Dance Movement Therapy and Its Impact on Psychological Health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.1268Keywords:
Dance Movement Therapy, psychological disorders, mental health, therapeutic approach, mindAbstract
Today’s society has been struggling with psychological health. While medicine has shown improvements in mental health, other forms of therapy have been explored. Since the 1940s, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has been a recurring topic among researchers. DMT is a therapeutic approach that ties together different dance styles in which participants engage. Therapists are encouraged to consider DMT for patients who suffer from depression or stress or want to improve their quality of life. DMT can consist of group or individual sessions where they build relationships with the therapists and each other through mind-body exercises. Four intervention types with unique therapeutic techniques also emerged from DMT: The Chace Approach, Psychodynamic Dance Therapy, Authentic Movement, and Integrative Dance Therapy. Overall, based on the papers researched, DMT has shown significant results in improving the lives of those suffering from psychological conditions. Depression, compared to stress and quality of life, has shown the largest positive results from DMT. Therefore, therapists are encouraged to use DMT in their sessions. Adults previously diagnosed with a mental health disorder have been most likely to use DMT; however, further research is needed in children. From neurological impacts to research on children, there is still much to learn about DMT, and researchers are encouraged to explore this topic.
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