May 30 Event!

Special thanks to Nate Ludens for this AMAZING design.

Eating Disorders Awareness Week

In working with the eating disorders patients this week, my supervisor and I brought in women's magazines to have the patients cut out or tear 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' media images that they would then put into a collage together. In my experience, doing this exercise can have a way of clarifying inner issues of the body, and projecting them out onto paper. When done mindfully, this exercise can highlight ways in which we may be triggered by images.
In this era of normalized hatred of women's bodies, I want to share two youtube clips that I think everyone needs to see.

What I'm Reading

High School Dance Concert

I'm so proud of the high schoolers I substitute taught beginning, intermediate, and dance company classes to while their teacher was on maternity leave last fall. What an AMAZING job they all did performing in the Winter Dance Concert!

Wasted/Waisted Time

My friend from graduate school is pioneering the Tamalpa Latin America program, and has chosen some images of me to include in the brochure, pamphlet, and website. The images are from my Level 1 performance, when my costume was a black trash bag and my theme was Wasted/Waisted Time.

Licensure and Certifications Demystified

Dance/movement therapists are very educated people. We know from the ADTA website that to be a DTR or ADTR, alternate route students must have a master's degree (MS, MA, MEd) in a related field, but are other certifications necessary? Here are a few credentials dance therapists commonly have:

NCC. National Board for Certified Counselors.
MFT. Marriage Family Therapist.
LCSW. Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
LCAT. Licensed Creative Arts Therapist.
MSW. Master of Social Work.
CMA. Certified Movement Analyst.
LMHC. Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
LPC. Licensed Professional Counselor.
LMA. Laban Movement Analyst.

Somatic Movement Therapists also have a wide range of possible certifications and licensing, including:

ISMETA. International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association.
REAT. Registered Expressive Arts Therapist.
RSMT. Registered Somatic Movement Therapist.
SMTT. Somatic Movement Therapy Training.

How is one supposed to choose what organization(s) they want to register with when there's all these possibilities? Very confusing, indeed!

Here in California, DMTs are not considered licensed therapists like they are in other states. The California Coalition for Counselor Licensure, or CCCL, is working with dance therapists to pass legislation to make dance/movement therapy . To learn more and to sign up for updates on licensure, visit their website.

If you want to become a licensed therapist in California, you will need your MFT (Marriage Family Therapist) license additionally to DMT alternate route work, OR you may want to get a PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology.

Good luck in your decision making!

Dance when you least expect it

Have you seen the T-Mobile advertisement that took place at Liverpool station? It's fabulous! Watch it here and then watch the making of the advertisement here.

Dance Therapists Pulse for Peace

On Barack Obama's inauguration day, dance therapists all over the country came together in movement. Here are some videos from DC, LA, and Merced:

DC.

LA.

Merced.