Читать книгу The Creative Arts in Counseling - Samuel Gladding T., Samuel T. Gladding - Страница 73

Dance and movement occur in many ways, and their impact is multidimensional. In their purest form, dance and movement are initially expressed in physical movements. Indeed, the body is seen as the manifestation of one’s personality, and the body and the mind are seen as interrelated on a continuum. Therefore, any spontaneous movement is viewed as an expression of personality and health (Dingfelder, 2010). Thus, the way people move—from being light on their feet to being mechanical and slow—is an indicator of who they are and how they are functioning generally.

The therapeutic emphases of dance and movement are multiple. “Dance and movement therapy allows for the treatment of complex psychological trauma (torture, rape, war experiences) and contributes to the healing process directly on a body level” (S. Koch & Weidinger-von der Recke, 2009, p. 289). Overall, DMT has three main goals: physical, psychological, and social goals.

Physical goals may include releasing physical tension through activities and broadening one’s movement repertoire. Psychological goals might include channeling one’s self-expression in a meaningful way and helping a client adjust to reality. Social goals may involve getting a client to join a group interaction and to develop social relationships with others. (Gladding, 1985, p. 10)

The extent to which and how these goals are highlighted depend on the education and skill of counselors. Some professionals are specifically taught ways to use DMT; others use this emphasis at select times and in limited ways. In this section, different aspects of each tradition are examined, and populations with which movement and dance may best be used are explored. DMT effects changes in feelings, cognitions, physical functioning, social interaction, and behavior. Although they have much in common, dance and movement are also seen as distinct specialty areas.

Marian Chace (1896–1970) is considered the founder of modern DMT (Sandel et al., 1993). She started her dance therapy work in the early 1940s at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC, and was a professional dancer before beginning her work as a dance therapist. Other pioneers who followed or were contemporaries of Chace include Mary Whitehouse, Blanche Evan, Liljan Espenak, Alma Hawkins, and Trudi Shoop.