What is Dance therapy & where to avail Dance therapy in Kolkata?

Movement and breath signify the start of life. They precede language and thought. Gesture immediately emerges as the means for expressing the human need for communication. This has been true over the span of human history. The body relays information—our emotional history—that remains stored in our musculature and other physiological systems. It is manifested in the individual’s postures, gestures, use of space, and movements. Our movements, gestures are window to our inner world.
What is Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT)?
American Dance Therapy Association defined DMT as “psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration”. DMT is use of expressive movement and dance as a vehicle through which an individual can engage in the process of personal integration and growth. The basic premises of DMT are:

1. The human being is a body-mind unity and dance/movement is its manifestation
2. Through Gesture, posture, and movement one person can express, gain self-knowledge and move towards change
3. Creative outlet of emotion has significant therapeutic importance
4. Dance and movement are utilized as a way to the unconscious and as a facilitator of different aspects of health and well-being.
5. Dance and Movementtherapist provide a holding environment where one can safely express his/her emotions
6. Dance therapists establish treatment plan and evaluate it in terms of integrated knowledge of movement, dance, and psychotherapy

Dance and Movement therapyis an interdisciplinary profession, with its own training, that evolved through the synthesis of the art of movement and dance and the science of psychology. Dance/movement therapists approach individual, couple, family, and group sessions by observing and assessing both their clients and their own movements, using verbal and nonverbal communication to create and implement interventions that will address the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive integration of an individual.

Also read: What Happens In The Best Mental Health Clinic In Kolkata?

Who can be treated with Dance and Movement Therapy?
The answer to this question is Everybody. Communication through body rhythm can be used for everyone, children to old. Generally, DMT is used for population dealing with communication difficulties. Children having Autism, developmental delay, delayed speech can be referred for DMT. Disorders like anxiety, depression, post traumatic disorder, where lot of unexpressed emotions are present, DMT can be one treatment of choice. Sometimes DMT can be very helpful to vent out repressed trauma, fear and bring them out on surface. Dance therapists work with people undergoing therapy to help them improve their body image and self-esteem. It is commonly used to treat physical, psychological, cognitive, and social issues such as:

Developmental Disorders	Mental Health Issues	Physical Issues	Neurological Issues
Autism Spectrum Disorder	Anxiety Spectrum Disorder	Chronic Pain	Dementia
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity	Depression	Obesity	Epilepsy
Intellectual Deficit (Low IQ)	Dissociative Disorder	Cancer
Speech Deficiency	Eating Disorder	Arthritis
	Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder	Hypertension
	Poor Self Esteem	Cardio-vascular disease

Clients having a knack for dance and movement can be benefited from DMT as they will be happy and motivated for therapy.
Where we can seek Dance Movement Therapy
DMT is a specialised stream of intervention, which can be performed by specialised group of people with diploma in the field. The Therapist needs to have a degree in psychology and additional certification as DMT therapist. Dance movement therapy facility could be found in hospitals or mental health establishments. Multispecialty mental health clinics, where holistic treatment is provided, might have DMT facility. One can use personal reference to look for DMT therapist in Kolkata. Google is a one stop solution for everything. One can search on google for finding out “Dance-Movement therapist” in “Kolkata”. While looking for DMT therapist few pointers to be kept in mind:

1. If the person has degree or diploma in psychology and additionally trained in DMT course
2. Is required space for DMT therapy available? Do they have layout with mirrors and adequate space to move?
3. Does the therapist give adequate time required to understand the problem? Any DMT session will require 45 min to 1-hour time.
4. In mental health, best results come when inputs come from different areas of expertise. If DMT therapist can discuss cases and take inputs from psychiatrist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, social workers, it leads to better outcomes. Research has shown that in mental health holistic treatment process works the best.

On google, feedback and ratings are also available, so it is advisable to check the ratings or feedback given by others for reference. So please use the above mentioned criteria for background check and you will be sorted. Let’s move towards the path of healing through movement and creativity. Till the point you are not ready to express, let dance pave the way for communication.
Find the best dance therapist is Kolkata
MPOWER - THE CENTRE
Unit N210A-211, 2nd Floor,
North Block, Ideal Plaza, 11/1,
Sarat Bose Road Kolkata 700020
+91 90735 55522

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