Journal article
Mechanisms of change in dance/movement therapy and their neural correlates: A theoretical framework
The Arts in psychotherapy, v 96, 102389
01 Nov 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Dance/movement therapy (DMT), at the intersection of creative arts therapies and somatic therapies, has been difficult to pin down due to a lack of an official theoretical framework. The objectives of this study were thus to identify the therapeutic factors that are unique to DMT, explore their neural correlates, and develop a theoretical framework of proposed mechanisms of change. Through an in-depth literature review of DMT publications and a synthesis of the findings we identified five main elements or mechanisms of change with multiple subcategories each: 1. Connection through movement, 2. Emotional regulation through movement, 3. Body sensing and being, 4. Creative movement expression, and 5. Meaning making through movement. We further considered these in relation to ongoing neurobiological inquiries and research and suggested connected neural patterns. One of the implications of this study is a call to interdisciplinary efforts, incorporating embodied, creative and relational modalities into scientific (neuroscience) research.
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Details
- Title
- Mechanisms of change in dance/movement therapy and their neural correlates: A theoretical framework
- Creators
- Rebekka Dieterich-Hartwell (Corresponding Author) - Drexel UniversityRebecca Barnstaple - University of GuelphCecilia Fontanesi - Barnard College
- Publication Details
- The Arts in psychotherapy, v 96, 102389
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 16
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Creative Arts Therapies
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001630556300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105023498557
- Other Identifier
- 991022197414204721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Source: SDGs in the Output
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Clinical
- Rehabilitation