Date of Award

5-16-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Major

Expressive Therapies

First Advisor

Nick Suchecki

Abstract

The field of mental health counseling frequently prioritizes verbal modalities, often leaving dance/movement therapists (DMTs) in training to navigate clinical environments that diverge from their primary movement-first modality. Without adequate preparation for this tension, emerging DMTs risk losing access to their primary treatment modality at a critical stage of professional development. The literature review highlights the mind-body connection as a theoretical foundation for somatic integration in clinical practice, examines the development of the internal witness through authentic movement practice, and explores selected current perspectives on DMT within individual counseling contexts. To investigate further themes, a heuristic study was conducted during the author’s internship as an outpatient counselor. Methods involved weekly journaling, authentic movement practice, and thematic analysis of clinical journal entries and movement reflections. Findings indicate that identifying movement language served as an entry point for somatic work, revealing core somatic polarities such as control versus autonomy. These results suggest that DMT principles can be sustained within a talk therapy context through the authentic application of theory and patience in rapport building, offering a reflective framework for future trainees navigating dual professional identities and the expectations of outpatient counseling.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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