THE ROLE OF THE THERAPIST

Through the author’s years of clinical experience, the integral role of the therapist has become all the more apparent in the progression of the creative DMT process. DMT itself cannot in fact, occur without a therapist. As a master of dance and movement expression, the dmt holds an array of tools necessary to make interventions appropriate to the stage of the creative process and functioning level of the client or group. These tools spring from both psychotherapy and dance as they necessitate knowledge of group processes, psychodynamics, movement observation/assessment, choreography, and perhaps most importantly, the therapist’s own self-awareness. The therapist’s experience as a dancer is central to his or her role as dmt. Marian Chace utilized her own feelings in response to the kinesthetic empathy when reflecting her clients’ movements (Chaiklin & Schmais, 1993). The technique of mirroring allows the therapist to become attuned with the client by “feeling with” in movement expression (Levy, 2005; Young, 2017). The safety and acceptance that is communicated through this attunement allows for each participant to influence one another. Recent writing on the therapeutic movement relationship more explicitly defines the unique aspects of this relationship and addresses the concept of mutual creativity. Young (2017) found through phenomenological research that several dmts experienced reciprocal creativity as they became attuned with their clients in the movement relationship. Additionally, as creativity occurs between therapist and client, the relationship between the two is deepened. A conclusion can thus be drawn that the therapeutic movement relationship and the creative process can continuously and reciprocally build on one another.

It is this writer’s proposition that in the cases of psychiatric populations with multiple or severe deficits in cognitive, emotional, or social functioning, the therapist promotes or embodies the components necessary to facilitate a creative process; for example, the therapist can suggest variations of movement shapes and qualities to promote divergent thinking or become playful in interaction with the client in order to promote play. Simultaneously, as the creative arts therapies draw on the strengths of the individual, the dmt will have the awareness and observation skills to recognize the already present attributes of the client, utilize these to facilitate creativity, and add only where necessary with appropriate interventions. With the therapeutic relationship in place, the therapist can aid in increasing the client’s self awareness through embodiment, mirroring, and labeling of the client’s movements; reflect latent emotional content; and communicate acceptance and therefore provide safety for exploration through mirroring and structuring of movement material. The therapist can model components such as improvisation and play, and suggest meaning through movement metaphors and identification of patterns in the client’s expressions. All of these interventions contribute to the creative process, reflecting necessary components delineated in the stage and component section of this chapter.

ADDRESSING CLINICAL POPULATIONS

It is one thing to consolidate a concept analysis into a theory, as has been done in this chapter; it is quite another to be aware of and facilitate this with a clinical population, given the complexity of the process. However, it is the goal of this section to simplify these concepts and describe the role of the therapist as a model or catalyst for components of the process. A narrative of how the creative process presents in a session will further concretize the process for readers.

Reach Out, See Me

A group of four individuals gathered in a bright, stuff}' dayroom on an inpatient psychiatric unit one warm June day. The group consisted of a man (J.), a woman (E.), a transmale (C.), and a transfemale (E); all commonly struggled with chronic depression, several attempting or considering suicide. The therapist entered and provided a brief and simple introduction to DMT: it was about connecting with oneself and one another through movement; expressing feelings for which words were not sufficient; understanding oneself in a new and different way. The four participants presented with flattened, restricted affect, even flow, narrowness, and concave torsos—classic indicators of depression. This group was in a place to start with slow and small movement, perhaps simply shape-flow (role of therapist in sensing and responding to existing repertoire). Members were invited to begin connecting their feet with the floor, then to notice their breath (Experience—present moment, conscious awareness, receptivity). The therapist noticed subtle movement and encouraged connection of this movement with the breath; the group was invited to allow movement to grow from the breath. The focus of each participant was on themself: eyes closed, shifting, breathing, rolling, tensing in a dance of shape-flow (initial solitude). One movement led to another as flexions extended, fingers gently tapped from pinky to thumb (perhaps beginning stages of improvisation), torsos subtly grew and shrank with the breath. This internal process was interrupted, though not apparently to the upset of the original members, as two additional female patients (T. and M.) entered the room; their entrances mirrored the already even and quiet atmosphere of the room. Gazes shifted to the door and micro-smiles crossed the faces of the movers. To address the changing dynamic and facilitate the component of interaction, the new members were explicitly welcomed. At this moment, for the therapist at least, a symbolic movement emerged of “opening our eyes.” As members continued to explore movement impulses connected with their breath (Exploration), they were invited to open their eyes, to begin not only welcoming their new fellow members into the room but also to the movement, and into acceptance through seeing one another. Were there similarities between any pairs of movers? In shape, body part, rhythm? Synchronous movements rippled through the group. The previous quiet of the room was punctuated by expressions of amazement—exclamations and moments of laughter (affective processes).

A sense of commonality was felt through the room. Then a pause; perhaps the resonance of this connection (Development, present moment, unconscious, affective process). As the therapist looked around the room, each participant was observed to have become more internally focused and in some form of self-touch, just after this connection with one another (interaction versus solitude). A question was posed to bring attention to the self-directed tender, caring gestures: Do each of you notice how one part of you is holding another? As this was labeled, the theme of self-touch and care restarted the movement process and members caressed and cradled their own hands, arms, and torsos (Development). As each person’s arms enclosed around his or her own body, E. commented “It’s like a hug.” Then almost immediately, M. responded quietly, “No one hugs.” Sadness crossed her face and swept like a soft, yet chilly shadow over the group. The group sat there, holding themselves—the gesture was both a symbol of the self-care needed in the group and a stark sense of aloneness. It was such a far stretch to move from this place of enclosure and simultaneous isolation to openness, connection, and vulnerability with each other—it would feel rushed and unnatural (therapist’s sense of own body and understanding of organic movement transitions). The earlier theme of “opening our eyes” was reiterated and the group was asked how they might reach out with gaze, then possibly gesture, and finally reflection of a peer’s movement (proceeding into Insight/Action through bringing movement to conscious awareness; cognitive process of transformation by intentionally exploring metaphor). Eyes glanced across the circle. Hands stroked down their own arms and hands encircled one another. Implicit in the light, careful, slow and deliberate self-touch was profound care and tenderness (affective processes, body-mind connection). Slowly, each pair of hands, at first one curled around the other, began to open, expand, extend out; fingers like the delicate petals of a flower blossoming in the warmth of the group. The movement ended with a cohesive gesture of arms partially extended, cupped hands directed into the middle of the circle. And breath. Although not all participants actively moved the symbolic expression or joined in the synchrony—F. moved between sitting back in her chair and leaning forward, supported by resting her elbows on her knees—all did end in an advancing posture, hands forward, if not yet reaching. The group ended up mirroring E’s posture, whether consciously or unconsciously, effectively communicating acceptance and solidarity to this lone member who did not intentionally, though likely did unconsciously, join in the group movement.

After a brief pause for resonance and Resolution of the movement, the group began sharing. They discussed connection and acceptance felt in seeing their peers imitate the movement. E. expressed wonder in the immediate and organic mirroring between her and her peers, unplanned and without conscious intention, even noting the connection as “magic.” J. said he felt understood. The room grew quiet again with these revelations; a sense of resolve gently settled in the same way as the sadness had fallen before, yet this time calmly and reassuringly (affective processes). It even took the form of the slight drowsiness that accompanies relaxation. C. stated he needed a nap; when this feeling of tiredness was reflected he said, “I won some battles today.’ He went on to share how members of his family had accepted his gender transition—he finally felt SEEN and shed tears as he acknowledged the weight of this acceptance, his own self-acceptance and that from his family (application of symbolism accessed through movement, conscious processes, self-actualization). After affirmations were shared with C., the group turned their attention to F., still in a sunken posture, with sad, hopeless affect. Likely she felt some resonance with C. in their similar transgender journeys—yet F. had not yet felt the acceptance from her family. “I don’t feel like trying,” she said, so softly it was barely audible. She barely had a voice and with little voice, with little sense of self, she had a limited ability to access her creativity, to dive into that process with her peers. Yet her peers were there to fill in the missing pieces (interaction). J. labeled depression as “quicksand”: the more one struggles, the faster one sinks. He related to E, reaching the point of wanting to give up and give in to the quicksand, feeling that struggling and fighting got him nowhere. A final question was posed: what is something from this metaphor we can use? What is the way we escape the quicksand? (Application of symbolism, Insight). And C., without speaking, reached her hand up and out (Action).

CONCLUSION

In support of DMT’s foundation in the creative art of dance, this chapter set out to explain the creative process of dance/movement therapy. As described earlier, dmts and their clients move through stages of Experience, Exploration, Development, Insight/Action, and Resolution to create therapeutic change. Orientation to the body’s sensations and impulses awakens the client to an inner experience in need of exploration and discovery. The creative influence of the dmt contributes to broadening the client’s repertoire and possibilities for exploration, providing the client with the opportunity to access relevant unconscious material stored in the body and in movement. Movement symbolism provides a vehicle through which the client can play with psychic material on a more concrete level through the use of imagery. In playing with these symbols, the client may discover a particular insight in how the movement expression holds meaning in his or her life. Once this meaning is discovered, the client may deliberately act on it, integrating the new feeling or action. Finally, the movement process reaches a point of resolution. With conscious awareness, the client processes the multifaceted meaning of the movement that arose from the unconscious to facilitate new self-understanding and access to the resources to integrate it.

Recognizing some of the cognitive and emotional limitations of the clinical populations with which many dmts work, the author’s hope is that further understanding of this theory will contribute to more informed practice. The increased insight into the creative change process as delineated in this chapter will allow the therapist to utilize each intervention and component at the appropriate stages in the process in order to address the presenting problem and create an opportunity for change.

Finally, the author hopes that the ideas put forth in this chapter reconnect dmts with the founding theory of the field: the power and wisdom of dance.

NOTE

1. There are currently differing opinions surrounding the continued use of the Laban Movement Analysis system, due to recent news about his role in Nazi Germany. Historically, Laban's system has been used widely in dance/movement therapy observation and assessment.

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