It makes me so happy to see people both working with these patience and those who are cheering those people on. I was one of these girls at one point of my life around the same age as "caroline" i was deep in a catatonic state and had a complete annihilation of a sense of self and slowly but surely made it to where i am now...it is such a beautidul but traggic thing watch a video like this. And honestly it is inspiring me to help the people who are still in these states and to show families that "Yes, there is hope. They will come out of this tunnel. And the light is in them it just needs to shine" :)
I work in a psychiatric facility so I am very familiar with the kind of population this speaker is describing. I know how patients look when they’re too preoccupied with their thoughts to speak, or heavily responding to internal stimuli to uphold a conversation with another person; sometimes on their down time, they’re quiet and reserved, have a low affect based on their droopy eyes, frowned mouth and some are even hunched over when standing/walking. I’m so glad that he makes his patients feel seen. He says to his patients “hey, I can see how you’re moving, I can feel your tense/scared energy, let’s try to tackle this together” through non-verbal communication, mirroring their movements. This was a bit overwhelming (in a positive way) to watch as I knew those patients were having fun using their movements to eventually create an imagination from this concrete realm to another one. This is the magic of movement.
Its so refreshing to hears that these Dance movement Therapists are able to connect with patients on a deeper level. Being able to have people express themselves through movement is a truly beautiful thing. Sometimes, you might not know what you are expressing or if its the right way to express it. But there is no right or wrong answer. Your own interpretation of the movement is best for you and only you. Not being afraid to acknowledge where you are and how that might affect your movement.
Lovely descriptions of dance/movement therapy at work with those with mental illness. Really paints a picture for some of the concrete ways dance/movement therapy can be used.
The use of his own patients was so powerful. It was so cool to see the progress that was made on his patient, Caroline, through his dance therapy techniques. So interesting to see the range that dance therapy reaches by helping those who were so immobile at the start.
Thanks to the speaker for sharing not only the gestures created in his space, but also the transition from literal movement to metaphor. Dance/movement as holding space, as well as a space for the imagination is so powerful.
Ted Ehrhardt's talk was very powerful. I love how he used an example to get his point across. Mirroring is a powerful tool that Dance Movement Therapists can use to get breakthroughs with their clients. That is what Ted was teaching us. I find this so interesting because I am fascinated with the brain. Through my own studies, I have learned that there are mirror neurons in the brain, which help infants move similar to their parents. I assume these mirror neurons are also activated during mirroring. I love seeing a real life example of something I have learned.
That is a great connection! Mirror neurons intrigue me, and I think they play a large role in connecting us to one another. They enhance our ability to tune into another person, even without our awareness sometimes.
I also think the use of an example is very useful. Mirroring is a great technique that dance therapists can utilize, and you're right about the mirror neurons, they are definitely at work! Sharing movement through mirroring can help to either feel someone else's movement in your body and see how it feels and try to interpret it together, as well as feel like you and your movements are really being seen and recognized by another person when they are mirroring you.
Ted does a wonderful job of painting the picture of a person with severe mental illness. His quote, "The movement we share is the essence of the transaction" perfectly encapsulates the dance/movement client-therapist relationship. The shared movement serves as a foundation and creates building blocks for the therapeutic relationship. His explanation of mirroring and its transformation into a metaphor displays the power of movement and how it can connect us to one another on a visceral level. It is clear that he was able to effectively hold space for his group as well as allow various members to be seen and heard.
Ted Ehrhardt's presentation on the use of dance/movement therapy and mental illness offers concrete examples of how movement can lead to emotional expression. It shows how dance therapy works. It explain how the authentic movement expression of clients is healing and how the dance therapist uses this to help share, communicate with other, and be seen and heard by the therapist and the group. Excellent work.
Ted Ehrhardt did a wonderful job explaining some of the key philosophies and beliefs of the dance/movement therapy field. His use of the clients' movements and mirroring to form relationships and develop the session is a great way to bring the individuals of a group together to explore their thoughts and emotions through movement.
I greatly appreciated Dr. Ehrhart's succinct definition of DMT. He describes the field as one in which dance can be "used as a therapeutic intervention to integrate clients' functioning... based in relationship." His insight into mirroring with this population is empathic and reflective - helping the group feel seen but not overwhelmed. He has a gentle nature and great skill as a participant observer, helping group transition from movement to metaphor. I deeply appreciate his case example and resonate with his wondering about "what can I ask to move this further" to enhance the moment of genuine connection.
This talk beautifully articulates the ebb and flow of dance/movement therapy and the presence that makes it so powerful. Ehrhardt's ability to adapt and expand upon the movement themes that arose brought out such authentic reflection for the participants. It was lovely to see where the group was able to go when given acceptance and validation.
The use of mirroring can be a great technique to allow participants to express what they are feeling without the use of words itself. It was great to hear about a successful experience with mirroring from Ted Ehrhardt!
Ted Ehrhardt's presentation clearly demonstrated the simplicity, impact, and power that D/MT encompasses. The work he does is greatly focused on mirroring, attuning, and connecting with the patients and encouraging the patients to receive that same connection with each other. I was greatly impacted by the statement, "movement we share is the essence of the transaction." This is why I find D/MT so important, because through movement themes (such as home), functioning, and relationships can be created and maintained. I also was impacted by the idea Ehrhardt presented of the climax and diminishing of a group, and the natural rhythm that it creates within the group. Overall, I found this presentation inspirational and creative, even in the simplicity of the actions.
I chose this video because watching Dr. Ehrhardt in class made me want to learn and understand more on how dance movement therapy plays a positive role in the lives of individuals who have mental illnesses. Its amazing to be able to watch the patients bodies open up, and move in coordination with others, when they are so often isolated, mentally and physically by everyone else. The positive environment really allows Dr. Ehrhardt to connect with the individuals he cannot converse with through nonverbal body movements to enable trust.
I found Ted Ehrhardt's approach, as described in his case example, to be simple but profound. His account showed how he guided the group--in a keenly attuned and gentle manner--from concrete experiences into metaphor and imagination. It was a wonderful example of the ideals he discussed such as giving the patients voices and facilitating their capacity for unique expression and sharing. Overall, it was inspiring and thought-provoking!
Thank you for the description of humanity that you offered at the end. To see and to be seen. To share with others and have others share with you. Connection is a vital aspect to the healing process for so many people, and often difficult to achieve in a psychiatric facility. Dance as expression and as therapy, is an invaluable tool for reaching out to those cut off from the world and possibly even from themselves. I hope that it becomes more common.
It's so special that through dance therapy others can be seen and feel valid without actually speaking words. Such an important tool for those who can't make those connections themselves
This was such a profound experience and a glimpse in utilizing dance/movement therapy in group sessions. I really appreciate Ted Ehrhardt’s presentation about this movement group and personal experience utilizing movement with his patients. There is a simplicity to the work of dance/movement therapy. Dance/movement therapy utilizes the innate experience to move, and with that notion, we connect to others, as everyone moves in their own capacity. This is how we first relate to one another, non-verbally and our lived experience is in our bodies. I truly resonated with Ted as he described his experience mirroring the members of the group. Our movements become our own personal dance and it is not until we experience and truly embody someone else’s dance that we can start to understand their feelings and experiences.
I loved Ted Ehrhardt's articulate sharing of the expression that he has seen happen in groups such as a "Caroline's" and "Betys's." I think that he touched eloquently on the balance of letting group synchrony develop from mirroring movement, and encouraging participants to make connections for themselves as to the true meaning of those movements.
The spontaneity in collaboration within dance therapy groups is incredible. People who are somehow afflicted in different ways and by different causes seem to be able to find comfort and trust with one another, and dance therapy helps the, to become vulnerable and connect with one another. I find it inspiring work to do to help these people identify what it is that causes them pain, and help them develop how it is that they can try to help themselves. It seems to be that DMT is less about curing a person, or accomplishing the goal of healing another. Instead the therapist acts as a guide, simply helps the patient along the path to helping themselves. The way in which DMT evolves and creates so organically is incredible to me.
I really enjoyed this story of the sense of unity that movement therapy groups can provide for those invovled. It allows people with mental illness a sense of expression, collaboration, and unity with others. I also enjoyed how this story showed the growth of movement based off others in the group.
This talk was very powerful to listen to. Knowing that DMT can make such an impact on someone's life is so inspiring. I wish DMT was more available for people due to the huge impacts on life it makes.
Ted Ehrhardt is a very eloquent speaker. His first statistic that 25% of our population is diagnosed with a mental illness was very shocking. I particularly enjoyed his emphasis on his experiences with ‘Caroline’ and other clients was the movement him and his client create together, and the development of the themes from this movement are integrated into the treatment. I enjoyed hearing his anecdote of the mirroring exercise he uses with his group. His point to not ‘overwhelm’ the client’s movements was very interesting to me. I feel that by mirroring individuals can ‘feel seen’ as Mr. Ehrhardt describes. The progression of movement that the clients in his story take was very touching, and is a wonderful example of movement and metaphor development.
I think this talk does a very good job at showing how dance movement therapy can help people make connections and really develop though out their sessions and how mirroring and nonverbal communication is so powerful to express emotions
I love the way Ted narrated and articulated his DMT work and experience with Caroline using movement. It is a powerful story about the "sharing of the expression". I believe that the work of DMT has the ability to connect and experience with a person's imaginative realm and/or internal world even for those who suffer from severe mental illness.
This talk provided such a beautiful and clear example of dance/movement therapy approach of mirroring as a way of showing acceptance and validation. I found it helpful to be reminded of the benefits of movement as communication in any form it comes in, no matter how small or big the movement appears.
25% of individuals being diagnosed with a mental illness was really a surprising fact to me. I never thought I was shielded from these things in the past, but this talk opened my eyes to the message being spread. I really like the tool of mirroring that he uses. Getting on the individuals level makes them feel significantly calmer and at peace. That feeling of safety truly allows these individuals to be more open when they have felt so shut out most of their lives.
I really like the empathy approach to mental illnesses because I think that the personal connection would be imperative in treatment. He also points out how many people struggle with mental illnesses, and this shows that everyone has their own personal baggage, where some baggage is easier to hide than others.
I thought this provided a really great perspective on the client/therapist relationship and how important it is to show up with continued commitment to build that eventual trust, slowly but surely.
It is crazy to fathom that one in five take something regularly to alter thier regular conciseness. with that being said, this story provides an excellent intervention to that concept (Dance movement therapy)
I found that statistic to be surprising as well. It really makes me question what "healthy" or "normal" is as it relates to the desired improvement in functioning being sought after by so many.
I have read time and again it's because of pharmaceutical financial gains. Shamanic plant medicine can really heal and doesn't have to be psychedelic i.e. kambo. Wet cupping also brings immense relief, different things work for different people.i.e. somatic Awareness, experiencing
Ted Ehrhardt's talk is very relevant. I had not previously known that one in five people take medication for mental illness, but it doesn't surprise me. We know so much more about mental illness today and as a result there are more diagnoses. Medication can only do so much for patients and I think including dance/movement therapy in a treatment plan can help tremendously. Ted's example of mirroring his clients is a great way to establish connections and relationships in calm setting
I really enjoyed listening to Ted Ehrhardt's beautiful description of his experience with Caroline. It can be so challenging to describe DMT work and capture the essence of what was felt in the group. Group work can provide important chances to explore and build positive relationships for individuals dealing with mental illnesses.
I felt like he did a really good job of telling and explaining Caroline's experiences and emotions throughout the process to really show the effectiveness of DMT.
I was really impacted by the theme of home that developed for the patient. To me, home is somewhere that is identified as a safe space. Did she ever expand on the specifics about the theme of home, whether it be in this session or future sessions? I can see this being powerful in inviting someone to be at home in their body, with others in therapy, and out in the world. Also, movement such as eye contact is a functional but also expressive skill that I am so glad this patient was able to experience. As other D/MTs have stated, the expansion of movement also provides the expansion of emotions - and vice versa.
Thank you for this powerful demonstration of one of the most fundamental principles of dance/movement therapy: mirroring. It is so clear that the members of your group wanted to be seen, to be understood, and to be held by each other. I sometimes forget to return to the basics, to the simple truths that built the foundation for DMT. Thank you.
I think it is really easy for us as a society to see a mental illness and jump straight to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or medication without looking to alternative treatments for the disorders. There are so many other options for people struggling with mental illness, and dance/movement therapy is a great way to approach the diagnosis holistically and integrate the whole body in the healing process. Ted did a great job using clients as examples of this holistic healing.
Hearing about Caroline's movement and improvement is so inspirational, especially hearing about as sessions continued, she became more communicative and open.
Patients picking up the movements, then mirroring those movements, and progressing them shows development of the group. This form of dance movement theory of interpreting movements is very interesting. It was cool how they all agreed that the movement meant home.
I really liked how this video used the example of a girl admitted to Ted's class. It is really important to know that we can use dance as a therapeutic intervention to help a patient integrate her functioning. I thought it was very interesting that through the use of mirroring, a patient was able to interpret for themselves what a movement means (when Betsy reached out and established that as "home").
Hearing Caroline's story is so inspiring. We hear about how she locked up at the beginning, and as the sessions go on she became more and more open. The mirror exercise is a great thing, and it seemed to help with Caroline and Betsy because they were able to move into the realm of the imagination.
Yes! It really seems that this mirroring activity was able to bring the experience beyond just movement itself, but rather something that had more meaning and significance.
Ted Ehrhardt does a great talk. It is amazing that one and five people take meditation for metal illness, this was shocking. He has a great description of dance movement therapy, the movement itself and how the theme arises and how that gets integrated into the treatment. I found it ver interesting that he felt like he mirrored the movement but not aggressively to overwhelm the clients. Ted Ehrhartdt does an amazing job of describing how movement can transition people to the tangible ideas.
Human connection is so powerful and can be used to heal. This is a great example of this! Feeling isolated, trapped, and alone by any illness or disease only works to make the situation work, so DMT seems very effective for providing that sense of connection with others and ability to express oneself.
I agree and I'm glad you highlighted this. I feel like group connection, specifically through mirroring but other group activities as well, are really powerful bonding/understanding exercises. And something I think it would be difficult to achieve on a group level other forms of therapy.
Dr. Ehrhardt does a great job explaining how Dance Movement therapy can connect mental illness patients with other people. People suffering from mental illnesses have a difficult time creating and maintaining relationships with their peers around them. He explains that the most important step in Dance Movement therapy is the relationship between client and instructor. He uses an example of mirroring and how he hopes the client feels and recognizes that establishing relationships is essential. The use of the movements from the clients and mirroring these movements in order to establish relationships is a awesome way to bring the clients together to explore their emotions and ideas.
Dr. Ehrhardt does a wonderful job explaining how dance movement therapy can help mental illness patients connect and have a relationship with other people in what he subscribed as a therapeutic intervention. By using a kinesics approach to his therapy, his patients are able to expose or release their inner thoughts to the rest of the world and express their emotion with movement. The mirror technique he utilizes is how he tries to establish a relationship with his patients and he does so by imitating and following their movements to contract a relationship.
love this explanation it also describes how I’ve lead my groups as a DMT! I no longer practice or work, now at 73 years young and not connected to the field… Really like this video about DMT, appreciate the presentation 👏👏👏
I felt so impressed that 25 present of people here are diagnosed with mental illness and I am glad that DMT can actually help with those illness. It is amazing that the relationships built through the movement in DMT can help Caroline began to open herself and interpret for herself. I really like how Ted Ehrhardt mentioned that DMT is relying on our movements and others' to generate an expression that is healing and helping.
I think it was really impactful that these patients were able to change these movements into metaphors. I have never thought of DMT like this, but I believe it is a good way of explaining how DMT can impact individuals. Especially when he gave the example of the young girl who said she was reaching towards "home," it shows how deep and important this form of therapy can be. Ted Ehrhadt did an amazing job of exemplifying this and showing his audience the positive effects of DMT, as well as the necessity for it in the realm of mental illness.
I love hearing about true stories of how dance therapy can touch and help so many different populations so I absolutely loved this talk. I never really thought about the point he made about a climax in movement before so that was interesting to think about.
Same here! Hearing another person's healing experience is definitely impactful in many ways. It allows me to empathize with the client so much. It's as if we can grasp the same motivation the clients had and work on ourselves as well!
One of my favorite things about dance/movement therapy is that it can be used by such a wide variety of populations. Integrating the body and mind can have amazing outcomes
I think with mental health becoming less stigmatized it is a great time to promote dance movement therapy. I think this video put into perspective the relationship between patient and therapist. There really has to be slow and steady relationship building in order for the patient to become comfortable. Once patients are comfortable with their therapist, this is when DMT really can help a patient mentally.
That is a great point - it is important to slowly build rapport between therapists and client in order to build a trusting relationships when it comes to DMT.
The treatment of those who have mental illnesses is so important. Dance therapy can help those who have limited communication. In my nonverbal communication class i learned that withdrawl from communication or social interaction can close people off and cause harm. As everyone deserves attention and stimulation even something as small as touch, movement and visuals helps tremendously in people who are suffering from mental illness.
DMT is more than just movements. It is more than just getting together with other patients and meeting with a therapist. It is life changing. Caroline knew that she wanted her life back. She was aware that the struggles she was facing should be tackled head on. Regardless of how difficult it was for her, she pulled through as best as she could, and it showed through her movements. Speaking can be difficult, so DMT gives us a new avenue to explore the possibility of communication with others through the language of the body. It gives us an opportunity to let the world know what we want to them know when we are too afraid to say it ourselves. DMT should be more than a niche, as many people from all the groups and backgrounds can benefit from the therapy.
I loved hearing from Ted Ehrhardt about the spontaneous collaboration that happened in his therapy group when Caroline joined. I think what may not always be said in words can often be displayed in our movements and body language, so I found it fascinating that each member of the group was willing to watch what each other was doing and mirror it. In this was, they created a group of support and solidarity that may not always come when dealing with a mental illness.
I did not realize how many people are diagnosed with mental illnesses and how many take medications to help manage them. This statistic never truly crossed my mind as I knew numbers were high, but I never realized they were that high. It is really cool to see how DMT can incorporate movements and themes from that movement to help a group process and manage their mental illness.
I was able to gather a lot of information on how dance/movement therapy can be used to help treat mental illness. Something that stuck with me is helping a client move to a place where s/he can interpret for themselves what a movement means. This statement helped reassure the work that I am currently doing at my internship site and helps me feel more confident in my work/purpose as an aspiring dance/movement therapist. A statement that stuck out the most was, "We rely on the patient's capacity to generate expression that in itself is healing." That statement, to me, is powerful and important to the work of a dance/movement therapist.
He did a great job explaining how DMT can be used to heal people who suffer from mental illness. His patient, Caroline, often freeze for amount of time and how he used mirror technique to unlock her. From my understanding of nonverbal communication, once the therapist mirrored patient's gesture. Caroline's emotion will get enhanced and it will effect her body to move. It is fascinating to think that such technique exist in this world and could help many people!
The idea of sharing physically and emotionally is a powerful tool to help open spaces to be more vulnerable and open. In this video, Ted reveals the significance of feeling validated in your own movements, though mirroring techniques, but also how mirroring physical movements create a more open and responsive emotional state.
I agree! The fact that the students were mirroring each other created an open atmosphere where everyone felt accepted and not alone. This can really allow you to express your emotions as well.
I found this talk very moving, for mental health really is such a pervasive issue in American culture. Ted explained how DMT sessions aim for the creation of concrete movements that can be transferred into metaphors, as happened in his example session with Caroline. With the collaborative movement sequences that were created in that session, the group members were able to experience creating and then sharing some personal move or idea, which is inherently healing. Wonderful talk.
It is interesting how dance movement therapy can help a lot of people specially the individuals that are impaired with mental illness. The relationship that the dance movement therapist establishes with their patients is what makes the therapy work. What they the therapist and the patient share is the essence of it all. Creating an environment that the patient feels comfortable and be able to express themselves in their own way and furthermore being aware of one self. Very interesting topic.
I find it so fascinating that something as simple as mirroring can help individuals branch out just a little bit, just enough to make some kind of connection, even if it is just for a brief moment. I think as a society we negatively view mental health which is absurd since we all experience some form of mental health issue in our life. Some people may have prolonged experiences of mental health struggles and others may have an acute bout. However, we shouldn't view it as a negative experience.
I totally agree! It's so interesting how mirroring someone can bring such a connection. It makes the other person feel acknowledged and noticed. It's something that I've never really realized.
Ted Ehrhadt speaks about the high rate of mental illness that goes on within the country and how dance movement therapy can be an excellent intervention therapy. He brings up his use of mirroring his patients, I remember learning about the use of mirroring in nonverbal communication and how it connects people by providing empathy through copying each others movement. By mirroring it is as if you are reading the other person's mind. He also discusses "Caroline" who, in the beginning, could hardly move. Through my knowledge of nonverbal communication her body had probably gotten into that habit from many years of stress to where her body permanently became as it was then. A point Dr. Ehrhadt brought up that would help the general community is mainly discussing just how much mental illnesses are affecting so many and the importance of finding interventions and help before it is too late.
Ted Ehrhardt's examples of how Dance Movement Therapy can work with people who have mental illnesses give the philosophies of DMT some grounding, essential for those unfamiliar or newer to DMT work. His example of mirroring that he does in hopes that the client feels seen and to establish a relationship is powerful. You can tell he is passionate about his work from the way he presents it. Very interesting topic!
Ted Ehrhardt explains in this video how we can connect with others through movement and without the use of words. For example, he said that Caroline was unable to speak however, she was able to communicate with others nonverbally while doing dance/movement therapy. She made eye contact and held hands with another woman in the group and then proceeded to do the same with other members. This was a big deal because she was engaging with others and encouraged others to do the same. I thought it was interesting that he did a group exercise and how this enabled patients to mirror each other instead of just following the therapist's lead.
I know that severe mental illness can be debilitating, as Ted mentioned, and I love that DMT is able to combat this and allow people to find their voice. Besides maybe other forms of art therapy I cannot think of any other non-verbal form of therapy like DMT.
It was interesting hearing about how this therapist uses the mirroring technique and explaining how it helps the patient in his sessions. This technique really seems to allow everyone to connect to one another as you have to pay close attention to what others are doing
Agree! The mirroring technique can help the patients by attentively observing and reflecting on each other's movements, individuals can develop greater empathy and understanding, enhancing their emotional awareness
Ted Ehrhardt demonstrated how dance therapy can generate expression based off movements created and how that can become external. He highlighted how a significant amount of American's have a mental illness and that dance therapy can have a positive impact on patients. He frequently discussed his patient, Caroline, and her progression throughout the therapy. At first she was to herself and as time went on she opened herself up more and even interacted with others. The power of her intrapsychi and to be able to express that through movement and define it, is the benefit of dance therapy. The ability to share your story and feel safe because others are doing the same, by mirroring you is amazing. When we see other preforming an act it sets off our motor neurons and we are able to share the same experience with someone. I think this a powerful tool that would benefit many mental ill patients to heal, express themselves, and to be social with others since that opportunity is taken away from them.
Ted Ehrhardt begins his talk normalizing the existence of mental illness and addressing the stigma against it, claiming that one out of four Americans will, at some point in life, experience a “severe disturbance in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior that is such that basic mental functioning is impaired.” I appreciate the emphasis on the relationship as key and the movement theme as the essence of the work. He authentically, carefully, and specifically describes his approach using DMT with individuals experiencing severe mental illness and the process of transforming a concrete movement into an abstract metaphor. Movement is always changing. He highlights that a movement moment in a group is really just a moment - here one second and transformed into something new the next. Throughout the talk, I felt brought into the group experience and very curious about the thematic development. I wanted to experience the group he described! Overall, Ted Ehrhardt’s presentation emphasized the great significance each movement has to convey an idea worth sharing, being witnessed to, and receiving validation, especially for individuals with mental illness. His work is empowering and inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
This speaker did a great job of laying out the facts about mental illness and how prevalent it is in the United States. He also used a personal anecdote of how he saw firsthand the impact that DMT can have on mental illness. I wonder if he got some of his ideas of miming from Trudi Schoop who also worked with psychiatric patients?
I enjoyed learning about how dance and movement therapy can be used to help many different populations. Many of which I didn't realize how beneficial it can be for them
I think the mirror exercise is helpful because it makes people feel seen. This can be especially helpful for people who often feel like they are alone and no one is listening. However, this exercise allows for those people to have a voice and be heard.
I think it's interesting in DMT how a common practice used is mirroring someone elses movement. This can be a form a connection and respect that is not utilized as much in many other areas of therapy. Especially with people with mental illness or people with disabilities who have a hard time expressing themselves, it can be a new avenue towards being understood by others.
I really enjoyed hearing about the use of mirroring as well. This talk did a great job showing how it can be the starting point of conversation for future movement ideas.
Ted Ehrhardt discusses how dance/movement therapy can give people with mental illnesses permission to release and be seen by another person in a safe environment. Through simple things like mirroring or moving as a group, one can start to feel more open and more okay with being seen by someone else. A lot of the things that they would do in a group are nonverbal. For instance, the mirroring of movement would establish their relationship, then that may result in other things like eye contact and touch because there is more trust in that safe environment. Without that eye contact and touch, the relationship would not be as strong, which means that it would be harder for the patient to allow himself/herself to be seen. One thing that definitely stood out to me was how Ehrhardt said that the movement was about what they would integrate. Not one movement or sequence of movements would ever be the same in future events. How we move is because of how we feel in that exact moment. Ehrhardt understands how he cannot force those patients to move a certain way because that may not be how they are feeling, so that would not be beneficial for them.
When speaking on the important client-therapist relationship that develops during a dance/movement therapy session, Ted Ehrhardt perfectly puts this interaction into words: "The movement we share is the essence of the transaction." The mutual giving and receiving that takes place through dance/movement therapy is a crucial experience that bestows lasting positive effects on the client. How necessary for us to realize the pervasive reality of mental illness yet have hope for powerful interventions such as that of Mr. Ehrhardt's work in DMT!
In this video, Ted Ehrhardt explains how dance movement therapy can be beneficial to those who suffer from a mental illness. He uses his patients as examples to illustrate the power behind this therapy and the impact it has on the patients. He discloses how one of his patients, Caroline, usually freezes for time periods and how DMT helps her unlock herself. He explains how DMT helps Caroline move out of her comfort zone to begin expressing how she feels. He mentions that Caroline begins to move and he uses mirroring as a tool to help make her feel comfortable, and motivated to keep moving. He mentions how his patients later relate movements to metaphors and they give each movement meaning. He uses mirroring and nonverbal communication to be able to read the patient's emotions, and they use NVC to express and relate to others. What stood out to me was that the DMT could help Caroline unlock herself from her freezing episodes. This would be extremely helpful for those who suffer from these mental illnesses in order for them to better express themselves, and to better cope with their situations.
Dr. Ehrhardt described a scenario where his gentle mirroring and patience helped a patent slowly begin to express herself, communicate, and connect to a group in a therapy session. I think one scenario that may happen sometimes with the kind of event Dr. Ehrhardt described is when a patient brings to the group an expression of an issue internally and the others in mirroring intrapsychically interpret the expression then offer another movement to compliment it in a way that "answers" the original expression. Kind of like when you engage in discussion with friends about what's going on in your life and you receive advice or a re-framing of what you're talking about that can help bring clarity or some insight to your situation. In a way, the idea that the "body does not lie" and the fact that there are movement effort qualities that have an almost universal correlation with some emotional expressions suggests that some raw messages that get easily blocked in verbal communication can come out in movement and become received communication through mirroring, and then actually get translated in the receiver so they can understand and then respond to make genuine "conversation" happen. Somewhere in the video he said: "movement shared is the essence of translation". It's like our bodies can talk on our behalf as translators in subjects and let us help each other and share stories. It seems a lot of these videos express the idea that facilitating communication is a huge part of DMT's effectiveness.
Dance movement therapy is a powerful modality that harnesses the individual's capacity for self-expression through movement. For example, mirroring is a great way to encourage personal, self-generated expressions that foster healing deeply rooted in the individual's experiences and emotions with themselves and others. Through the language of movement, individuals can embark on transformative journeys of healing and self-exploration, celebrating their unique narratives along the way.
Ted Ehrhardt discusses many people suffer from mental illnesses and how dance movement therapy can help. People who suffer from mental illnesses usually have a difficult time forming relationships with their peers, thus causing them to be isolated from the entire world. It is hard for these individuals to survive because they feel as if nobody is there to protect them and help them out. Ted Ehrhardt talks about how the most important step in dance movement therapy is establishing a relationship with the client. According to Ted Ehrhardt, the way dance movement therapy works with the mentally ill is based on the movement the client creates and makes external and express, relying on patient’s capacity to generate an expression that is their own and is in itself healing, that the client can share with another person and also receive from other people. I thought it was interesting how he made the clients feel comfortable just by simply “mirroring” their movements.
Even though he used a very extreme example, I think DMT would also be effective with mental illness of less severe types, such as the anxiety or depression that many people live with. It's incredible how Caroline was able to communicate and lead through movement when she wasn't able to in other things.
Dance can be used as a therapeutic intervention and can help people with mental illnesses. The two most important aspects of this is the building of the relationship and movement they feel and complete together. “The movement we share is the essence of the transaction.” One of the things we learned about is the way a person holds their body. The girl he talks about starts to stretch and then is stuck in that position and this is because her mind is not connecting with her body. He talks a lot about mirroring, which is what we say in an earlier video in class and how beneficial this is for the other person. It gives them control and allows them to truly feel your presence and they know that they are being recognized and felt. I think this is one of the most important things to highlight because it’s important that the patient not only knows you are there by physically seeing you, but also because they can feel you through the movements you are both doing, which helps them be “seen” and “heard” on another level.
Thank you for sharing the subtleties of a successful DMT session. I have found that sometimes the best way to amplify one's understanding of DMT is by slowing down, and pacing a story as if it's a dance in-and-of itself. I'm curious now about the film, "Moving Stories" (the link is in the video description).
I appreciate the framing early in this talk of normalizing mental illness, by pointing out just how many folks struggle with mental health - more even than the statistics shared as these are people diagnosed/taking psychotropic drugs. I wish there was a bit more acknowledgement of how society and the inequity many people face are the cause of a lot of this mental distress/mental illness. The speaker touches on this a bit by talking about the stigma that people with mental illness face in our society, but I think could go a bit farther into how our society exacerbates/causes mental distress and stigmatizes it.
People with Mental Illness focus within their minds. There is a significance disturbance that wont let she/he to communicate; it is like they live in their own world. These people with Mental Illness wont expressed kinesics normally. Their facial expression are not in function and in some ways they don't communicate anything. Dance therapy is a way that they can connect to others and kind of expressing their feelings by the way they share movements. This dance movement help them to addressed their internal emotions by the process of slow movements. Ted highlights the way he works with the patients. As well as other therapist, he mirror his patients movements to integrate them into the process. He finds a theme to address each patient into the experience because each patient is different.
Ted Ehrhardt discuses how many Americans today deal with mental illnesses and how Dance Movement Therapy can help heal people. A women who was 19 year old had complications with eating, isolation and often has brief episodes where she freezes with in her movements. Dance therapy is very therapeutic because it allows Ted to build a relationship. At the beginning of the session Caroline's movements very slow and gradual. During the session Ted tries to mimic (kinesics) the patient so they can see how they look like when their moving. The movements began as a concrete movement and turned into a metaphor. Caroline was able to use her imagination and be free with her movements. Dance movement therapy helped her a lot because she was able to feel safe and she was able to share something that was hers. Vanessa N. Perez
A surprisingly large number of people suffer from mental illness. These people often have trouble forging connections with the world around them, and thus can be isolated in their own minds. It is important to realize that when helping these people, you can't jump in all of a sudden and expect them to start working with you instantly, because everyone moves at their own pace. Ted uses nonverbal communication as a reference when he talks about how they were all mirroring each other's motions while moving through space, which is an aspect of kinesics.
Dance/Movement Therapy & Mental Illness American Dance Therapy Association This video is about Ted Ehrhardt's experience with working with boy soldiers who have been targets of war. These boys had dissociated their minds from body in order to survive the trauma of witnessing their parents’ murders and the acts they committed as being soldiers. These boys were ages 5-9 when this happened and was forced to participate in a civil war. This war lasted for 10 years. Ehrhardt helped these boys reconnect mind and body through dance therapy. Through their own creative expression, they found ways to accept and account for their actions. Dance therapy is a method of helping people. with mental illness. In this case, these boys needed help dealing with their post traumatic stress disorder. Dance therapy and movement becomes the voice for the most inner emotions, which can be interpreted by a professional to help get to the roots of someone's trauma.
Ted Ernhardt discusses Dance Movement Therapy and its impact on patients with mental illness, and how it can be used to connect patients with their therapist, as well as to other patients. He recalls a patient of his, a nineteen year old, named Caroline, who became catatonic and was institutionalized. She had no way to connect with the outside world, but during group dance sessions, she made connections with him and other patients through mirroring and touching. Mr. Ernhardt talks about mirroring and how mirroring establishes relationships with these patients who might not have a voice. During lecture, we discussed mirror neurons in the brain and their impact on empathy, when we see some one performing an action, and when we perform that same action, the same neurons fire, allowing us to feel empathy and connect with that person. He also notes how Caroline began to touch the other patients fingertips and hands, and we learned in lecture the impotence of haptics and touch on our emotions. Human babies who are not touched are developmentally delayed, as touch is a very powerful way to communicate, and if we cannot communicate through words, touch is an important way to send and receive messages. I think that Mr. Ernhardt's mention of touch is very important to remember how sensitive humans can be, and how vulnerable and closed off we are without the human interaction of touch.
In this video, Dr. Ehrhardt speaks about a young woman with a mental illness who has been admitted to the unit for the past 6 months named Caroline. In the session Dr. Ehrhardt participates in a mirroring DMT technique. She decided to join the dance movement therapy and in this session she was able to participate in a movement which allowed her to reach for home. She then would nonverbally communicate with other patients in the session and participate in a oculesics behavior and meet eye contact with another person, then participate in the haptic behavior and touch each person. This allows for her to feel the boundaries of her body and meet the boundaries of someone else. The mirroring treatment strategy allows for patients, including Caroline to feel seen. This helps with their self worth and allows to better their view of themselves, their body concept. I enjoyed the idea that DMT is a movement that is expressed to share with others and with that can also be received by others.
In the ADTA segment on Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Illness, the speaker talked about a challenging 19 year old patient, "Caroline," and her evolution from at first moving only in a small rotation to finding more broad and interactive movements that engaged fellow therapy participants, such as reaching out and hand-holding (thereby expanding and ultimately moving beyond her kinesphere and also heightening her body awareness).The speaker stressed that her movement efforts were actual expressions of her self-worth and her desire to have her life back, and that this form of expression is, for the patient, a healing in and of itself. He put the value in greater context by stating that 1 in 5 Americans take psychotropic medication and 25% out of our population get diagnosed every year with actual mental illness. The information in this segment could be of great value in de-stigmatizing mental illness in part by making people aware of its commonality, and also by educating them as to just how comparatively little it can take to make some level of positive impact on people who suffer from some level of mental illness. Drugs and institutionalization are clearly not the only nor the exclusive ways that society can respond to this problem. You spoke to us in class about the value of working with the mentally ill in therapy to work towards a remedy of the intense depersonalization that actually furthers their emotional and physical problems from which so many of them already suffer greatly.
Mental illness affects a high percentage of American society, which causes those with mental illness to face a stigma. Dance therapy works as a therapeutic intervention by developing a relationship and connection between the therapist and patient through movement they share. Ted Ehrhardt uses mirroring to allow his patients to become comfortable and reveal his or her emotions/thoughts, this aspect of his practice connects closely to kinesics as it deals with the movement of the body and how it can communicate. For “Caroline,” specifically, haptics was key notation of her progress in the therapy session, since she was initially one who could hardly move but eventually was able to bring herself to come into contact with other patients in the room. The most important part of this talk that I think everyone should really take note of is the fact that allowing people with mental illness to be and feel seen as well as understood is vital to their lives, something that most people don’t take into consideration.
Dance/Movement Therapy & Mental Illness Ted Erdhardt points out that 1 in 5 will experience mental illness and explains the use of dance/movement as a therapeutic intervention. One of his patients, Caroline, is frequently frozen in her movements; when Erdhardt gently mirrors her movement in a group setting, Caroline begins to “unlock” her body and express herself through her body language. This video demonstrates the mirroring technique used to help the patient, Caroline, “feel seen.”, and communicate by initiating other movements. Others in the group use eye contact and touch to communicate. Ultimately another patient, Betsy, verbally expresses what she was physically reaching for - home. The mirroring technique helps reach patients that seem unreachable, demonstrating the power of non verbal communication. When Caroline embraces her own hands it appears that she has now connected her mind with her body’s movements.
It makes me so happy to see people both working with these patience and those who are cheering those people on. I was one of these girls at one point of my life around the same age as "caroline" i was deep in a catatonic state and had a complete annihilation of a sense of self and slowly but surely made it to where i am now...it is such a beautidul but traggic thing watch a video like this. And honestly it is inspiring me to help the people who are still in these states and to show families that "Yes, there is hope. They will come out of this tunnel. And the light is in them it just needs to shine" :)
I work in a psychiatric facility so I am very familiar with the kind of population this speaker is describing. I know how patients look when they’re too preoccupied with their thoughts to speak, or heavily responding to internal stimuli to uphold a conversation with another person; sometimes on their down time, they’re quiet and reserved, have a low affect based on their droopy eyes, frowned mouth and some are even hunched over when standing/walking. I’m so glad that he makes his patients feel seen. He says to his patients “hey, I can see how you’re moving, I can feel your tense/scared energy, let’s try to tackle this together” through non-verbal communication, mirroring their movements. This was a bit overwhelming (in a positive way) to watch as I knew those patients were having fun using their movements to eventually create an imagination from this concrete realm to another one. This is the magic of movement.
Its so refreshing to hears that these Dance movement Therapists are able to connect with patients on a deeper level. Being able to have people express themselves through movement is a truly beautiful thing. Sometimes, you might not know what you are expressing or if its the right way to express it. But there is no right or wrong answer. Your own interpretation of the movement is best for you and only you. Not being afraid to acknowledge where you are and how that might affect your movement.
Lovely descriptions of dance/movement therapy at work with those with mental illness. Really paints a picture for some of the concrete ways dance/movement therapy can be used.
He is so eloquent! The dance therapy field is lucky to have him!
The use of his own patients was so powerful. It was so cool to see the progress that was made on his patient, Caroline, through his dance therapy techniques. So interesting to see the range that dance therapy reaches by helping those who were so immobile at the start.
Thanks to the speaker for sharing not only the gestures created in his space, but also the transition from literal movement to metaphor. Dance/movement as holding space, as well as a space for the imagination is so powerful.
What a moving description of dance/movement therapy.
Ted Ehrhardt's talk was very powerful. I love how he used an example to get his point across. Mirroring is a powerful tool that Dance Movement Therapists can use to get breakthroughs with their clients. That is what Ted was teaching us. I find this so interesting because I am fascinated with the brain. Through my own studies, I have learned that there are mirror neurons in the brain, which help infants move similar to their parents. I assume these mirror neurons are also activated during mirroring. I love seeing a real life example of something I have learned.
That is a great connection! Mirror neurons intrigue me, and I think they play a large role in connecting us to one another. They enhance our ability to tune into another person, even without our awareness sometimes.
I also think the use of an example is very useful. Mirroring is a great technique that dance therapists can utilize, and you're right about the mirror neurons, they are definitely at work! Sharing movement through mirroring can help to either feel someone else's movement in your body and see how it feels and try to interpret it together, as well as feel like you and your movements are really being seen and recognized by another person when they are mirroring you.
Ted does a wonderful job of painting the picture of a person with severe mental illness. His quote, "The movement we share is the essence of the transaction" perfectly encapsulates the dance/movement client-therapist relationship. The shared movement serves as a foundation and creates building blocks for the therapeutic relationship. His explanation of mirroring and its transformation into a metaphor displays the power of movement and how it can connect us to one another on a visceral level. It is clear that he was able to effectively hold space for his group as well as allow various members to be seen and heard.
Ted Ehrhardt's presentation on the use of dance/movement therapy and mental illness offers concrete examples of how movement can lead to emotional expression. It shows how dance therapy works. It explain how the authentic movement expression of clients is healing and how the dance therapist uses this to help share, communicate with other, and be seen and heard by the therapist and the group. Excellent work.
Ted Ehrhardt did a wonderful job explaining some of the key philosophies and beliefs of the dance/movement therapy field. His use of the clients' movements and mirroring to form relationships and develop the session is a great way to bring the individuals of a group together to explore their thoughts and emotions through movement.
I greatly appreciated Dr. Ehrhart's succinct definition of DMT. He describes the field as one in which dance can be "used as a therapeutic intervention to integrate clients' functioning... based in relationship." His insight into mirroring with this population is empathic and reflective - helping the group feel seen but not overwhelmed. He has a gentle nature and great skill as a participant observer, helping group transition from movement to metaphor. I deeply appreciate his case example and resonate with his wondering about "what can I ask to move this further" to enhance the moment of genuine connection.
This talk beautifully articulates the ebb and flow of dance/movement therapy and the presence that makes it so powerful. Ehrhardt's ability to adapt and expand upon the movement themes that arose brought out such authentic reflection for the participants. It was lovely to see where the group was able to go when given acceptance and validation.
Love this comment! I agree
The use of mirroring can be a great technique to allow participants to express what they are feeling without the use of words itself. It was great to hear about a successful experience with mirroring from Ted Ehrhardt!
Ted Ehrhardt's presentation clearly demonstrated the simplicity, impact, and power that D/MT encompasses. The work he does is greatly focused on mirroring, attuning, and connecting with the patients and encouraging the patients to receive that same connection with each other. I was greatly impacted by the statement, "movement we share is the essence of the transaction." This is why I find D/MT so important, because through movement themes (such as home), functioning, and relationships can be created and maintained. I also was impacted by the idea Ehrhardt presented of the climax and diminishing of a group, and the natural rhythm that it creates within the group. Overall, I found this presentation inspirational and creative, even in the simplicity of the actions.
I chose this video because watching Dr. Ehrhardt in class made me want to learn and understand more on how dance movement therapy plays a positive role in the lives of individuals who have mental illnesses. Its amazing to be able to watch the patients bodies open up, and move in coordination with others, when they are so often isolated, mentally and physically by everyone else. The positive environment really allows Dr. Ehrhardt to connect with the individuals he cannot converse with through nonverbal body movements to enable trust.
I found Ted Ehrhardt's approach, as described in his case example, to be simple but profound. His account showed how he guided the group--in a keenly attuned and gentle manner--from concrete experiences into metaphor and imagination. It was a wonderful example of the ideals he discussed such as giving the patients voices and facilitating their capacity for unique expression and sharing. Overall, it was inspiring and thought-provoking!
Thank you for the description of humanity that you offered at the end. To see and to be seen. To share with others and have others share with you. Connection is a vital aspect to the healing process for so many people, and often difficult to achieve in a psychiatric facility. Dance as expression and as therapy, is an invaluable tool for reaching out to those cut off from the world and possibly even from themselves. I hope that it becomes more common.
It's so special that through dance therapy others can be seen and feel valid without actually speaking words. Such an important tool for those who can't make those connections themselves
This was such a profound experience and a glimpse in utilizing dance/movement therapy in group sessions. I really appreciate Ted Ehrhardt’s presentation about this movement group and personal experience utilizing movement with his patients. There is a simplicity to the work of dance/movement therapy. Dance/movement therapy utilizes the innate experience to move, and with that notion, we connect to others, as everyone moves in their own capacity. This is how we first relate to one
another, non-verbally and our lived experience is in our bodies. I truly resonated
with Ted as he described his experience mirroring the members of the group. Our
movements become our own personal dance and it is not until we experience and
truly embody someone else’s dance that we can start to understand their feelings
and experiences.
I loved Ted Ehrhardt's articulate sharing of the expression that he has seen happen in groups such as a "Caroline's" and "Betys's." I think that he touched eloquently on the balance of letting group synchrony develop from mirroring movement, and encouraging participants to make connections for themselves as to the true meaning of those movements.
The spontaneity in collaboration within dance therapy groups is incredible. People who are somehow afflicted in different ways and by different causes seem to be able to find comfort and trust with one another, and dance therapy helps the, to become vulnerable and connect with one another. I find it inspiring work to do to help these people identify what it is that causes them pain, and help them develop how it is that they can try to help themselves. It seems to be that DMT is less about curing a person, or accomplishing the goal of healing another. Instead the therapist acts as a guide, simply helps the patient along the path to helping themselves. The way in which DMT evolves and creates so organically is incredible to me.
I really enjoyed this story of the sense of unity that movement therapy groups can provide for those invovled. It allows people with mental illness a sense of expression, collaboration, and unity with others. I also enjoyed how this story showed the growth of movement based off others in the group.
This talk was very powerful to listen to. Knowing that DMT can make such an impact on someone's life is so inspiring. I wish DMT was more available for people due to the huge impacts on life it makes.
Ted Ehrhardt is a very eloquent speaker. His first statistic that 25% of our population is diagnosed with a mental illness was very shocking. I particularly enjoyed his emphasis on his experiences with ‘Caroline’ and other clients was the movement him and his client create together, and the development of the themes from this movement are integrated into the treatment. I enjoyed hearing his anecdote of the mirroring exercise he uses with his group. His point to not ‘overwhelm’ the client’s movements was very interesting to me. I feel that by mirroring individuals can ‘feel seen’ as Mr. Ehrhardt describes. The progression of movement that the clients in his story take was very touching, and is a wonderful example of movement and metaphor development.
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I think this talk does a very good job at showing how dance movement therapy can help people make connections and really develop though out their sessions and how mirroring and nonverbal communication is so powerful to express emotions
I love the way Ted narrated and articulated his DMT work and experience with Caroline using movement. It is a powerful story about the "sharing of the expression". I believe that the work of DMT has the ability to connect and experience with a person's imaginative realm and/or internal world even for those who suffer from severe mental illness.
This talk provided such a beautiful and clear example of dance/movement therapy approach of mirroring as a way of showing acceptance and validation. I found it helpful to be reminded of the benefits of movement as communication in any form it comes in, no matter how small or big the movement appears.
25% of individuals being diagnosed with a mental illness was really a surprising fact to me. I never thought I was shielded from these things in the past, but this talk opened my eyes to the message being spread. I really like the tool of mirroring that he uses. Getting on the individuals level makes them feel significantly calmer and at peace. That feeling of safety truly allows these individuals to be more open when they have felt so shut out most of their lives.
I really like the empathy approach to mental illnesses because I think that the personal connection would be imperative in treatment. He also points out how many people struggle with mental illnesses, and this shows that everyone has their own personal baggage, where some baggage is easier to hide than others.
I thought this provided a really great perspective on the client/therapist relationship and how important it is to show up with continued commitment to build that eventual trust, slowly but surely.
It is crazy to fathom that one in five take something regularly to alter thier regular conciseness. with that being said, this story provides an excellent intervention to that concept (Dance movement therapy)
I found that statistic to be surprising as well. It really makes me question what "healthy" or "normal" is as it relates to the desired improvement in functioning being sought after by so many.
I have read time and again it's because of pharmaceutical financial gains. Shamanic plant medicine can really heal and doesn't have to be psychedelic i.e. kambo. Wet cupping also brings immense relief, different things work for different people.i.e. somatic Awareness, experiencing
@@skyejacques I completely agree. Big pharma is the biggest drug dealer in the game.
Ted Ehrhardt's talk is very relevant. I had not previously known that one in five people take medication for mental illness, but it doesn't surprise me. We know so much more about mental illness today and as a result there are more diagnoses. Medication can only do so much for patients and I think including dance/movement therapy in a treatment plan can help tremendously. Ted's example of mirroring his clients is a great way to establish connections and relationships in calm setting
I really enjoyed listening to Ted Ehrhardt's beautiful description of his experience with Caroline. It can be so challenging to describe DMT work and capture the essence of what was felt in the group. Group work can provide important chances to explore and build positive relationships for individuals dealing with mental illnesses.
I felt like he did a really good job of telling and explaining Caroline's experiences and emotions throughout the process to really show the effectiveness of DMT.
I was really impacted by the theme of home that developed for the patient. To me, home is somewhere that is identified as a safe space. Did she ever expand on the specifics about the theme of home, whether it be in this session or future sessions?
I can see this being powerful in inviting someone to be at home in their body, with others in therapy, and out in the world. Also, movement such as eye contact is a functional but also expressive skill that I am so glad this patient was able to experience. As other D/MTs have stated, the expansion of movement also provides the expansion of emotions - and vice versa.
Thank you for this powerful demonstration of one of the most fundamental principles of dance/movement therapy: mirroring. It is so clear that the members of your group wanted to be seen, to be understood, and to be held by each other. I sometimes forget to return to the basics, to the simple truths that built the foundation for DMT. Thank you.
I think it is really easy for us as a society to see a mental illness and jump straight to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or medication without looking to alternative treatments for the disorders. There are so many other options for people struggling with mental illness, and dance/movement therapy is a great way to approach the diagnosis holistically and integrate the whole body in the healing process. Ted did a great job using clients as examples of this holistic healing.
Ted's tendency to use names in describing his clients humanize each of them. What a beautiful presentation of DMT and mental illness.
I really enjoyed listening to this talk and gaining a better insight into how dance movement therapy can help people struggling with mental illness.
Hearing about Caroline's movement and improvement is so inspirational, especially hearing about as sessions continued, she became more communicative and open.
Patients picking up the movements, then mirroring those movements, and progressing them shows development of the group. This form of dance movement theory of interpreting movements is very interesting. It was cool how they all agreed that the movement meant home.
I really liked how this video used the example of a girl admitted to Ted's class. It is really important to know that we can use dance as a therapeutic intervention to help a patient integrate her functioning. I thought it was very interesting that through the use of mirroring, a patient was able to interpret for themselves what a movement means (when Betsy reached out and established that as "home").
I think so too! The symbolic meaning and interpretation of movements seems to be so important in DMT.
Hearing Caroline's story is so inspiring. We hear about how she locked up at the beginning, and as the sessions go on she became more and more open. The mirror exercise is a great thing, and it seemed to help with Caroline and Betsy because they were able to move into the realm of the imagination.
I agree! after watching these talks I am left feeling inspired and even more excited about the future of DMT.
Yes! It really seems that this mirroring activity was able to bring the experience beyond just movement itself, but rather something that had more meaning and significance.
Ted Ehrhardt does a great talk. It is amazing that one and five people take meditation for metal illness, this was shocking. He has a great description of dance movement therapy, the movement itself and how the theme arises and how that gets integrated into the treatment. I found it ver interesting that he felt like he mirrored the movement but not aggressively to overwhelm the clients. Ted Ehrhartdt does an amazing job of describing how movement can transition people to the tangible ideas.
Human connection is so powerful and can be used to heal. This is a great example of this! Feeling isolated, trapped, and alone by any illness or disease only works to make the situation work, so DMT seems very effective for providing that sense of connection with others and ability to express oneself.
It really is human connection even just one seems like it can make a load of difference.
I definitely agree. Never underestimate the power of human connection!
I agree and I'm glad you highlighted this. I feel like group connection, specifically through mirroring but other group activities as well, are really powerful bonding/understanding exercises. And something I think it would be difficult to achieve on a group level other forms of therapy.
Dr. Ehrhardt does a great job explaining how Dance Movement therapy can connect mental illness patients with other people. People suffering from mental illnesses have a difficult time creating and maintaining relationships with their peers around them. He explains that the most important step in Dance Movement therapy is the relationship between client and instructor. He uses an example of mirroring and how he hopes the client feels and recognizes that establishing relationships is essential. The use of the movements from the clients and mirroring these movements in order to establish relationships is a awesome way to bring the clients together to explore their emotions and ideas.
Dr. Ehrhardt does a wonderful job explaining how dance movement therapy can help mental illness patients connect and have a relationship with other people in what he subscribed as a therapeutic intervention. By using a kinesics approach to his therapy, his patients are able to expose or release their inner thoughts to the rest of the world and express their emotion with movement. The mirror technique he utilizes is how he tries to establish a relationship with his patients and he does so by imitating and following their movements to contract a relationship.
love this explanation it also describes how I’ve lead my groups as a DMT!
I no longer practice or work, now at 73 years young and not connected to the field…
Really like this video about DMT, appreciate the presentation 👏👏👏
I felt so impressed that 25 present of people here are diagnosed with mental illness and I am glad that DMT can actually help with those illness. It is amazing that the relationships built through the movement in DMT can help Caroline began to open herself and interpret for herself. I really like how Ted Ehrhardt mentioned that DMT is relying on our movements and others' to generate an expression that is healing and helping.
I think it was really impactful that these patients were able to change these movements into metaphors. I have never thought of DMT like this, but I believe it is a good way of explaining how DMT can impact individuals. Especially when he gave the example of the young girl who said she was reaching towards "home," it shows how deep and important this form of therapy can be. Ted Ehrhadt did an amazing job of exemplifying this and showing his audience the positive effects of DMT, as well as the necessity for it in the realm of mental illness.
I love hearing about true stories of how dance therapy can touch and help so many different populations so I absolutely loved this talk. I never really thought about the point he made about a climax in movement before so that was interesting to think about.
Same here! Hearing another person's healing experience is definitely impactful in many ways. It allows me to empathize with the client so much. It's as if we can grasp the same motivation the clients had and work on ourselves as well!
One of my favorite things about dance/movement therapy is that it can be used by such a wide variety of populations. Integrating the body and mind can have amazing outcomes
I think with mental health becoming less stigmatized it is a great time to promote dance movement therapy. I think this video put into perspective the relationship between patient and therapist. There really has to be slow and steady relationship building in order for the patient to become comfortable. Once patients are comfortable with their therapist, this is when DMT really can help a patient mentally.
That is a great point - it is important to slowly build rapport between therapists and client in order to build a trusting relationships when it comes to DMT.
The treatment of those who have mental illnesses is so important. Dance therapy can help those who have limited communication. In my nonverbal communication class i learned that withdrawl from communication or social interaction can close people off and cause harm. As everyone deserves attention and stimulation even something as small as touch, movement and visuals helps tremendously in people who are suffering from mental illness.
DMT is more than just movements. It is more than just getting together with other patients and meeting with a therapist. It is life changing. Caroline knew that she wanted her life back. She was aware that the struggles she was facing should be tackled head on. Regardless of how difficult it was for her, she pulled through as best as she could, and it showed through her movements. Speaking can be difficult, so DMT gives us a new avenue to explore the possibility of communication with others through the language of the body. It gives us an opportunity to let the world know what we want to them know when we are too afraid to say it ourselves. DMT should be more than a niche, as many people from all the groups and backgrounds can benefit from the therapy.
I loved hearing from Ted Ehrhardt about the spontaneous collaboration that happened in his therapy group when Caroline joined. I think what may not always be said in words can often be displayed in our movements and body language, so I found it fascinating that each member of the group was willing to watch what each other was doing and mirror it. In this was, they created a group of support and solidarity that may not always come when dealing with a mental illness.
But I love u 🌹🌹🌹🌹
I did not realize how many people are diagnosed with mental illnesses and how many take medications to help manage them. This statistic never truly crossed my mind as I knew numbers were high, but I never realized they were that high. It is really cool to see how DMT can incorporate movements and themes from that movement to help a group process and manage their mental illness.
Beautiful story! Thank you!
I was able to gather a lot of information on how dance/movement therapy can be used to help treat mental illness. Something that stuck with me is helping a client move to a place where s/he can interpret for themselves what a movement means. This statement helped reassure the work that I am currently doing at my internship site and helps me feel more confident in my work/purpose as an aspiring dance/movement therapist. A statement that stuck out the most was, "We rely on the patient's capacity to generate expression that in itself is healing." That statement, to me, is powerful and important to the work of a dance/movement therapist.
He did a great job explaining how DMT can be used to heal people who suffer from mental illness. His patient, Caroline, often freeze for amount of time and how he used mirror technique to unlock her. From my understanding of nonverbal communication, once the therapist mirrored patient's gesture. Caroline's emotion will get enhanced and it will effect her body to move. It is fascinating to think that such technique exist in this world and could help many people!
The idea of sharing physically and emotionally is a powerful tool to help open spaces to be more vulnerable and open. In this video, Ted reveals the significance of feeling validated in your own movements, though mirroring techniques, but also how mirroring physical movements create a more open and responsive emotional state.
I agree! The fact that the students were mirroring each other created an open atmosphere where everyone felt accepted and not alone. This can really allow you to express your emotions as well.
I appreciate you focusing on how mirroring can help people feel understood/validated. Definitely a really important take away from this talk
I found this talk very moving, for mental health really is such a pervasive issue in American culture. Ted explained how DMT sessions aim for the creation of concrete movements that can be transferred into metaphors, as happened in his example session with Caroline. With the collaborative movement sequences that were created in that session, the group members were able to experience creating and then sharing some personal move or idea, which is inherently healing. Wonderful talk.
It is interesting how dance movement therapy can help a lot of people specially the individuals that are impaired with mental illness. The relationship that the dance movement therapist establishes with their patients is what makes the therapy work. What they the therapist and the patient share is the essence of it all. Creating an environment that the patient feels comfortable and be able to express themselves in their own way and furthermore being aware of one self. Very interesting topic.
I find it so fascinating that something as simple as mirroring can help individuals branch out just a little bit, just enough to make some kind of connection, even if it is just for a brief moment. I think as a society we negatively view mental health which is absurd since we all experience some form of mental health issue in our life. Some people may have prolonged experiences of mental health struggles and others may have an acute bout. However, we shouldn't view it as a negative experience.
I totally agree! It's so interesting how mirroring someone can bring such a connection. It makes the other person feel acknowledged and noticed. It's something that I've never really realized.
Ted Ehrhadt speaks about the high rate of mental illness that goes on within the country and how dance movement therapy can be an excellent intervention therapy. He brings up his use of mirroring his patients, I remember learning about the use of mirroring in nonverbal communication and how it connects people by providing empathy through copying each others movement. By mirroring it is as if you are reading the other person's mind. He also discusses "Caroline" who, in the beginning, could hardly move. Through my knowledge of nonverbal communication her body had probably gotten into that habit from many years of stress to where her body permanently became as it was then. A point Dr. Ehrhadt brought up that would help the general community is mainly discussing just how much mental illnesses are affecting so many and the importance of finding interventions and help before it is too late.
Ted Ehrhardt's examples of how Dance Movement Therapy can work with people who have mental illnesses give the philosophies of DMT some grounding, essential for those unfamiliar or newer to DMT work. His example of mirroring that he does in hopes that the client feels seen and to establish a relationship is powerful. You can tell he is passionate about his work from the way he presents it. Very interesting topic!
Absolutely! mirroring is such a powerful, caring technique
Ted Ehrhardt explains in this video how we can connect with others through movement and without the use of words. For example, he said that Caroline was unable to speak however, she was able to communicate with others nonverbally while doing dance/movement therapy. She made eye contact and held hands with another woman in the group and then proceeded to do the same with other members. This was a big deal because she was engaging with others and encouraged others to do the same. I thought it was interesting that he did a group exercise and how this enabled patients to mirror each other instead of just following the therapist's lead.
Such a wonderful story!
I know that severe mental illness can be debilitating, as Ted mentioned, and I love that DMT is able to combat this and allow people to find their voice. Besides maybe other forms of art therapy I cannot think of any other non-verbal form of therapy like DMT.
It was interesting hearing about how this therapist uses the mirroring technique and explaining how it helps the patient in his sessions. This technique really seems to allow everyone to connect to one another as you have to pay close attention to what others are doing
Agree! The mirroring technique can help the patients by attentively observing and reflecting on each other's movements, individuals can develop greater empathy and understanding, enhancing their emotional awareness
Ted Ehrhardt demonstrated how dance therapy can generate expression based off movements created and how that can become external. He highlighted how a significant amount of American's have a mental illness and that dance therapy can have a positive impact on patients. He frequently discussed his patient, Caroline, and her progression throughout the therapy. At first she was to herself and as time went on she opened herself up more and even interacted with others. The power of her intrapsychi and to be able to express that through movement and define it, is the benefit of dance therapy. The ability to share your story and feel safe because others are doing the same, by mirroring you is amazing. When we see other preforming an act it sets off our motor neurons and we are able to share the same experience with someone. I think this a powerful tool that would benefit many mental ill patients to heal, express themselves, and to be social with others since that opportunity is taken away from them.
love it so much! I did it and found myself crying , had a hard time recently.
Ted Ehrhardt begins his talk normalizing the existence of mental illness and addressing the stigma against it, claiming that one out of four Americans will, at some point in life, experience a “severe disturbance in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior that is such that basic mental functioning is impaired.” I appreciate the emphasis on the relationship as key and the movement theme as the essence of the work. He authentically, carefully, and specifically describes his approach using DMT with individuals experiencing severe mental illness and the process of transforming a concrete movement into an abstract metaphor. Movement is always changing. He highlights that a movement moment in a group is really just a moment - here one second and transformed into something new the next. Throughout the talk, I felt brought into the group experience and very curious about the thematic development. I wanted to experience the group he described! Overall, Ted Ehrhardt’s presentation emphasized the great significance each movement has to convey an idea worth sharing, being witnessed to, and receiving validation, especially for individuals with mental illness. His work is empowering and inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
I really liked this video from learning how the relationship of sharing movement and being shared with helps extraordinarily with mental illness.
This speaker did a great job of laying out the facts about mental illness and how prevalent it is in the United States. He also used a personal anecdote of how he saw firsthand the impact that DMT can have on mental illness. I wonder if he got some of his ideas of miming from Trudi Schoop who also worked with psychiatric patients?
I enjoyed learning about how dance and movement therapy can be used to help many different populations. Many of which I didn't realize how beneficial it can be for them
I agree. It is cool to learn about how diverse DMT is.
I love how DMT can be used at all levels of severity of mental illness!
Very valid! Or even no mental illness at all. It is so versatile which adds to its miraculousness
I'm ao excited to pursue my career in Dance Therapy !
I think the mirror exercise is helpful because it makes people feel seen. This can be especially helpful for people who often feel like they are alone and no one is listening. However, this exercise allows for those people to have a voice and be heard.
I definitely agree, I love how DMT gives these people a voice with which they feel they can be heard by someone and begin to explore their feelings.
I think it's interesting in DMT how a common practice used is mirroring someone elses movement. This can be a form a connection and respect that is not utilized as much in many other areas of therapy. Especially with people with mental illness or people with disabilities who have a hard time expressing themselves, it can be a new avenue towards being understood by others.
I really enjoyed hearing about the use of mirroring as well. This talk did a great job showing how it can be the starting point of conversation for future movement ideas.
This is a topic that I am very passionate about! I want to work with people with mental illness!
Ted Ehrhardt discusses how dance/movement therapy can give people with mental illnesses permission to release and be seen by another person in a safe environment. Through simple things like mirroring or moving as a group, one can start to feel more open and more okay with being seen by someone else. A lot of the things that they would do in a group are nonverbal. For instance, the mirroring of movement would establish their relationship, then that may result in other things like eye contact and touch because there is more trust in that safe environment. Without that eye contact and touch, the relationship would not be as strong, which means that it would be harder for the patient to allow himself/herself to be seen. One thing that definitely stood out to me was how Ehrhardt said that the movement was about what they would integrate. Not one movement or sequence of movements would ever be the same in future events. How we move is because of how we feel in that exact moment. Ehrhardt understands how he cannot force those patients to move a certain way because that may not be how they are feeling, so that would not be beneficial for them.
thank you.... i'll try to move more
When speaking on the important client-therapist relationship that develops during a dance/movement therapy session, Ted Ehrhardt perfectly puts this interaction into words: "The movement we share is the essence of the transaction." The mutual giving and receiving that takes place through dance/movement therapy is a crucial experience that bestows lasting positive effects on the client. How necessary for us to realize the pervasive reality of mental illness yet have hope for powerful interventions such as that of Mr. Ehrhardt's work in DMT!
In this video, Ted Ehrhardt explains how dance movement therapy can be beneficial to those who suffer from a mental illness. He uses his patients as examples to illustrate the power behind this therapy and the impact it has on the patients. He discloses how one of his patients, Caroline, usually freezes for time periods and how DMT helps her unlock herself. He explains how DMT helps Caroline move out of her comfort zone to begin expressing how she feels. He mentions that Caroline begins to move and he uses mirroring as a tool to help make her feel comfortable, and motivated to keep moving. He mentions how his patients later relate movements to metaphors and they give each movement meaning. He uses mirroring and nonverbal communication to be able to read the patient's emotions, and they use NVC to express and relate to others. What stood out to me was that the DMT could help Caroline unlock herself from her freezing episodes. This would be extremely helpful for those who suffer from these mental illnesses in order for them to better express themselves, and to better cope with their situations.
Dr. Ehrhardt described a scenario where his gentle mirroring and patience helped a patent slowly begin to express herself, communicate, and connect to a group in a therapy session. I think one scenario that may happen sometimes with the kind of event Dr. Ehrhardt described is when a patient brings to the group an expression of an issue internally and the others in mirroring intrapsychically interpret the expression then offer another movement to compliment it in a way that "answers" the original expression. Kind of like when you engage in discussion with friends about what's going on in your life and you receive advice or a re-framing of what you're talking about that can help bring clarity or some insight to your situation. In a way, the idea that the "body does not lie" and the fact that there are movement effort qualities that have an almost universal correlation with some emotional expressions suggests that some raw messages that get easily blocked in verbal communication can come out in movement and become received communication through mirroring, and then actually get translated in the receiver so they can understand and then respond to make genuine "conversation" happen. Somewhere in the video he said: "movement shared is the essence of translation". It's like our bodies can talk on our behalf as translators in subjects and let us help each other and share stories. It seems a lot of these videos express the idea that facilitating communication is a huge part of DMT's effectiveness.
Dance movement therapy is a powerful modality that harnesses the individual's capacity for self-expression through movement. For example, mirroring is a great way to encourage personal, self-generated expressions that foster healing deeply rooted in the individual's experiences and emotions with themselves and others. Through the language of movement, individuals can embark on transformative journeys of healing and self-exploration, celebrating their unique narratives along the way.
Ted Ehrhardt discusses many people suffer from mental illnesses and how dance movement therapy can help. People who suffer from mental illnesses usually have a difficult time forming relationships with their peers, thus causing them to be isolated from the entire world. It is hard for these individuals to survive because they feel as if nobody is there to protect them and help them out. Ted Ehrhardt talks about how the most important step in dance movement therapy is establishing a relationship with the client. According to Ted Ehrhardt, the way dance movement therapy works with the mentally ill is based on the movement the client creates and makes external and express, relying on patient’s capacity to generate an expression that is their own and is in itself healing, that the client can share with another person and also receive from other people. I thought it was interesting how he made the clients feel comfortable just by simply “mirroring” their movements.
Even though he used a very extreme example, I think DMT would also be effective with mental illness of less severe types, such as the anxiety or depression that many people live with. It's incredible how Caroline was able to communicate and lead through movement when she wasn't able to in other things.
Dance can be used as a therapeutic intervention and can help people with mental illnesses. The two most important aspects of this is the building of the relationship and movement they feel and complete together. “The movement we share is the essence of the transaction.” One of the things we learned about is the way a person holds their body. The girl he talks about starts to stretch and then is stuck in that position and this is because her mind is not connecting with her body. He talks a lot about mirroring, which is what we say in an earlier video in class and how beneficial this is for the other person. It gives them control and allows them to truly feel your presence and they know that they are being recognized and felt. I think this is one of the most important things to highlight because it’s important that the patient not only knows you are there by physically seeing you, but also because they can feel you through the movements you are both doing, which helps them be “seen” and “heard” on another level.
Thank you for sharing the subtleties of a successful DMT session. I have found that sometimes the best way to amplify one's understanding of DMT is by slowing down, and pacing a story as if it's a dance in-and-of itself. I'm curious now about the film, "Moving Stories" (the link is in the video description).
I appreciate the framing early in this talk of normalizing mental illness, by pointing out just how many folks struggle with mental health - more even than the statistics shared as these are people diagnosed/taking psychotropic drugs. I wish there was a bit more acknowledgement of how society and the inequity many people face are the cause of a lot of this mental distress/mental illness. The speaker touches on this a bit by talking about the stigma that people with mental illness face in our society, but I think could go a bit farther into how our society exacerbates/causes mental distress and stigmatizes it.
People with Mental Illness focus within their minds. There is a significance disturbance that wont let she/he to communicate; it is like they live in their own world.
These people with Mental Illness wont expressed kinesics normally. Their facial expression are not in function and in some ways they don't communicate anything. Dance therapy is a way that they can connect to others and kind of expressing their feelings by the way they share movements. This dance movement help them to addressed their internal emotions by the process of slow movements.
Ted highlights the way he works with the patients. As well as other therapist, he mirror his patients movements to integrate them into the process. He finds a theme to address each patient into the experience because each patient is different.
Ted Ehrhardt discuses how many Americans today deal with mental illnesses and how Dance Movement Therapy can help heal people. A women who was 19 year old had complications with eating, isolation and often has brief episodes where she freezes with in her movements. Dance therapy is very therapeutic because it allows Ted to build a relationship. At the beginning of the session Caroline's movements very slow and gradual. During the session Ted tries to mimic (kinesics) the patient so they can see how they look like when their moving. The movements began as a concrete movement and turned into a metaphor. Caroline was able to use her imagination and be free with her movements. Dance movement therapy helped her a lot because she was able to feel safe and she was able to share something that was hers.
Vanessa N. Perez
A surprisingly large number of people suffer from mental illness. These people often have trouble forging connections with the world around them, and thus can be isolated in their own minds. It is important to realize that when helping these people, you can't jump in all of a sudden and expect them to start working with you instantly, because everyone moves at their own pace. Ted uses nonverbal communication as a reference when he talks about how they were all mirroring each other's motions while moving through space, which is an aspect of kinesics.
really interesting I love dance to help me be free
Hii
Beautiful lady
Dance/Movement Therapy & Mental Illness
American Dance Therapy Association
This video is about Ted Ehrhardt's experience with working with boy soldiers who have been targets of war. These boys had dissociated their minds from body in order to survive the trauma of witnessing their parents’ murders and the acts they committed as being soldiers. These boys were ages 5-9 when this happened and was forced to participate in a civil war. This war lasted for 10 years. Ehrhardt helped these boys reconnect mind and body through dance therapy. Through their own creative expression, they found ways to accept and account for their actions. Dance therapy is a method of helping people. with mental illness. In this case, these boys needed help dealing with their post traumatic stress disorder. Dance therapy and movement becomes the voice for the most inner emotions, which can be interpreted by a professional to help get to the roots of someone's trauma.
Ted Ernhardt discusses Dance Movement Therapy and its impact on patients with mental illness, and how it can be used to connect patients with their therapist, as well as to other patients. He recalls a patient of his, a nineteen year old, named Caroline, who became catatonic and was institutionalized. She had no way to connect with the outside world, but during group dance sessions, she made connections with him and other patients through mirroring and touching. Mr. Ernhardt talks about mirroring and how mirroring establishes relationships with these patients who might not have a voice. During lecture, we discussed mirror neurons in the brain and their impact on empathy, when we see some one performing an action, and when we perform that same action, the same neurons fire, allowing us to feel empathy and connect with that person. He also notes how Caroline began to touch the other patients fingertips and hands, and we learned in lecture the impotence of haptics and touch on our emotions. Human babies who are not touched are developmentally delayed, as touch is a very powerful way to communicate, and if we cannot communicate through words, touch is an important way to send and receive messages. I think that Mr. Ernhardt's mention of touch is very important to remember how sensitive humans can be, and how vulnerable and closed off we are without the human interaction of touch.
In this video, Dr. Ehrhardt speaks about a young woman with a mental illness who has been admitted to the unit for the past 6 months named Caroline. In the session Dr. Ehrhardt participates in a mirroring DMT technique. She decided to join the dance movement therapy and in this session she was able to participate in a movement which allowed her to reach for home. She then would nonverbally communicate with other patients in the session and participate in a oculesics behavior and meet eye contact with another person, then participate in the haptic behavior and touch each person. This allows for her to feel the boundaries of her body and meet the boundaries of someone else. The mirroring treatment strategy allows for patients, including Caroline to feel seen. This helps with their self worth and allows to better their view of themselves, their body concept. I enjoyed the idea that DMT is a movement that is expressed to share with others and with that can also be received by others.
In the ADTA segment on Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Illness, the speaker talked about a challenging 19 year old patient, "Caroline," and her evolution from at first moving only in a small rotation to finding more broad and interactive movements that engaged fellow therapy participants, such as reaching out and hand-holding (thereby expanding and ultimately moving beyond her kinesphere and also heightening her body awareness).The speaker stressed that her movement efforts were actual expressions of her self-worth and her desire to have her life back, and that this form of expression is, for the patient, a healing in and of itself. He put the value in greater context by stating that 1 in 5 Americans take psychotropic medication and 25% out of our population get diagnosed every year with actual mental illness. The information in this segment could be of great value in de-stigmatizing mental illness in part by making people aware of its commonality, and also by educating them as to just how comparatively little it can take to make some level of positive impact on people who suffer from some level of mental illness. Drugs and institutionalization are clearly not the only nor the exclusive ways that society can respond to this problem. You spoke to us in class about the value of working with the mentally ill in therapy to work towards a remedy of the intense depersonalization that actually furthers their emotional and physical problems from which so many of them already suffer greatly.
Mental illness affects a high percentage of American society, which causes those with mental illness to face a stigma. Dance therapy works as a therapeutic intervention by developing a relationship and connection between the therapist and patient through movement they share. Ted Ehrhardt uses mirroring to allow his patients to become comfortable and reveal his or her emotions/thoughts, this aspect of his practice connects closely to kinesics as it deals with the movement of the body and how it can communicate. For “Caroline,” specifically, haptics was key notation of her progress in the therapy session, since she was initially one who could hardly move but eventually was able to bring herself to come into contact with other patients in the room. The most important part of this talk that I think everyone should really take note of is the fact that allowing people with mental illness to be and feel seen as well as understood is vital to their lives, something that most people don’t take into consideration.
Dance/Movement Therapy & Mental Illness
Ted Erdhardt points out that 1 in 5 will experience mental illness and explains the use of dance/movement as a therapeutic intervention. One of his patients, Caroline, is frequently frozen in her movements; when Erdhardt gently mirrors her movement in a group setting, Caroline begins to “unlock” her body and express herself through her body language. This video demonstrates the mirroring technique used to help the patient, Caroline, “feel seen.”, and communicate by initiating other movements. Others in the group use eye contact and touch to communicate. Ultimately another patient, Betsy, verbally expresses what she was physically reaching for - home. The mirroring technique helps reach patients that seem unreachable, demonstrating the power of non verbal communication. When Caroline embraces her own hands it appears that she has now connected her mind with her body’s movements.