Creative Arts Connect

Dance & Movement Therapy

A clinical approach to healing through the body. No dance experience, fitness level, or choreography required.

What Is Dance & Movement Therapy?

Dance and movement therapy is a therapeutic practice that uses movement, posture, rhythm, and body awareness to help people explore emotions and reconnect with their physical experience. It is facilitated by a trained, registered therapist who understands how the body stores and expresses what words often cannot.

Sessions may involve gentle stretching, guided movement, free improvisation, or noticing how your body responds to stillness. Your therapist works with whatever emerges, whether that is a small gesture or a larger movement. The focus is on your experience, not how the movement looks.

How a Session Typically Works

  1. 1.Check-in: Your therapist gets a sense of how you are feeling in your body today.
  2. 2.Warm-up: Gentle movement to bring awareness to your body and breath.
  3. 3.Guided exploration: You move, stretch, or sway. Your therapist observes and guides.
  4. 4.Reflection: You talk about what came up, if you want to.

Benefits of Dance & Movement Therapy

01
Builds awareness of tensionMovement may help you notice physical patterns and explore ways of responding to stress.
02
Supports grounding and regulationRhythm and physical engagement may support grounding and awareness of stress responses.
03
Reconnects mind and bodyReconnects mind and bodyWhen you feel disconnected from yourself, movement brings you back into your own skin.
04
Expresses what words cannotFeelings that are too big, too old, or too buried to describe can take shape through movement.
05
Builds body confidence and trustLearning to listen to your body and move without judgment rebuilds a sense of safety and ownership.

Who May Benefit Most From Dance & Movement Therapy

Trauma SurvivorsAdults with AnxietyPeople Experiencing BurnoutSeniors

Each group below links to a dedicated page with more specific guidance.

YOUR FIRST VISIT

What to Expect in Your First Session

Introduction

Getting comfortable.

Body awareness

Your therapist guides you to notice how your body feels right now.

Guided movement

You move at your own pace. Sitting, swaying, stretching, or standing still all count.

Reflection

You talk about what you noticed, if you want to.

Next steps

Scheduling and planning ahead together.

Dance & Movement Therapists Ready to Match With You

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From the Blog

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Dance and movement therapy is not about dancing in any traditional sense. There is no choreography, no music you must follow, and no way to do it wrong. The word 'movement' is closer to what happens in a session: gentle, guided, body-based exploration at whatever pace and intensity feels right for you.

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