Borrowing from counseling and integrating areas of dance therapy expertise, we can generate a theoretical framework for couples dance therapy. Much of couples counseling theory comes out of attachment theory which dance therapists understand kinesthetically. Healthy sexuality requires the kind of embodiment that dance therapy facilitates. More and more, dance therapists have understood the body’s functioning through the science of nervous system regulation. This workshop will share couples exercises that strengthen individuality within relationship thus improving couple dances. We will examine aspects of attachment theory and Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory which form the foundation for these couples dance therapy exercises.
Couples therapy is a new frontier for dance
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We will examine aspects of attachment theory and Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory which form the foundation for these couples dance therapy exercises.
Pooling my training as a licensed professional counselor and a dance/movement therapist, over the last twenty years I have developed improvisational exercises where couples explore connecting palm to palm. Two-handed push explores boundaries. Alternated-handed push explores negotiation. Leaning into one another palm-to-palm explores support. Disconnection of hands can stir abandonment fear.
Couples dance/movement therapy separates attuned relating where there is a power differential like child/caregiver from relating where there is an even playing field as is ideal in romantic relationships. The palm-to-palm exercises help each individual strengthen self-regulation sufficiently to tolerate the limited ways that couples can healthily support one another. This in no way minimalizes the rich connection that is possible in romantic relating but helps couples open to what is healthily available by accepting and grieving what is
Gurman, A. S. (2008). Clinical handbook of couple therapy (4th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Outside of medicine, I spend my leisure time dancing and choreographing. My love for dance and music stems from my early childhood. I recall listening to Disney songs and “choreographing” dance moves – moves that appeared as uncoordinated, but exquisite loose wiggles. As a result of my parents’ high expectations and strict upbringing, dance was an important activity because it served as a safe haven away from the stress and pressure I felt as a child. Dancing was, and is still, my source of joy and amusement.
A relaxed and enjoyable evening, students are able to dance with a fellow student or invite a friend from out of school as they show off their ballroom dancing skills. Karen Feldman’s expertise is invaluable as our students learn something new and have a night for themselves. Today our MPC is used as a venue for off-site dance lessons for people of all ages, and many years ago the school even offered dancing lessons. In fact, chances are there are some members of the school community who remember being taught the fine art of ballroom dance under the watchful eye of John
After reading two articles it was interesting to note the differences and similarities between the two intellectual and highly respected individuals within the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). Each makes many valid points yet with such opposing viewpoints. By taking a closer look at some specific areas one may see that though these men have different beliefs on how treatment should be conducted, there are also some parallels. Some of the topics will include the history and future of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), what they agree and disagree on along with the challenges each has dealt with. Finally the author of this paper will provide insight as to what this means for her as she begins her journey to becoming a Marriage and Family therapist.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy focusses on the feelings that impact behavior. The importance is on receptiveness of the couple to the emotional needs that arise when discussing their issues and finding solutions to the conflicts. A couple is helped to recognize and understand their connection and need for attachment. This therapy is centered on the theory that couples childhood experiences strongly influence the couple’s behavior in the relationship. In order for this therapy to be effective the professionals in the human service field must be competent in many facets. They must be able to use non-verbal and verbal skills of communication, use reflective techniques and ask closed and open ended questions. In addition the counselor
Jane and Charlize is a homosexual monogamous couple who have been together for almost three years. The couple has been married for two years and a half. They were dating six months before deciding to get married. The couple attends therapy because they report feeling distant and having arguments a couple times a week. Taking the role of a therapist, I co-worked with another colleague during the third therapy session of the couple. The third session of the couple was based on the second stage of the Integrated Couple Therapy (ICT) model, stabilization (David, 2014, p. 66). This paper presents an analysis of the session I performed while working with the couple. This paper will analyze the couple’s presenting problem and their dysfunctional
From early experiences we create a belief system defining who we are, how life works, and what we can expect from life influencing our ongoing relationship with self and others. TA’s way of understanding this idea is a powerful method for analyzing relationships and integrating new ways of being in the world.
Emotionally focused therapy is designed to be short-term in structure. Developed principally by Dr. Susan Johnson, the main target of this type of therapy is couples and is focused on expressing emotions. The primary goal of emotionally focused therapy is to create a safe and long-lasting bond between romantic partners and family members while expanding and restructuring significant emotional responses. Partakers in emotionally focused therapy are emboldened to express their thoughts and emotions in a safe environment without fear of judgment. In this paper, we will discuss a therapy session between Sue Johnson and a couple, Leslie and Scott.
According to Doherty, J. W. (2002) couples therapy may be the hardest form of therapy and most therapists are not good at it. Surveys indicate that about 80 percent of therapist in private practice does couples therapy. Only the professional specialty of marriage and family therapy which constitutes about 12 percent of psychotherapy practitioners in the U.S requires courses in couple’s therapy. In other ward most therapists are individual therapist who may work with couples on the side, but they don’t really have the skills and experience necessary to be effective couple’s therapist.
In marriage and family therapy, many varied approaches and therapies are available to therapists. The following, based upon a case study, will examine the three therapies (structural, systemic and solution focused therapy) and will demonstrate why solution focused therapy is likely the most effective for the case study at hand.
Couple therapy often refers to the common negative process, of pursuer and withdrawer, in order to understand the relational dance. This is the process where one partner purses the other through emotional demands, criticism, and complaints, while the other retreats through withdrawal, defensiveness, and passive interaction (Christensen, & Heavey,1990). Many theorists have identified a gender linkage with this pattern, suggesting women present as the demanding, pursuer, while men assume the role of the distant, withdrawer (Christensen, & Heavey,1990; Mornells, 1979). There is a belief among some theorists that this pattern results from different personality characteristics of men and women, and therefore impacted
multiple theories have influenced the development of my personal model and therapeutic approach to couples and families. Three theories in particular that I draw my therapeutic approach from includes: narrative therapy, emotionally focused couple’s therapy, and attachment theory. I will articulate the theoretical underpinnings of these three theories and integrate them in one cohesive personal model called Emotional Enhanced Attachment Narrative Therapy. This paper will discuss my approach in regards to the theoretical/philosophical assumptions, clinical applications, and final reflections of my personal model.
Chapter 11 discusses the Issues and Ethics that come along with counseling Couples and Families. In class, we discussed the value system that exists among Couples and Families in the therapeutic relationship. I believe that through the combination of concepts and techniques from multiple theoretical approaches I will be able to perform ethical and effective therapy. This method enables me to introduce different theories that offer a variety of understandings about how problems develop and how these problems can be solved because each couple is unique and different. By using this basic guiding principle in organizing treatments for couples based on what they value in their marriage, and not imposing my values of what marriage is for me, I will
This method is particularly helpful for women who have eating disorders. Once I visited the dance therapy session and I experienced that women feel safe and free there. They give some exercises like psychosomatic breathing to help women find their restricted point and then release their emotions. They also recommend them to do exercise by placing their hands on different breathing centers on the body, like near the collarbone, chest, or belly button. My experience has been that when we start a session working with the body in a way that provides contact to feelings, and the talking part of the session has a slightly different attribute to it (Graetz, Sawyer, Baghurst and Hirte, 2006).
the therapies but these studies do not prove as effective as using both movement and music. With