What is Movement Therapy?
Movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to heal by enhancing your emotional, cognitive, physical and social health. Movement therapy techniques can help with challenges that affect the mind or the body (or both). Stress (and anxiety), depression, ADHD and Autism are among the challenges that are effectively treated with Movement Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy because the body and the mind are in constant communication via the polyvagal system (PVS). Movement therapy is a powerful way to work with children because it allows healing while using a child’s natural actions to engage in therapy.
Stress
Movement therapy helps relieve stress. Think about a time you were stressed out, and you realized you were clenching your fists or holding your body tight to “keep it together”. A Movement therapist helps you by encouraging you to move in ways that relieve the stress and anxiety in your body, for example by unclenching your fists and shaking your wrists loose. The resulting stress relief in the body is communicated to your mind via the PVS, and you begin to feel better emotionally. A movement therapist can also help you communicate verbally what the body has been holding (for example, in the form of stress), and help you talk about your life experiences.
Depression
Movement therapy helps with depression. One reason is because when you move your muscles the mind and body releases a chemical called dopamine; which creates positive feelings. Thus, engaging in movement helps us feel less depressed because dopamine makes us feel better. A movement therapist also helps relieve tightness, energies, and memories held in the body; and allows us to communicate verbally what it was that was making us depressed.
ADHD
Movement therapy is an effective intervention for the treatment of ADHD. Research recently showed that regular exercise is beneficial for the treatment of ADHD. Exercise helps with ADHD symptoms because moving or dancing releases anxious energy, and causes the release of chemicals (dopamine, endorphins) which create positive feelings, a sense of calm, and encourage healing of the brain. Energy and memories released by movement help individuals with ADHD express in verbal form how ADHD has impacted their life.
Autism
Movement therapy can help individuals diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorders in a variety of ways. Some individuals with Autism have challenges with walking; posture, coordination, or arm movements. It is an excellent way to help individuals with movement challenges to expand their movement repertoire in an accepting environment. It also helps individuals diagnosed with Autism to improve their impulse control, emotional regulation and social skills. As a non-verbal form of therapy, movement therapy is an excellent modality to help verbally challenged individuals engage in self-expression, and to express their hopes and dreams, as well as their feelings and frustrations."