Dance Movement Psychotherapy (MA)

• Build your experience of clinical dance movement psychotherapy and use your creativity to promote self-expression.
• Develop the skills and knowledge to enable you to apply for registration as a dance movement psychotherapist. 
• Study a course accredited by the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMPUK) which willlead to UKCP registration.
• Learn the latest theory and practice from experienced and enthusiastic staff

Professionally accredited course

This course is accredited by the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK so you can be confident that you’ll be learning the most up to date thinking on Dance Movement Psychotherapy. On successful completion, you’ll be eligible to register as a Dance Movement Psychotherapist. 

Build your experience

This course aims to build up your experience of clinical dance movement psychotherapy and encourages you to use your creative skills to promote self-expression. It will also provide you with the skills and knowledge to enable you to apply for registration as a Dance Movement Psychotherapist.

There are tutorials available each week, which will assist in developing your ideas and developing your reflections on your work and understanding the relationship between theory and practice and progress. As well as the taught components, you’ll take part in personal therapy throughout the course, which can be individual or within a group setting.

This is a requirement for professional registration as a dance movement psychotherapist - 80 hours over two years. It is also a means of support and understanding the process of psychotherapy. This is an extra cost to the course.

We welcome guest speakers and offer perspectives on both international and national and global approaches. There is the possibility to develop projects and relationships with employers when you are on placements, and develop local and global networks. It is possible to present your ideas at conferences and develop your research ideas.

Understand theory and practice

It’s important to understand the roots of Dance Movement Psychotherapy, from the early pioneers through to the current thinking. You’ll cover concepts such as the theory and practice of the art form and the importance of improvisation, creativity, and play.

You’ll use and reflect on psychotherapeutic theory, while considering the implications for placement and practice.

The somatic understanding in psychotherapeutic practice is essential to the understanding of the dance and movement practice. You’ll also explore anatomy and physiology, which are essential to your understanding of movement and its relevance for psychotherapy through experiential mediums in arts practice and in particular dance.

We have excellent facilities, including a dance studio and enjoy cooperation and commonality with the other Arts Therapies.

We’re proud to say that our courses are closely mapped against the health and social care sector and for work in schools. This ensures that our curriculum and practice is up-to-date, providing you with the assurance that you’re learning is current and relevant. This does mean that we do have to respond to national changes such as government policy. As a result, some of the information about our courses may change. Please check the website for the latest information.

How you will learn

You will meet the following members of staff:

• Dr Jill Bunce - Programme leader - specialising in the body and mind relationship in Parkinsons’ Disease ; body image; cultural diverse practice; dance performance; educational psychotherapy
• Talia Padilla - specialising in cancer in children; body image; Kestenberg movement analysis; education issues
• Paul Ricketts - specialising in somatic practice and Gestalt practice
• Jackie Waltz - specialising in dance movement psychotherapy in diverse and cultural communities; German expressionism and its relationship to Laban analysis; body of work.

How you're assessed

You will receive clear guidelines upon the nature of assessment for each module at its commencement. Modules are assessed through the submission of verbal presentations ,written work and other art forms including videos, written and spoken language aimed at demonstrating that you have met the learning outcomes pertinent to the module.

The clinical placements are assessed though the submission of reports completed by the Clinical Placement Manager and the use of Supervision with your University Supervisor. These and your clinical work are then discussed with you and the University Supervisor. You will also have to write a case study which will show how you have approached your work on placement . You explore and administer the ethical context of writing the case. 

Visit the Dance Movement Psychotherapy (MA) page on the University of Derby website for more details!