Dance Movement Therapy

“Just as the ancients danced to call upon the spirits in nature, we too can dance to find the spirits within ourselves that have been long buried and forgotten. ”

— Anna Halprin

Dance Movement Therapy allows for the experience of full-body presence and unlocks our inner body wisdom by connecting body, mind and wellness. Movement is our first language and how we adapted and orientated ourselves in the world. It is a profound creative practice that cultivates an opportunity to heal when we can attend to our mind, body, spirit – by learning to be compassionate, caring, and genuinely loving with ourselves through sensing and connecting with our body, we connect to the hidden stories of our life experiences. 

It develops deep attunement, cultivating a secure sense of self within one's body. It unifies goals, utilises mindfulness, and elevates interoception, bringing about this awareness of our internal state of being, sensations and emotions.

The intellect steps aside to make room for the body to take the leading role in the process; the body becomes a guide and tool to find relief from many issues that arise during one's lifetime.

Remembering our body bears the burden as some life experiences create traumatic stress symptoms resulting in high anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal distress, to name a few.

Dance movement therapists incorporate body-based techniques like the activation of relaxation and breathing methods that encourage emotional regulation and other concepts and methods that work deeply and effectively in being able to have the capacity to "be with yourself, to tolerate the difficulties and challenges that come to the surface. It encourages self-regulation of one's nervous system to navigate conflict. The body holds our earliest experiences in life that create the implicit behavioural patterns that we potentially carry with us for a lifetime.  

Dance Movement therapists create a safe environment that supports the discovery, repair and integration of coherent ways of "being" within ourselves and the world around us. The Dance Movement Therapist engages by encouraging curiosity, awareness and trust and works towards facilitating the re-organising of the client's physiology, bringing each body back to a place of equilibrium and remembrance. Individual and group sessions promote healing and growth, supporting the development of creative inner resources, embodied presence, and wholeness.  

One on One Session

These sessions focus on increasing body awareness, spatial understanding, and emotional insight while improving self-esteem, communication skills, and coping mechanisms. Tailored to the clients main goals.

Group Sessions (min 5 people)

.The session may include observation, assessment, warm-ups, interventions, verbal processing, and warm-down phases. The therapist facilitates the session, guiding participants to explore their movements, emotions, and connections within the group. The goal is to enhance body awareness, promote self-expression, foster connections, and improve overall well-being through the power of movement.

Duo Sessions for Couples

These sessions for couples can bring numerous benefits to your relationship. It provides a unique opportunity to deepen your connection through movement and nonverbal communication. By engaging in this therapy, you can enhance emotional attunement, improve communication skills, strengthen your bond, and promote overall well-being as a couple. Research has shown that dance movement therapy has the potential to improve relationship dynamics, increase intimacy, and foster a strong sense of connection between partners

 

Here's what Mariana had to say…

“Dianna, you are a truly gifted therapist and I cannot thank you enough for starting me on this transformative process. As soon as I walked into your rooms I felt a sense of calm; I sensed your serenity, the sparkle in your eyes and felt you had the gift to help me, I felt safe and held; you tapped in to my energy with intuition and understood that I was trapped.

As our sessions progressed, for the first time in along time, I started feeling myself back in my body, feeling grounded and feeling some peace… The taste of serenity has had a profound effect on me and to keep it I know it’s a lifetime of daily self care, practice and guidance…

I look forward to our next long awaited session.
Love, Mariana”

Other Services