About Dance Movement Pyschotherapy

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) enables people to engage in an empathic, creative process using body,  movement and dance to aid the integration of emotional, cognitive, physical and social aspects of the self.

Dance Movement Therapy is based on the holistic unity of body and mind. This approach to wellness enables individuals to discover pathways towards healthier living and well-being.

Embodied therapeutic approaches are considered effective ways of connecting to the sense of self in a world where changes and a general sense of chaos can leave people feeling fragmented. 

 

DMT with Paula Grech

I am a  Dance Movement Psychotherapist working with clients privately as well as offering regular workshops in personal development.   I am a UK-registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist (DMP), now resident in France, and also a member of the Société Française de Danse-Thérapie (SFDT).

For the last 20 years, my work has enabled me to use body movement practices to reach people of all ages and movement abilities.  As someone who has always had a deep love for dance, I am passionate about supporting others, in a safely-held space, to achieve optimal health by deepening communication pathways. I believe the body has an enormous capacity for healing and self-realisation. 

Discovering expressive art forms and integrating dance, movement, mime, play, voice and sound are tools for working together with my clients in the therapeutic space.  My training has given me an eclectic approach (person-centred and humanistic with Jungian insights).  My humanistic therapy encompasses a gestalt approach, exploring how a person feels in the here-and-now.

I support people through a therapeutic movement journey by  providing a safe space to be free and discover ways of experiencing  an inner resourcefulness while expanding individual creative potential.  I am trained to tailor the needs of my client group. For many people, DMP a great way to discover what lies beneath the surface of their lives and tap into their inner wisdom and potential.    You can be enlightened by the transformative possibilities of the body, the dance, the movement, and by the healing potential of this therapeutic art form.

Today I am building my private practice in Montpellier (France) where I’ve  been living for the past ten years.  As well as expanding workshops and retreats, for instance in Malta (where I spent much of my childhood).  I work in French and English,  offering individual psychotherapy and personal development support in groups, although French is not my mother tongue.  I continue to develop workshops in the UK (where I grew up and received my higher education).

Dance Movement Therapy benefits:

Good for treating:

 

Θ stress and depression

Θ decrease anxiety

Θ sleep disorders

Θ low self-esteem and body image issues

Θ communication difficulties

 

Good for treating:

 

Θ stress and depression

Θ decrease anxiety

Θ sleep disorders

Θ low self-esteem and body image issues

Θ communication difficulties

 

Can help to:

 

Θ increase quality of life

Θ improve well and being and body image

Θ support personal development

Θ support people through difficult times

Θ help people feel more connected to each other

 

Testimonials

Definition

Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) as defined by the UK association recognises body movement as an implicit and expressive instrument of communication and expression. DMP is a relational process in which client and therapist engage in an empathic creative process, using body movement and dance to assist the integration of emotional, cognitive, physical, social and spiritual aspects of self.

My Training

I trained at the Laban Centre in London at Masters Level and began practice in schools for children with special needs, in the community with adult mental health, family and (NHS) National Health Services. I’m also available on Skype for one-to-one private sessions. As a health practitioner, I maintain client confidentiality and adhere to the UK, French and European Codes of Ethics.

Benefits of DMT

I believe we all need a creative outlet of one sort or another to develop our human qualities and help navigate healthier pathways to achieve a balanced perspective in life. Whatever difficulties we may be undergoing, dance therapy can help — and especially if we are feeling depressed, anxious, traumatised or need help with emotional issues. I believe DMT can help support  women going through the menopause and I have a particular interest in working with life changes.

Dance Therapy is especially useful for young children with impaired communication abilities and critical emotional needs. Elderly people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, and people using mental health services, can also greatly benefit from DMT. In sum, dance therapy can help unblock the body in many ways.

How does it work?

During a Group (DMT) session we start with a warm-up and focus on breathing and then taking the body into a sensing mode. I’ll ask the group to be aware of felt sensations and to notice any emerging thoughts. Participants will be gradually directed towards a creative process where individual movement metaphors are associated with the embodied experience.

In this work, it’s important to leave behind personal judgements and expectations. It’s better to listen to the body and not force movements.  I use music to accompany the session and to help get started during the warm-up. It takes time to trust a therapist and other members of the group.  As participants become more able to engage in DMT and respond to the spontaneous process, it becomes easier to tap into unconscious thoughts,  to let go and to feel less inhibited. 

While inhaling and releasing,  the flow of breath goes through the body to invite changes and adjustments in time and space, so that the body in motion can go on to create more movement phrases. Through participating in a DMT session, clients have a chance to discover the meaning of their movements. The dance, just like words, can tell a story!

When we release our fears, unwanted thoughts and negative patterns, we touch something profound through something as deeply resourceful as our own dance: we discover the ability to let down some of our defences and to experience something new in a different way.  It is a personal experience; each person will undergo their own process. The body will feel the changes and energetic shifts when everything comes together via letting go, the creative process and finally the group connection.

All these different aspects of a session can help people to feel nourished, healed and have their insights deepened. When the body is in total alignment, we can feel more connected to the world at large and feel more at peace with ourselves.

 

When might Individual DMT be suitable?

Finding the right therapist is a personal choice and I am able to offer a free consultation to decide how, when or if to proceed. What I’ve discovered about the work is that everyone can learn to attune to their own needs.  By engaging with DMT, one may discover one of the most resourceful ways of becoming embodied, more aware and feeling more alive. It’s a great therapy for people who love to dance and express themselves as it is for people who struggle to express themselves verbally. 

I offer individual Dance Movement Therapy for clients in need of one-to-one support.   These sessions are especially important when a client has significant issues they are not able to share in a group.  Any form of trauma needs to be carefully managed.   Sometimes I work with other professionals as part of an multi-disciplinary team; DMT can form part of an treatment plan.  Dance Movement Therapy can help a person come to terms with trauma, with physical or sexual abuse, with eating disorders and with body image issues needing a sensitive approach.

Divorce and the death of a loved one can lead to a sense of hopelessness. In issues of grief and loss, I’m able to offer support to help my clients feel more able to manage their difficult feelings.