Date of Award

Spring 5-17-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Expressive Therapies

First Advisor

Dr. E Kellogg

Abstract

Therapists frequently report experiencing burnout which is correlated with a decline in both physical and emotional health. Burnout affects the quality of care that therapists can provide, rendering self-care essential for ethical practice. Because the experience of burnout affects not only the cognitive experience but the somatic one as well, self-care to prevent and address burnout must address the body in addition to the mind. One avenue for this is through the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT). DMT is well positioned to address the symptoms of burnout as one of the fundamental tenets of DMT is that the mind and body are connected and therefore can influence each other. Just as Western society contributes to a disconnection between the mind and body, it also contributes to a disconnection between people and their greater environment. Through ecotherapy, people can remedy their understanding of themselves as part of, not separate from, nature. The nascent field of ecosomatics offers the combined benefits of both dance/movement therapy and ecotherapy, helping to integrate individuals’ mind/body/earth connection. By connecting with the more-than-human world through their own bodies, therapists can promote their own well-being and potentially prevent the occupational hazards of burnout. As a part of this thesis, I conducted a self-resourcing ecosomatic workshop at my internship site to address burnout in therapists. Participants appreciated the options provided of different body-based ways to take care of themselves throughout the workshop and themes of nature connectedness emerged in our discussion.

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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