Written by: Zeenat Hatami
Edited by: Taina Stuart
Although talk therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy remains to be the forefront approach in psychotherapy, forms of alternative therapy can also be viable forms of treatment. Especially when combined with more traditional forms of therapy – often referred to as integrative therapy – to meet the unique needs of a given client. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a form of alternative therapy that has proven effective in treating people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). DMT can address the somatic symptoms of PTSD. Somatic symptoms of PTSD are the physical symptoms that can manifest as trauma responses, such as fatigue, panic attacks, and dissociation. Survivors of trauma oftentimes have trouble tuning into their bodies, and attending to their bodily sensations.
One central concept of DMT is interoception. Interoception is described as being aware of the physiological state of your body, including awareness of emotional states. It’s rooted in the idea that emotions have somatic origins and play a role in emotional processing. Trauma-survivors often have difficulty with interoception. Focusing on one’s bodies can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable: “‘These individuals had learned to “shut down the brain areas that transmit the visceral feelings and emotion,” (Van der Kolk, 2015, p. 92) and along with that had lost a sense of self awareness” (Dieterich-Hartwell, 2017). DMT encourages patients to pay attention to their bodies rather than shut down or disassociate, under the belief that the body and mind are intertwined, and that body movements can reflect emotional states. By promoting interoception, DMT also helps individuals who have undergone traumatic experiences to reconnect to their bodies, and develop a sense of safety and control, allowing them to stay in control of their bodies even during trauma responses.
Dance Movement Therapy is not just having individuals dance to music. Rather, DMT specialists usually have individuals do certain movements that can focus on a particular part of their bodies, or even movements that follow certain themes – such as reaching out around their space, or controlling one's breath – to allow participants to explore their internal rhythm and develop a connection to their own body (Homann, 2010). Dance therapy provides a safe space for sensory renewal and emotional processing. Dance therapists will have participants speak of their physical sensations out loud and examine the connections between their physical and emotional experiences. Dance therapy is an example of how body-based interventions can help individuals better understand their own internal dysregulations, which then can help them navigate vulnerable and intensive emotional states.
In an article by Homann (2010), a patient reflects on how his DMT sessions helped him to better explore his unconscious feelings and unlock painful memories from early childhood. He became aware of the anger he carried with him due to attachment wounds with both of his parents, which in turn affected his intimate relationships, causing him to push people away. “I used to feel as if I was always in danger—it seemed that something was always out to get me. The biggest difference for me is that I don’t feel that way anymore. I know how to rest, and perhaps the biggest change in me is that I wake up with energy and I now look forward to my day.” (Homann, 2010). Dance therapy is an innovative approach to helping individuals with PTSD. It underscores the physiology behind trauma responses, helping us better understand the somatic dimensions of emotions and trauma through movement.
References:
Dieterich-Hartwell, R. (2017). Dance/movement therapy in the treatment of post traumatic stress: A reference model. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 54, 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.02.010
Homann, K. B. (2010). Embodied concepts of neurobiology in dance/movement therapy practice. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 32(2), 80–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-010-9099-6
Van der Kolk , B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. In The Body Keeps the score: Brain, mind, and Body in the healing of trauma (p. 92). VIking Press. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/14-211
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