The Battle for Control: Why Dance/Movement Therapy Should be the Foremost Therapy for the Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Literature Review

Author

Melody Plastow, Lesley UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Meg Chang

Abstract

This review will provide an explanation of the complexities and symptoms surrounding eating disorders, including etiology, barriers and stigmatization, and current treatment provided. There is a focus on the three most common eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Dance/movement therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for this disorder, and this review demonstrates the main themes found in literature surrounding the psychological symptoms, including body image, control, and identity. This literature review outlines the need for DMT within this population, five DMT frameworks that are currently working with eating disorders, as well as why it should be viewed as the most prominent therapy for work with eating disorders. Also provided is the role that a dance/movement therapist plays to create healthy practices and interventions for this population.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Plastow, Melody, "The Battle for Control: Why Dance/Movement Therapy Should be the Foremost Therapy for the Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Literature Review" (2023). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 729.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/729