What is movement therapy?

While it might sound new-fangled because it’s not the stereotypical type of psychotherapy that most people think about, movement therapy is actually quite common. In fact, most people are keenly aware of two basic types of movement-based therapy: physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT). They both serve as a way to reconnect the brain with the body so clients can move and/or live more easily. Although these therapies are important, they are not the only movement-based therapies that exist. Dance/movement therapy is a type of therapy that is more inwardly focused than PT and OT, therefore working more towards a healthier mind in one’s body, rather than the connection between the brain and the body’s movement. Yoga, while not deemed a therapy by definition, is another therapeutic form of movement that plays a significant role in the betterment of a client. Let’s explore these therapies in a bit more depth.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is most commonly known to be used after being injured, whether the client was in an accident, had surgery, etc. It is also often used by the elderly population as their bones and muscles begin to weaken, causing pain in daily tasks. Many people tend to forget that physical therapy is also used for people with disabilities including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, or physical disabilities, among others. Typically, even in the large span of client identities, physical therapy looks fairly consistent. A physical therapist has a doctoral or professional degree and generally works in a clinic or medical setting. Physical therapists are highly knowledgeable about the body, surgery, and physical exercises. Based on what the client is looking to achieve, therapists will utilize different methods of strengthening and body flexion/extension. These include strengthening muscles and joints, doing strength exercises, stabilizing the core, applying ice and/or heat, physical manipulation or massage, using ultrasounds, or performing electrical stimulation.

Occupational Therapy

Unlike physical therapy, occupational therapy is almost exclusively geared toward the disabled population. The treatment works to help those with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities be independent in their lives. It is also, however, used for people without the typical disabilities, including the geriatric population, people with cancer, and people with chronic illnesses. While physical therapy more commonly deals with pain, strength, and range of motion for gross motor skills, occupational therapy is often more focused on fine motor skills, visual-perceptual skills, cognition, and sensory-processing. Occupational therapists hold a master’s degree and work in a wide variety of settings including nursing homes, clinics, schools, and hospitals. Although the therapy differs for each patient, occupational therapy often looks like fun, as many times games are utilized to practice grasp/release skills, hand-eye coordination, and more. It is also important in OT to develop skills for daily tasks like getting dressed as well as positive behaviors in stressful environments.

These therapies are all well and good, and can be incredibly beneficial for the right clients. But there’s more. Research has shown that physical movement also affects the brain. If movement has a direct impact on the brain, it follows that a therapy of movement could be beneficial in not only healing the body like PT does, but also healing the brain in whatever way it might need, whether that’s for someone with a mental impairment, for improving one’s mental health, or something else. Dance/movement therapy and yoga offer promising ways to treat the brain through movement.

Dance/Movement Therapy

Dance movement therapy is “the psychotherapeutic use of dance and movement processes to bring about healing and recovery for individuals of all ages and cultural groups.” It is not a form of dance that is focused on technique or performing, but rather creativity, mobilization, and energy. That means that it’s different than ballet class and also different from physical therapy and occupational therapy. It is practiced by licensed Dance/movement therapists, who have a master’s degree from an American Dance Therapy Association-approved institution. The therapists are educated on the key principle that the body and mind are interconnected. This is the basis on which their practice functions, utilizing movement to express emotions, personality, and even unconscious processes.

Because it serves a variety of clients, dance movement therapy looks different for everyone, and is generally about doing what feels good in your own body. It can be individual or in a group, and common manifestations of the therapy include moving to a rhythm or beat, noticing micromovements in the body, using props like scarves, or mirroring others. Generally, the therapist wants the client to gain a better understanding of their body. Verbal reflections at the end of the session often aid in helping the client notice insights and achievements from the practice.

In a session, a therapist works to “help a client achieve emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration.” Since this goal within dance/movement therapy is broad, the treatment program can really be used by anyone. The most common clients can be divided into categories including those with physical challenges (chronic pain, cancer, arthritis, etc.), mental health challenges (anxiety, depression, disordered eating, PTSD, etc.), cognitive challenges (dementia), and social challenges (autism, family conflict, domestic violence trauma, etc.).

While the acceptance of dance/movement therapy as a legitimate form of self-help is relatively new, research has shown that it can bring about many positive changes in clients. Studies demonstrate that it decreases symptoms of depression and reduces aggression, increases prosocial behaviors, improves memory recall and raises gross motor skills. It also offers a form of stress relief, self expression, and physical fitness, which all contribute to one’s improved self esteem and creativity.

Learn more about dance/movement therapy from a dance/movement therapist, herself!

Meet Kaitlynn Morelli, who has dedicated her life to helping others.

Yoga

Yoga is not typically considered a form of therapy, but its many benefits demonstrate that it works in similar ways to other therapeutic endeavors. As a practice that originated in ancient India, yoga is the combination of physical, spiritual, and mental practices that join movement with mindfulness. Modern day yoga is focused on Asana, or the physical postures of movement, especially as a form of fitness, but the idea of mindfulness is crucial as well. Many yoga practitioners find that yoga helps clear their mind because they are so focused on the bodily postures that they can’t think about anything else like work or school. Another reason for this is because yoga requires deep focus on the breath, which is a form of meditation in itself.

In Westernized culture, yoga typically takes the form of a type of fitness class on a mat. It often revolves around a certain flow of postures that are strung together with transitions and intense breath work. Each movement is accompanied by an inhale or exhale. There are various types of yoga, including vinyasa (flow), yin (passive stretching), and even yoga nidra (sleep yoga). Each type is meant to center the person and ground them by assisting them in learning to focus their attention inward. Thus, yoga can look like an athletic flow of poses like warrior two, tree pose, and wheel pose, or it could just be a seated meditation, among other things. Yoga can take place in a studio or at home.

Yoga is for everyone. The nature of the practice allows practitioners to do what feels right in their bodies, nothing more. There is never any judgement in a yoga studio if a yogi does not take the full expression of a pose.

The benefits of yoga are plentiful, and sciencehas begun to demonstrate this. In a National Geographic study, researchers found that among the many other benefits of yoga including relaxation, lowered blood pressure, and increased flexibility and strength, it is now believed that yoga can reduce inflammation, which is how our body reacts to injury. Inflammation is also associated with diseases like arthritis and diabetes, as well as cancer. In this particular study, researchers looked at three specific markers in the blood of breast cancer survivors that after a few months of yoga practice, showed a 10-15% decrease in inflammation signs. Although the exact reason for this is unclear, it could have to do with yoga’s ability to relax people and limit stress, thereby allowing for better sleep. Fatigue, on the other hand, fuels inflammation. Another report showed that the stress of living in poverty can be combated through yoga, as the attention span of a class of disadvantaged children after a regular yoga practice was significantly increased. Almost every yoga practitioner advocates for the practice because of the sense of calm and relaxation they get after a yoga class. Although yoga has not been researched extensively, yoga has a profound effect on human health, both mental and physical.

Even though when we think of therapy, we typically think of someone laying on a couch venting their problems out to a psychoanalyst, there are other ways that we can find healing and bodily benefits. Movement is one of the most salient and effective ways to heal not only the physical body, but also the mind. Beyond just physical therapy and occupational therapy, dance/movement therapy and yoga offer benefits beyond our expectations. What’s more, there is research to back up these practices and prove that we really can heal ourselves through movement.

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