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Exploring Aspects of Indian Classical Dance as a Therapeutic Tool through DMT
Get PDFIndian Classical Dance (ICD) is an integral part of Indian culture and tradition and reflects the tapestry of its intricacy. There are seven forms of ICD and all share a foundation in the Natyashastra, or treatise of performing arts. This text outlines key elements of the art form, including movement, facial expression, hand gestures, and the dancer’s relationship to the audience. Many of these elements can be found within dance therapy frameworks such as attunement, kinesthetic empathy, authentic movement, and storytelling. This literature review aims to explore key aspects of Indian Classical Dance (ICD) and how they parallel Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT). Current literature shows the therapeutic elements and value found in ICD and DMT, however very little research has been done linking the two or using ICD within DMT interventions
Regulation Through Rhythm: A literature Review on Dance/Movement Therapy Approaches To Facilitating Nervous System Regulation
Get PDFAbstract
The mental health field has started to pay attention to how trauma plays into a person’s overall mental and physical well-being. Because of this more research has shown the connection between mind and body. Yet the clinical implications and literature on theories of how to treat trauma and trauma related disorders do not always connect. This review of literature seeks to analyze the literature on Porges’, Polyvagal Theory and Amighi’s, Kestenberg Movement Profiles. An investigation of the current literature makes a connection between the phylogenetic order of both the nervous system and developmental movement. Considerations of how trauma, in particular childhood trauma, can impact the development of the internal systems and the overall individual experience with the world are noted. Both internal and external body rhythms such as the heart, breathing, and movement coping skills will be explored.
Keywords: trauma, mind-body connection, Polyvagal Theory, Kestenberg Movement Profiles, developmental movement, window of tolerance
Author Identity Statement: The author identifies as a white cis-gender female from New England of mixed European Ancestry
Dance/Movement Therapy: A Remedy for Burnout in Behavioral Health Professionals
Get PDFThis literature review takes a personal approach by identifying challenges as I grew in my clinical skills through education and internship. I will present burnout issues within the behavioral health professional field while intersecting with dance/movement therapy (DMT) as I experienced and witnessed it. In addition, DMT is proposed and supported as a useful tool to increase protective factors that prevent burnout
FAMILY CAREGIVING AND SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS: NAVIGATING COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS
Get PDFTreatment of serious mental illness (SMI) has shifted over the last 60 years from an institutional model to a community-based approach (Chan, 2011; Di Lorenzo et al., 2021; Jain & Singh, 2014). Families have become an integral part of the caregiving network, bringing into focus the relationships between caregivers and individuals with SMI. Although literature has emphasized the key role family members play in supporting individuals diagnosed with SMI, there is a dearth of in-depth qualitative research on how primary caregivers traverse these relationships (Biegel et al., 2013; Chang & Chen, 2021; Young et al., 2019). This research addressed that gap by seeking to gain deeper insight into the lived experience of caregivers by exploring how family caregivers navigate the complex relationships with family members diagnosed with SMI. Ten family caregivers of individuals with SMI participated in semi-structured interviews, which were then analyzed using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015; Gilligan et al., 2003), a feminist voice-centered relational method. Findings revealed both a circular, dynamic process of interactions—through connections, disconnections, and reconnections—and a shift in how they navigate these fragile caregiving relationships over time. Participants’ stories encompassing trauma and disenfranchised grief (Doka, 2002) were often associated with long-standing cultural oppressive systems. Stigma within ecological systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1994) contextualized the impacts on the complex interpersonal relational dynamics. Education, participation in peer support groups, and guidance from mental health clinicians assisted caregivers in their attempts toward reconnection. Caregiver acceptance of the individuals with SMI in their care, empathy, and insight on relational balances and imbalances of power influenced shifts in caregiver approaches to their relationships
Mindful Leadership and Climate Action
Get PDFOrganizations must get serious about reaching the goals for addressing Climate Action outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)13. The problem to solve is how the leaders who created the climate issues can be the leaders to make climate action happen. The development of mindful leaders within an organization is the answer to the problem. Mindful leaders are developed not only with the Inner Development Goal (IDG) framework which is developed to align and support the 17 SDGs of the United Nations. The development of mindful leaders comes from ancient and modern practices that draw from Buddhism, secular practices, neuroscience, modern psychology, and contemporary leadership research. One great intersection between mindful leaders and climate action is that many traditions across the centuries draw on powerful practices for leaders to be in tune and in touch with personal history and nature in the present moment. Within Europe, the effects of climate change are happening at an ever-increasing rate, and extreme weather events are becoming common. The time for mindful leaders who bring teams together to create the radical innovations required is urgent for climate action to occur
Creative Resilience Against Racism Among Asian Americans: Development of a Method
Get PDFThe experience of racism is inevitable and can become internalized when racism is persistent. As an Asian American woman, I am interested in exploring how art can be used as a form of resilience against internalized racism among Asian Americans. Racism against Asian Americans and recent immigrants from Asia has always existed throughout the history of the United States. Systematic laws, institutional policies, and cultural norms have set rules and narratives to put Asian Americans at a disadvantage. In addition, Asian Americans may have difficulty opening the conversation about racism. Internalized racism can cause physical and mental harm. I used the development of a method for my thesis through an intermodal transfer approach with the arts. The result was that the participant was able to explore their “core” identity compared to their identity based on their physical appearance. If there is an opportunity to continue the series of workshops, it would be best to have consistent group members while the workshop scaffolds identity, discusses systematic racism and challenges, and leads on utilizing art as a form of resilience against internalized racism. Further research on individual and group formats is recommended
The Anatomical Embodiment of Morning Routines in the Reduction of Anxiety: An Intervention
Get PDFThe topic under investigation is whether physically embodying a morning routine that was designed through the lens of Laban Bartenieff Movement Analysis (LBMA) will reduce daily symptoms of individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Since morning routines play a significant part in one’s preparation for the day, I created an individualized LBMA morning routine for a specific client to embody. In addition to the routine, the client documented the process of their anxiety levels on a weekly basis. This client was a white, female, 19-year-old, lesbian college student who was previously diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The movement analysis was conducted in a therapeutic office through a strength-based conversation in direct contact with the client.
The client showed improvement in anxiety symptoms after implementing the individualized LMBA morning routine. Disruptions in the established routine impacted gains. After five weeks the client reported, “I even began to look forward to my morning routine the night before because I knew my morning was exact in timing.
Tap Dance Therapy for Children with Medical Complexity: A Literature Review
Get PDFAlthough various genres of dance and movement have been studied to serve as therapeutic tools for individuals, research on tap dance for children with serious illnesses and complex medical needs is near non-existent. This thesis aims to analyze the available literature on tap dance and dance/movement therapy for children, as well as identify gaps in research in service of improving the quality of lives and mental health of children with medical complexity (CMC). Additionally, a discussion of a possible tap dance therapy (TDT) program for children with special needs related to medical complexities will be introduced, which will include evidence-based dance therapy session structure, emphasis on drumming, rhythm, mind-body connection, and community, and theme developments to strengthen social, emotional, and cognitive benefits
Finding Community in a Women’s Shelter Open Studio: Implementation of an Art Therapy Method
Get PDFPeople facing housing insecurity and homelessness are at a greater risk of loneliness than the average American. In the current decade, the number of unaccompanied women who face housing insecurity has grown. Organizations like day shelters and community resource centers can be places where this population can engage in socialization and lay down the foundation for communities within a larger systematic framework. Literature has identified the open studio method of art therapy in community centers as an effective method for participants to freely create art. In this intervention, the open studio was explored as a method of cultivating community and increasing socialization for women at a day shelter. An open studio method of art therapy is implemented in three sessions to observe the factors that contribute to social connection in the space and the participant’s responses to weekly open-ended questions about what the space means to them. The group consisted of visitors to the shelter who self-identify as women ages 21-65. Data is collected through a written response prompt for participants, facilitator observations, journals, and art responses. The results found that adaptability, authenticity, autonomy, and safety are all factors that lead to a successful implementation of this method. Further research could explore the evolution of an open studio community over a longer period of time
Dance/Movement Therapy: Approach for Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence
Get PDFThis literature review aims to underscore the efficacy of body-based interventions as an approach to address both the physical and psychological repercussions experienced by women affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). The review begins with an overview of IPV, with a focus on the impact on women, and covers reviews of existing psychotherapeutic interventions. Additionally, this literature review delves into the potential benefits of dance movement interventions, positing that such approaches empower individuals to regain control over their environment by acknowledging the parity of physical, social, and emotional well-being The literature review is focused on dance movement therapy as a specialized treatment modality, emphasizing three components: 1) the utilization of body-based interventions involving dance and movement, 2) psychotherapy, and 3) a collaborative approach employing top-down/bottom-up therapy. Current literature supports the adoption of body-based interventions such as dance movement therapy, as integral components of comprehensive care for women grappling with the aftermath of IPV. Furthermore, the literature showed how integration of psychotherapeutic techniques and a collaborative therapeutic approach further enrich the application of dance/movement therapy, offering a nuanced and holistic framework for addressing the complex needs of this population