Dance / Movement Therapy

I trained as a Dance/Movement Therapist at Lesley University. Additionally, I completed an intensive 2 year training in the practice of Authentic Movement. I always offer my clients the option of movement during sessions. My approach to therapy is heavily inspired by the theoretical foundations of DMT: I recognize and celebrate strengths, meet each client in the present moment, and inherently trust in the wisdom of the body.

Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) is the use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of you. Dance/Movement therapists use movement to access things that are not accessible verbally. DMT is unique because it provides a clinical lens to see you as a whole person, to have visibility into understanding and diagnosing areas in the body that are exhibiting stress, trauma, or disconnection.

Dance/movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement in therapy. Our bodies hold experiences we have had in life, and learning ways to become more aware of our felt experiences and increase our body awareness is important work. A session with a DMT might include noticing tension in the body as a “check-in” then exploring where this tension is from and how the body can release. This could be a skill you take into life to notice and cope with feelings throughout the day.

This is a creative and somatic method that invites in body awareness as well as expressive movement. Movement signifies vitality, change, adaptability, and is the opposite of stuckness and stagnation. When we mindfully allow thoughts and emotions to move, we can ride the waves of life with grace.

DMT is the therapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual, based on the empirically supported premise that the body, mind and spirit are interconnected. Movement is used as a catalyst, and a means into the person's inner feelings and a way to express, cope, interact with others, and integrate their experiences. Is it fancy? No! Movement&dance can be anything from breathing, posture, communicating, the way we hold ourselves.

Throughout my life, I have held countless positions in the field of dance and movement. I have been a conscious dance facilitator for over a decade. Before I attended graduate school, I had a private somatic practice in which I engaged clients in embodiment sessions in a dance studio setting, often accompanied by music. I love incorporating movement into my somatic sessions with therapy clients.

The tension, stress, and negative memories are often held physically in our bodies. Have you ever noticed when you are stressed you might have shoulder pain, a clenched jaw, or a headache? Yoga-informed therapy sessions may consist of talk therapy, mindfulness techniques, breath work, and yoga. Through this combination of techniques, you will gain the tools to regulate your nervous system, integrate your experiences in mind/body/spirit, and overcome the obstacles that are holding you back.

Tina holds a certificate of Circus Arts Therapy from the Circus Arts Institute. Modalities include Trapeze, Hammock and Lyra. She has trained and performed as a dancer-actor in ballet, modern, African Diaspora since the age of 4.

Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, since 2016

Dance/movement therapy offers a space for people to listen to their bodies and let them express what's been held inside. In dance/movement therapy, the definition of dance is very broad, from stillness and breath, to gestures and facial expressions, and to improvised and choreographed movement. No previous dance experience is necessary. All you need to do is to stay curious of your internal experience. Any body movement and expression will be welcome and appreciated.

We experience life with our bodies & eating disorders, while definitely mental disorders are also a fight between the body, mind, and soul. To only focus on the mind leaves much out of the recovery equation. Don’t get me wrong, I love talk therapy (I better since I'm a therapist), but I also believe there are times talking can only go so far. Yoga is a unique healing modality, offering individuals safe, supported, healing practices & tools to navigate the challenges of recovery.

Together we use the dance movement therapy, traditional talk therapy, and holistic healing modalities to process and release things we no longer need to hold onto, becoming free, healed, and more in tune with our most divine self. As a creative arts therapist, I work with individuals who enjoy art-making(dancing, creative writing, drawing, painting, etc) to heal. I support clients in low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, body image, life purpose, spirituality, among other things.