Dance/Movement Therapy and ADTA Certification

 

WHAT IS DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY

  

     Throughout all time and cultures, dance has been a source of therepeutic expression and healing.

 

As described on the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) website, Dance/Movement Therapy, (DMT) is "the psycho-therapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual, for the purpose of improving health and well-being."

 

     "It emerged as a field in the 1940s as early innovators, many of whom were accomplished dancers, began to realize the benefit of using dance and movement as a form of psychotherapy. It is a holistic approach to healing, based on the empirically supported assertion that mind, body, and spirit are inseparable and interconnected; changes in the body reflect changes in the mind and vice versa.” 

​

REGISTERED DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIST (R-DMT)

CERTIFICATION (as described by the ADTA):

​

     "Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) acknowledges the attainment of a basic level of competence in dance/movement therapy, achieved through the completion of dance/movement therapy education and training. The R-DMT signifies both the first level of entry into the profession and the individual’s preparedness for employment as a dance/movement therapist within a clinical and/or educational setting."

​

ALTERNATE ROUTE TRAINING (AR-DMT):

​

     The “Life is Movement” Institute is an Alternate Route Dance/Movement Therapy training resource for students who are working toward earning their Dance/Movement Therapy certification. DMT is a master’s level certification, and the Life is Movement Institute is an ideal learning center for those who already have a master’s degree, for example in dance, social work, counseling, education, or psychology. It is also ideal for those who are in the process of pursuing these degrees. Our training courses also serve as enrichment study for already certified DMT’s who seek additional training to enhance their clinical practice.

 

     The institute offers five different 45-hour intensive courses: four in DMT Theory and Practice and one in DMT Group Process. These five courses complete the DMT Group Process requirement and 180 course hours of the 270 Theory and Practice hours required for R-DMT certification.  All courses are held as small (currently online) cohorts, with students dancing for self-discovery and skill-building through a rich academic/experiential learning process.

 

​

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

​

     For more information on becoming a dance/movement therapist, see the R-DMT Handbook for specific requirements.

 

More more information on the field of dance/movement therapy, explore the American Dance Therapy website: