Embodied Self in Trauma and Self-Harm: A Pilot Study of Effects of Flamenco Therapy on Traumatized Inpatients

Abstract

Flamenco, the Spanish dance, is about expressing oneself with clarity, beauty, strength, pride, and self-confidence. Trauma survivors have often lost the ability to express themselves authentically, because they feel disconnected from themselves, or from life, often associate strength with violence, and can be flooded by strong emotions when moving. Due to the suitability of Flamenco to produce sensations of strength, pride, and well-being via body feedback, clinical institutions are starting to use Flamenco in the context of dance, music, or body psychotherapy for trauma survivors. In an experimental pilot study, N = 32 traumatized inpatients (n = 16 patients in the experimental group assessed before and after receiving a single Flamenco Therapy intervention, and  n = 16 patients in the control group receiving treatment as usual) were tested for change on the following outcomes: well-being, body self-efficacy, interpersonal resonance, plus experienced health, fitness, and pain levels. Results suggest a significant improvement of well-being, improvement of experienced health level, and improvement of experienced physical pain after Flamenco therapy in the experimental group compared to the control group, and a marginal effect for improvement of interpersonal resonance (p < .10 on both measures). Given the fact that the small sample already provided considerable suggestive effects, results are encouraging, but because of the underpowered sample needs further testing. Findings and limitations are discussed with respect to active factors of dance movement therapy.

Keywords:

• Flamenco therapy
• trauma survivors
• PTSD
• borderline personality disorder
• self-harm
• well-being
• body self-efficacy
• interpersonal resonance
• experienced health

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank dance movement therapists Catherine Stevenson, Marthe Dörffel, Sandra Adiarte, and Julia Glatthaar, and music therapis Liselot NN for helping to plan and conduct the study in the course of their Master studies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sabine C. Koch

Prof. Dr. Sabine C. Koch, BC-DMT, psychologist and dance movement therapist, director of the Research Institute for Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT) at Alanus University Alfter, head of the DMT Masters Program at SRH University Heidelberg, Germany. Specialized in embodiment research, evidence-based research, Kestenberg Movement Profiling (KMP), and active factors in the creative arts therapies, her research includes meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and primary studies on dance movement therapy (DMT) for schizophrenia, autism, Parkinson's disease, trauma, stress and depression. Research in the areas of embodiment, nonverbal communication, body memory, movement and meaning, and creative arts therapies.

Gustav Wirtz

Dr. Gustav Wirtz, MD, head of psychiatric rehabilitation in SRH RPK Rehabilitation Centre, Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Karlsbad, Germany. Specialized in psychotraumatology, psychotherapy of dissociative disorders and personality disorders. Research and publications in psychotraumatology and psychiatric rehabilitation.

Christian Harter

Dr. Christian Harter, MD, Assistant Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, SRH Clinic Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Karlsbad, Germany.

Matthias Weisbrod

Prof. Dr. Matthias Weisbrod, MD, head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, SRH Clinic Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Karlsbad, Germany, head of the Section Neurocognition of the Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, Propietor of Südwestakademie for Neuropsychology. Specialized in neuropsychology in psychiatry, neurocognition, and epigenetics.

Franziska Winkler

Franziska Winkler, music therapist (Dipl. FH), university clinics Heidelberg with 24 years of experience at the psychosocial center, “body expression” and “flamenco therapy” for patients with psycho trauma and personality disorders for more than 6 years; breath work therapist (GIA); 3-year training certificate “sound- rhythm- body” with Dr. Wolfgang Strobel; certified body percussionist (KörperMusikerin), diverse courses in flamenco, contact improvisation, oriental dance, stick fight (Escrima), and step dance.

Annett Pröger

Annett Pröger, Dipl.-Psychologist, licensed psychotherapist at the University Hospital of Heidelberg, received her training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and has worked for over ten years with people affected by personality disorders and trauma-related disorders. She is heading the unit specialized on the treatment of personality disorders and trauma related disorders of the University Hospital of Heidelberg.

Sabine C. Herpertz

Prof. Dr. Sabine C. Herpertz, MD, Head of the Department of General Psychiatry, numerous national and international research projects and 300+ publications, on borderline personality disorder, intergenerational trauma, and many others in the area of psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience. Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg.