Many dance therapists are not employed by hospitals. In fact, many
of them run their own businesses, like you do.
Running a business is
a lot of work. It requires you to market yourself and seek out new clients.
Most dance therapists have brochures or leaflets that they send out to prospective
clients or people who are simply interested in learning more about dance therapy.
A
prospective client has heard about you through a friend. She asks you to prepare
a page of information on dance therapy so that she can better understand what
it is all about. You've already put together some information on the subject
(see below). Use this information to answer the questions that follow:
Dance
Therapy
Dance has always been an outlet for expression. It was
an important part of ancient ritual and a vital aspect of ceremonial and religious
events in all cultures. Dance is often at the heart of historic and modern
healing ceremonies in many areas of the world.
In modern times, dance
is both an art form and a pleasant social activity. Since the early 1900s
dance has been used as a therapy to enhance well-being and promote good emotional
and physical health. Dance is an effective outlet for expression and a means
of communicating feelings.
Dance therapy is based on the belief that
the mind and body work in unison. Dance requires the coordinated use of both
mind and body. Through dance, people can identify and express their innermost
emotions, bringing those feelings to a conscious level. This can cause the
individual to experience a sense of renewal, unity and completeness.
There
are benefits in dance therapy for just about anyone. It helps the average,
healthy individual stay in good physical shape and enjoy the pleasure of creating
rhythmic motions with their bodies.
It helps older people overcome
physical limitations and creates new opportunities for exercise and rehabilitation.
Dance therapy can improve the coordination of little-used muscles. It can
also give older people more independence and increase their self-esteem.
These benefits, in turn, reduce stress.
Because dance therapy can be
individualized, it becomes an outlet for expressing anger, love and fear.
As an act of self-expression, it increases a person's self-awareness and helps
him or her develop self-confidence. These qualities can be helpful in facing,
treating and coping with disease, disability and other health problems. Because
dance requires interaction with others, it also reduces feelings of isolation
and promotes growth in social skills and relationships.
The physical
motions of dance therapy provide the same health benefits gained through exercise.
Muscles are strengthened and mobility improved.