Introduction to Dance Therapy

Welcome!

Welcome to The Movement Arc’s Introduction to Dance Therapy, a form of psychotherapy, an On Demand course taught and designed by Hana Kamea Kemble, MA, RCC, RSMT, CLMA, BMP, IFOT, RYT. 

Introductory Video

Course Contents:

This 30-hour course includes Webinars with Power-Points, Film and Video links, Graphics, Readings, Hand-Outs and 3 hours of live group conversations by Zoom (timed to support your integration of 3 classes at a time and your understanding. These live Zoom calls are scheduled throughout the year and you are welcome to join 3 times (1hr meeting each time).  If the dates do not work for your schedule, let us know and accommodations can be made. You will either be meeting with Hana 1/1 or in a small group of Clinicians.

Course Description:

In this introductory course, we explore five main areas of Dance Therapy (DT) theory and practice:

1) The history and development of the field and its current reach in the world and application to mental health,

2) Basic methods and techniques including witnessing, attunement, mirroring, kinaesthetic empathy, and expanding movement repertoire,

3) Basic introductory neurobiology supporting the efficacy of Dance Therapy,

4) Basic structures developed for expressive and creative movement in DT, and

5) Basic understanding of the methods used for assessment, intervention, progress and evaluation in DT.

Integrated throughout this course, we briefly explore examples of how DT supports growth and healing for individuals, families, groups and communities. We view this through the lens of developmental, relational and attachment psychology. 

(See below for more in depth learning objectives for this course)

Expectations of Students:

-There are 1 hour worth of asynchronous assignments such as readings and other homework for each class. There are 9 classes in total.  Each class is designed to take about 2 hours of your time to move through and engage with (including recommended partner work exercises).

–Assignments are to be uploaded after each class (9 assignments in total). If you have any trouble uploading a document or pdf please email Hana at The Movement Arc. There will also be quizzes at the end of each class that need completing.

-This is a self-paced course, so you can read at leisure before or after you watch the webinar and view the PowerPoint. After all assignments are completed, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. You are NOT certified to practice Dance Therapy or to advertise yourself as a Dance Therapist, after taking this course. The total hours of study required to become a certified dance/movement therapist is 420 plus 70o hours of internship and 7o hours of supervision. It is a serious endeavour. However what you can do is consider integrating the safe to apply aspects and methods of this course. When in doubt, seek supervision. Movement is a powerful ‘medicine’ and can be by nature provocative as you will learn about in this course.

-You are encouraged to journal as well as take class content notes, and make a note of questions you wish to review in your 3 live Zoom meetings with the instructor and other students.

-Please do not share any of the material or links or readings from this course with anyone else including work colleagues. These are to be kept private and confidential, thank you. All course content is copyright protected. If you wish to seek permission to share something please contact course instructor.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is designed and appropriate for those working in or training currently in the role of mental health Clinician, whether as Counsellor, Social Worker, Expressive Arts Therapist, Play Therapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Doctor or Psychiatric Nurse, Naturopath or other. It is also appropriate for those applying for masters level DT training programs.

This course is not designed for those who are not trained as therapists or as health professionals with experience in mental health. Although if you are a current student of a counselling, dance therapy or other expressive arts therapy training not yet finished your program, you are welcome to take this course as an adjunct to your learning. You are however asked to please ensure that before you apply any of the techniques and methods that you will learn in this course, that you have completed your studies and are receiving supervision. If you have any questions about these course pre-reqs please contact the course instructor Hana. Thank you!

Instructor:

Hana Kamea Kemble is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in the Province of British Columbia, Canada (BCACC), a former Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist (ADTA), Certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst, Body-Mind Psychotherapist, Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapist*, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist, and Registered Yoga Teacher. (*Note: Hana is not herself First Nations/Indigenous but worked for a First Nation for 9 years and was trained in body-centred methods relevant to indigenous cultures and populations, which informs her work and worldview).

Hana has a Masters degree in Somatic Psychology: concentration in Dance/Movement Therapy from Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado and offers her students over 25 years experience working in the field of mental health primarily as a multi-modal body-centred psychotherapist and dance therapist integrating various modalities. She also has a background in attachment and pre and peri-natal psychology, and play therapy. Hana has worked successfully using methods described and explored in this course with a wide range of clinical populations of all ages and abilities, and will share about this background in her introductory video.

Hana Kamea Kemble is also available for consultations and supervision for those wishing to apply new movement-based therapy skills.  You can arrange an initial meeting with Hana anytime, or a free 20 minute first-time consultation by scheduling using Calendly: www.calendly.com/hanakamea

What are other training options available to you after this course? 

If you wish to strengthen your own personal embodiment skills, please consider taking our Embodiment Foundations 5o hours course. For more information, go here:

If you wish to gain more skill in facilitating movement, The Movement Arc’s Expressive Movement Facilitator 250 hour Certification Program is for professionals wanting to learn more about facilitating dance, movement and embodiment skills for community and/or therapeutic applications (Accredited by the International Somatic Movement Educator’s and Therapists Association, known as ISMETA).

Either course may be your “next step” after completing this course, as both offer more experience and learning in one of the movement observation frameworks introduced in this course, called Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies, as well as more learning and practice of Developmental Movement Patterns.

For more information on the Movement Arc’s 10 month 250 hour ISMETA accredited EMF training, click here.

Enjoy your Introduction to Dance Therapy course!