Integration of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adulthood Through Dance Movement Therapeutic Techniques

Author

Kimberly HojFollow

Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

E. Kellogg

Abstract

Expanding knowledge about how to self-regulate when faced with challenging circumstances has the potential to benefit individuals and communities, especially in our post-pandemic environment with increasing needs for mental health support. This thesis provides a psychoeducational basis for use of dance movement therapeutic techniques to integrate adverse childhood experiences. The literature review refines an understanding of big T and little t trauma as it relates to mental illness, polyvagal theory, nervous system regulation, the window of tolerance, body armoring, somatic psychotherapy, trauma- informed care, adverse childhood experiences and post-traumatic growth.

This thesis culminates in a personal arts-based autoethnography informed by the theoretical framework summarized by Pierce (2014) to work with individuals through a three-phase dance movement therapy practice to process trauma-related content. The author collaborates with a photographer who used the “pop and blur” technique to capture a trail of light evident in the image to illustrate the somatic energy within the movement in a static, preserved and visually intriguing manner. Future applications of this arts ethnography will benefit therapists, educators and anyone who desires to process adverse childhood experiences.

Creative Commons License

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

Recommended Citation

Hoj, Kimberly, "Integration of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adulthood Through Dance Movement Therapeutic Techniques" (2024). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 658.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/658