Date of Award

Winter 12-20-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MCM - MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Dr. Lee Ann Thill PhD, LPAT, LPC, ATR-BC Dr. Valerie Blanc PhD, LMHC, BC-DMT, CMA

Abstract

The objective of this literature aims to first, elucidate the history of the exclusion or absence of women in research examining traumatic brain injury (TBI). Second, in reviewing more recent published research examining women and traumatic brain injury, trends indicate women are prone to injury at increasing rates to men, due to biological sex, physiological makeup, and different etiologies. Finally, this literature review endeavors to examine published dance/movement therapy (DMT) research, and recommendations, for suggested interventions to apply to women with traumatic brain injuries and common comorbid diagnosis of depression, and PTS. Unique challenges this population experiences. In doing so this thesis contributes to the small but expanding collection of published resources pertaining to women's TBI healthcare to serve as basic education to healthcare providers and researchers in the field and serve as a valuable resource for empowering female survivors to explore dance movement therapy.

The American Dance Therapy Association (2023) defines DMT as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual, for the purpose of improving health and well-being. While the intersection of DMT and traumatic brain injuries has not been extensively explored, existing studies indicated a reduction or improvement in individual, common comorbid symptoms including depression, PTS (Post Traumatic Stress), cognitive impairments, and body image concerns. Moreover, these initial findings point to the potential applicability of DMT to address the unique symptomatology of female TBI survivors. Further investigation into the application of DMT within the traumatic brain injury population is essential to uncover potential interventions and bolster the credibility of this field within the medical community. Ultimately, this increased recognition may lead to referrals for DMT and its recognition as a viable treatment modality for female TBI survivors.

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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