Dance / Movement Therapy

DMT is the therapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual, based on the empirically supported premise that the body, mind and spirit are interconnected. Movement is used as a catalyst, and a means into the person's inner feelings and a way to express, cope, interact with others, and integrate their experiences. Is it fancy? No! Movement&dance can be anything from breathing, posture, communicating, the way we hold ourselves.

This is a creative and somatic method that invites in body awareness as well as expressive movement. Movement signifies vitality, change, adaptability, and is the opposite of stuckness and stagnation. When we mindfully allow thoughts and emotions to move, we can ride the waves of life with grace.

Currently a student enrolled in Embodied Education Institute of Chicago’s hybrid Alternate Route Dance Movement Therapy Program since January 2023. DMT is subtly layered into therapy sessions as requested.

I am an expert in dance movement therapy, a specialized form of therapy that uses movement and body awareness to promote emotional, physical, and cognitive healing. With a background in both psychology and the arts, I integrate the expressive power of movement with traditional therapeutic techniques to help clients process emotions, reduce stress, and enhance self-awareness. Dance movement therapy allows individuals to connect with their bodies in a nonverbal way.

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) isn't about perfect choreography or athletic prowess. It's about exploration, self-expression, and the joy of moving your body. It's a safe, playful tool that can help you reclaim your peace, ignite your creativity, and reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.

Every small movement, gesture, even your energy level are an expression of who you are, what you’re feeling, and what you have lived through. In session I’ll observe your movements and how they change based on our conversations, also match your energy level and respond with my own body in ways to support what you’re feeling. The movements are a tool and intervention to help you access your unconscious patterns and move towards a place of healing.

I am a Board Eligible Dance/Movement Therapist, under the supervision of Lauren Higgins, BC-DMT. I expect to receive Board Certification in 2024. I was trained at the Pratt Institute, in NY, with additional training from Kinections, and Suzanne Hastie, KMPA. I am a Professional Member of the American Dance Therapy Association and Treasurer of the Southern Chapter of the ADTA.

I earned a M.S. degree in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute. I specialize in Dance/Movement Therapy psycho-therapeutic interventions designed to assist with symptoms caused by trauma, anxiety, depression, anger, self-esteem & chemical dependency. Dance Movement Therapy incorporates both verbal and non-verbal techniques, providing variety to support self-expression & increase self-awareness.

I have been a dance/movement therapist for 5+ years. It is effective in facilitating emotional expression, reducing anxiety and depression, and enhancing overall psychological well-being. Research has also shown that D/MT can be particularly helpful for individuals who find it challenging to communicate verbally or who have experienced trauma. With a modernized and imaginative approach to exposure therapy, I utilize D/MT to help clients confront grief in a safe and non-threatening way.

Dance/movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual. What does that mean? It means that my approach will always consider both mind and body. We express ourselves in many ways. This includes verbal language, movement, artistic expression and beyond. This approach allows for therapy to be tailored to an individual's needs, in each session and over time for optimal support.

Through dancing my whole life and later integrating therapeutic techniques into movement, I realized the deep connection between mind, body, and relationships or how we orient with the world. Experiencing trauma can cause memories to be coded in a physical place in your body where movement can activate the nonverbal memories to allow for deeper processing and provide a movement based intervention to help increase neurotransmitters and endorphins that increase mood.