Screen–bridges: dance movement therapy in online contexts

ABSTRACT

The confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led many psychotherapists to move all, or a good part, of their work online. Online dance movement therapy (DMT) work has been little documented and probably little explored, so we have had to adapt to the circumstances and learn along the way. This reflection presents the lived experience of nine months of online work in the two contexts of individual psychotherapy and a DMT group; both experiences of the author. Two opinion polls were conducted, and the author’s diary notes were used to illustrate the results. The effects of DMT in virtual contexts need to be explored and documented further. In nine months of online work, participants were able to enhance their body awareness and embodied empathy. DMT group sessions help participants reduce feelings of isolation, increase their wellbeing self-perception and promote a sense of belonging.

KEYWORDS:

• online dance movement psychotherapy
• embodied empathy
• wellbeing
• isolation
• belonging
• lockdown