Creative Bodies In Therapy Performance And Community

Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community champions several diverse and innovative approaches in the professional engagement with the creative body as a catalyst for change in therapy, education, somatics and performance. With contributors from the wide-ranging fields of performance and visual arts, psychotherapy, dance and somatics, this book articulates practice-based experiences in a creative language. The readers are invited to move from the process of reading, into the experience of being in and making sense of the world through a moving body. The book meanders purposefully through practice-led embodied approaches in research that generate new knowledge, methodological frameworks that have emerged in response to the needs of different contexts, as well as offerring a window on first-hand experience as practice. The book will appeal to a wide range of practitioners and trainees in Dance Movement Psychotherapy, arts therapies, counselling and psychotherapy, somatics, community practice and performance.

This timely book explores an eco-feminist approach to dance movement psychotherapy, with an emphasis on the posthuman possibilities of differently enabled bodies and fostering social, political and environmental justice. Using the lenses of posthumanism and new materialism, this book examines the points of convergence among dance movement psychotherapy, eco-psychotherapy and critical disability studies. It maps out the experience of building care, empathy and kinship and explores ecologically informed, embodied practices and research while offering new perspectives on these practices. Structured using thematic ‘interruptions’ between chapters to anchor the reading experience and provide coherence, chapters include case study extracts as examples from the practice, spanning group work and individual therapy with autistic and learning disabled children and young people, as well as with neurotypical adult clients in private practice. Bringing together practice and research in dance movement psychotherapy along with cutting-edge theoretical perspectives of new materialism and posthumanism, the book will be of great interest to researchers and students of dance therapy, arts therapies, eco-psychotherapy and disability studies. It will also be useful to practitioners and therapists in psychotherapy and well-being services.

`This book is a very useful starting point for trainees in DMT, or for those training or practicing in other arts therapies or allied professions who would like an overview of theories and methods in DMT. For more experienced DMT practitioners and researchers, this book provides an introduction to theories of creativity and the notion of the movement metaphor as a basis for DMT theory and practice. There is constant dialogue and contextualizing between Meekum′s theory and approach, psychological theories that have influenced the development of DMT, case studies, and the historical development of DMT. What is important in this book is the acknowledgement that DMT is a unique psychotherapy practice with a distinctive theory and methodology based on the intrinsic interaction between movement, the creative process, and psychology′ - Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy `Along with the "how" and "why" of psychotherapy, Bonnie Meekums provides realistic examples of people whose lives have benefited from dance movement therapy. It is my honour to recommend this book′ - Dianne Dulicai, President of the American Dance Therapy Association `It is a very accessible book - it′s an introduction to Dance Movement Therapy, ideal for students who have started DMT training, people who work in related fields (eg other arts therapies) or anyone who is interested in DMT. However, the book goes beyond the introduction in Bonnie′s attempt to develop a new framework. It encourages practising DMTs to question their own approach introducing a different terminology to describe the creative process.... It is food for thought and for discussions in supervision′ - e-motion `Dr Meekums surpasses her goal of contributing to the development of DMT; her book serves as a catalyzing guide for all health care professionals who seek creative processes in healing.... Meekums provides an innovative framework for DMT, and offers adequate references and recommendations for further study, research and evidence-based practice. I enthusiastically recommend this book to creative arts therapists, allied practitioners and especially to practicing and interning dance movement therapists as a professional resource and guide′ - Maria Brignola Lee, The Arts in Psychotherapy Dance Movement Therapy is a concise, practical introduction to a form of therapy, which has the body-mind relationship at its centre. Movement, with both its physical and metaphorical potential, provides a unique medium through which clients can find expression, reach new interpretations and ultimately achieve a greater integration of their emotional and physical experience. In the book, Bonnie Meekums maps the origins of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and its relationship to other more traditional forms of therapy. Outlining a new model for DMT, she describes the creative process, which develops in cycles throughout each session and over the course of therapy. The stages in this creative, psychotherapeutic process are described as: - preparation - incubation - illumination - and evaluation Illustrated throughout with vivid case examples, the book defines the role of the therapist in working with clients to bring about change. This is a practical and accessible guide, which will help new trainees become orientated within the field of DMT. It also has much to offer practising psychotherapists who wish to develop more holistic and creative ways of meeting their clients′ needs.

Case studies and perspectives from around the globe illustrate examples of effective collaborations between clinical creative arts therapists and arts in health practitioners. Reaching beyond silos, these professionals can collaborate to deliver inspirational practice in a variety of settings. Leading experts explain how they have pioneered arts-based practice, developed successful partnerships and overcome difficulties in fostering relationships to offer better support and increase access to their services by the public. Discussions surrounding policy, funding and international initiatives towards integration offer a timely call to action. By working together, we reach collective goals of positively impacting clients' mental health, wellbeing and quality of life through the arts.

Creative Therapies with Eating Disorders is a comprehensive work that examines the use of art, play, music, dance/movement, drama, and spirituality to treatment issues relating to eating disturbance. The author's primary purpose is to examine treatment approaches which cover the broad spectrum of the creative art therapies. The collection of chapters is written by renowned, well-credentialed, and professional creative art therapists in the areas of art, play, music, dance/movement, and drama. In addition, some of the chapters are complimented with photographs of client art work, diagrams, and.

This book presents fresh and practical interdisciplinary arts-based concepts and methods to support and improve therapists' work assisting individuals and groups to develop coping, expressive, and communicative skills, broaden creativity and increase flexibility. It is written in a hands-on style combining theory, detailed protocols, and examples that the author brings together, offering an array of creative ways to work with different clients for a variety of aims. The book expands arts therapy practice to additional dimensions, enriching and improving professionals' work by presenting new knowledge in fields such as "performance-based therapy," "nature therapy," supervision and assessment, and mind-body connections. Berger's creative and pioneering style extends to sharing with readers the thought processes that culminated in developing the methods he presents. This approach inspires and invites practitioners to develop and implement their own creative methods. Ronen Berger, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer, drama therapist, and supervisor. Founder of Nature Therapy and former ecologist and dancer. He is head of the Drama Therapy MA Program at Ono College - The School for Arts and Social and Tel-Hai College, and teaches at Tel-Hai College and abroad. This is his 5th book.

Focusing provides an effective way of listening to the innate wisdom of the body, while art therapy harnesses and activates creative intelligence. Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Accessing the Body's Wisdom and Creative Intelligence is a ground-breaking book integrating renowned psychologist Eugene Gendlin's Focusing with art therapy. This new, Focusing-based approach to art therapy helps clients to befriend their inner experience, access healing imagery from the body's felt sense to express in art, and carry forward implicit steps that lead toward change. Written for readers to be able to learn the application of this innovative approach, the book provides in-depth examples and descriptions of how to adapt Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy to a wide variety of clinical populations including individuals and groups with severe psychiatric illness, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more, as well as applications to private practice, illness and wellness, spirituality, and self-care. Integrating theory, clinical practice, and numerous guided exercises, this accessible book will enhance clinical sensitivity and skill, while adding resources for bringing creativity into practice. It will be of interest to art therapists, Focusing therapists, psychologists, counselors and social workers, as well as trainers and students.

Dance and Creativity within Dance Movement Therapy discusses the core work and basic concepts in dance movement therapy (DMT), focusing on the centrality of dance, the creative process and their aesthetic-psychological implications in the practice of the profession for both patients and therapists. Based on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary inputs from fields such as philosophy, anthropology and dance, contributions examine the issues presented by cultural differences in DMT through the input of practitioners from several diverse countries. Chapters blend theory and case studies with personal, intimate reflections to support critical descriptions of DMT interventions and share methods to help structure practice and facilitate communication between professionals and researchers. The book’s multicultural, multidisciplinary examination of the essence of dance and its countless healing purposes will give readers new insights into the value and functions of dance both in and out of therapy.