City counsel

ART THERAPY  |  PSYCHOTHERAPY  |  MUSIC THERAPY  |  DRAMA THERAPY  |  LAUGH THERAPY  |  COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY  |  DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY  |  JUNGIAN ANALYSIS

Dance/movement therapy

Sufi workshop at Creative Pier

“We take psychological theories and overlay them with movement,” says Maria Clausen, LCAT. Not unlike the other creative arts therapies (see the artistic, musical and dramatic varieties), movement therapists use improvised dance to gain access to thoughts and feelings that a client may be struggling to verbalize. “We use a technique called ‘mirroring,’ where we reflect back to the patient what we see, asking, ‘Gee, what does this movement remind you of? What’s going on? Is there a feeling involved in this movement?’ ” Dance therapy sessions take many forms and usually involve music to get things flowing. “The thing about dance therapy is that you can’t hide when you’re moving,” says Clausen. “Whatever your issue is, it’s in your body, and when you move you’re gonna see it—and so is the therapist. The goal is to listen to your body’s movements and be at a level of awareness that allows you to make changes.”

Where to find it: “I could dance by myself in my room and it would feel really great, but that is not dance therapy,” emphasizes Clausen, explaining that the psychotherapeutic benefits come from having a trained professional observing you and reflecting your movements back to you. Nonetheless, she admits, “dance is healing—it’s used in so many cultural rituals, and the benefits are physical, psychological and social.” If you want to branch out from your living room sessions with Cyndi Lauper, find a dance therapist through the New York State chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association (718-909-9720, nysadta.org), or attend a free interactive info session on Friday 25, 6–8pm (Moving Body Resources, 112 W 27th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, fourth floor; 718-909-9720). Meanwhile, arts-therapy center Creative Pier (see art therapy) also holds regular Sufi workshops, which include meditation, music and movement, and will also be introducing dance-therapy sessions in February.