Dance/Movement Therapy Careers amid Changing Systems: The First 50 Years

AbstractOne of a collection of six scholarly essays solicited by this journal to celebrate the first half-century of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA), this paper affords a brief historical overview of how both mental health systems changes in the United States and adaptive strategies undertaken by U.S. dance/movement therapists and the ADTA have affected the dance/movement therapy (DMT) profession during this period. Promoting DMT professionalism, identity, and opportunities continue to be challenges. Expanding the populations and settings served by dance/movement therapists has been the most effectively durable approach. A branding campaign to raise the profile of the ADTA ’s “Registered” and “Board Certified” DMT credentials is proposed as a long-term and widely applicable strategy for boosting the profession’s future sustainability.
Source: American Journal of Dance Therapy - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research