Untying the Knots: Dance/Movement Therapy with a Family Exposed to Domestic Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence affects not only the battered victim, but all members of the family. Dance/movement therapy, through its active and metaphorical process, can provide a new therapeutic approach to assist families exposed to domestic violence. This paper provides a case illustration of the use of dance/movement therapy with a family exposed to domestic violence, as the primary therapeutic intervention. It is grounded in theories of attachment, on the primary hypothesis that dance/movement therapy offers not only a way to address the physical and emotional patterns of immobilization but also, as a reparative tool, it assists victims in integrating healthy self-regulatory capacities that have been stunted by trauma experienced through the body. The case illustration highlights how dance/movement therapy provided a direct approach to addressing specific symptoms of abuse that appeared in particular individuals in this family, as well as how ''re-choreographing'' the family dynamics and relationships dysregulated by the domestic violence was pivotal in helping this family to learn new ways to self-regulate.

Exploring a Dance/Movement Program on Mental Health and Well-Being in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence During a Pandemic

“…In particular, the first component of the MTMB TM model, Look Inside/Reflection is supportive of this connection. The qualitative findings are also consistent with previous literature that dance therapy increases body awareness and connection (30)(31)(32).…”

“…Creative arts and dance therapy also have been found to increase communication skills (25)(26)(27) and build community as well as reduce social isolation (25,26,28). Beyond these findings, dance therapy specifically has been reported to aid in re-accessing positive emotions (29)(30)(31), to increase body awareness and connection (30)(31)(32), to improve positive selfconcept and self-esteem (29,32), to discover and rebuild healthy boundaries (30)(31)(32), and to create a grown capacity for change by practice (29,31). Although these findings showcase the potential benefits of utliizing arts-based therapies for IPV populations, there is a dearth of research on arts in health, and in particular dance, interventions.…”

What Moves Us: Dance and Neuroscience Implications for Conflict Approaches

“…Where no common ground seems possible or diff erences seem vast, studies have shown that creating shared experiences through creative movement allows participants to discover connections and establish commonalities. Th is in turn fosters receptivity, empathetic listening, and a sense of shared ownership of a confl ict (Gray 2001;Devereaux 2008;Sheets-Johnstone 2010).…”

Is Dance/Movement Therapy Relevant to the Process of Achieving a Healthy Sexuality?

“…Therapists witness the ways in which childhood abuse causes depression and feelings of guilt, anger, and shame, which can ruin a child's ability to develop future healthy sexual relationships as well as the ability to find resilience in the face of negative experiences and trauma (Devereaux, 2008). Working through negative feelings and transitioning by means of interactions which have positive affect is crucial to the regulation of emotional states (Schore, 2003(Schore, , 2008.…”