or manage overwhelming feelings or thoughts
• expansion of resources and skills in communication and social interaction
• trust within relationships through opportunity to test the impact of self on others in a safe and contained environment
• space to test the relationship between inner and outer reality and opportunity to increase and rehearse adaptive coping behaviours
• the potential for physical, emotional, and cognitive shifts as DMP promotes experiencing links between actions, feelings, and thoughts
• exploration of relational and developmental issues arising from early infancy through to older age”

(taken from the Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapists UK website)

Contact me to book a session or inquire

dee@inhabit-therapies.com