Touching Spirit Bear - Division of Language Arts/Reading

4In your regular sessions, your dance therapist will watch you dance, encourage you to express yourfeelings through movement, and, at times, imitate your movements (this is called "empathic mirroring")to establish rapport and make you feel accepted. The therapist may also try to help you connect yourthoughts, feelings, and memories to your movements.If you are part of a dance therapy group, the dance therapist will typically assess how the group workstogether--how you all interact and share emotional expression through movement--and intervene ordirect the action accordingly. For example, the therapist might introduce the idea of leading andfollowing to help draw a member of the group out of isolation or self-preoccupation. The dancetherapist might also employ equipment such as beanbags, balls, and stretch cloths to explore a theme,such as trust.The number of sessions, both for individual and group work, will vary. You might have to commit to atleast six months of treatment, depending on your ailment. The sessions are usually weekly, althoughthis can vary as well.Health BenefitsDance therapy has a broad range of health benefits. It has been demonstrated to be clinicallyeffective at improving body image, self-esteem, attentiveness, and communication skills. It can alsoreduce stress, fears and anxieties, as well as lessen feelings of isolation, body tension, chronic pain,and depression. In addition it can enhance the functioning of the body's circulatory and respiratorysystems.Dance therapy has also been shown to benefit adolescent and adult psychiatric patients, the learningdisabled, the visually and hearing impaired, the mentally handicapped, and the elderly (especiallythose in nursing homes).Proponents of dance therapy claim that it has also been used successfully to help people deal withbrain injury, AIDS, arthritis, amputation, stroke, cancer, and a number of other physical ailments.How To Choose a PractitionerDance therapists work independently or as part of a treatment team, which might include an M.D.,psychiatrist, psychologist, and/or other health-care provider. Whichever you prefer, your primary-carephysician might be able to provide a referral. In addition, the American Dance Therapy Association(ADTA) in Columbia, Maryland, maintains a registry of dance therapists who meet specific educationaland clinical practice standards. These include:Dance Therapy Registered (DTR). This designation is granted by the ADTA to entry-level dancetherapists who have a master's degree and have completed 700 hours of supervised clinical internship.DTR therapists are qualified for employment as dance therapists, but cannot work in private practice.• Academy of Dance Therapists Registered (ADTR). This advanced designation is granted bythe ADTA to DTRs who have completed 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work in an agency,institution, or special school, and have met various other requirements. ADTR therapists are qualified toengage in private practice.CautionsIf you have a physical or psychological ailment, consult your primary-care physician first. Yourphysician can refer you to a dance therapist or supervise your care as part of a treatment team thatincludes a dance therapist.It is important to find a dance therapist with whom you feel comfortable, since the dance therapyexperience involves spontaneity, trust, and the expression of sometimes difficult emotions.Division of Language Arts/Reading IR-EN Novel Unit – Spirit Bear – Day 15 Revised June 2011