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The global COVID-19 outbreak has forced psychotherapists to find creative ways to continue treating their clients from afar. Dance movement therapy emphasizes the body–mind connection and offers a unique mode of emotional intervention for supporting mental processes. The present study is the first to examine the distinctive qualities of group dance movement therapy in the context of remote emotional intervention with young children. Fourteen preschool children participated in six DMT meetings. The data generated three themes: 1. play as a platform for transforming technical complexity into an expression of the inner world; 2. accessories and props as means of motivation for movement and imaginative play; 3. playfulness-inhibiting conditions in settings of remote therapy. The discussion examines the significance of bodily expressions in remote therapy for understanding the needs of children in times of crisis and for getting acquainted with feelings and sensations which do not lend themselves easily to verbal expression.

This pilot study presents a novel fall prevention intervention that integrates physical therapy exercise (PTE) and dance movement therapy (DMT) to address both physical and emotional fall risk factors, as well as factors influencing adherence to treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention in a sample of eight older women (median = 86 [81.25–90.75] years) from a day center for senior citizens. The intervention, based on the Otago Exercise Program and DMT techniques, aimed to address the emotional experience during physical exercise. Participants were randomly assigned to either a PTE+DMT intervention group (n = 5) or a PTE control group (n = 3). A pre–post intervention battery of physical and emotional fall risk assessments, therapist–patient bond, and home exercise adherence was conducted. Non-parametric tests results showed significant improvement in the PTE+DMT group in measures of balance and fear of falling compared to the PTE group. However, no other significant differences were found between the groups in terms of falls-related psychological concerns, self-perceived health status, therapist–patient bond, and home exercise adherence. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefits of an intervention that integrates both physical and emotional aspects to reduce fall risk in older adults, and provide a basis for further studies and modifications in the research protocol.

Recent studies refer to physical expressions in different attachment patterns and indicate that identifying physical expressions can contribute to clinical understanding and assist in building treatment plans. However, there is a lack of research identifying and mapping physical manifestations of anxiety symptoms as they appear. Addressing this lacuna in the context of treatment can assist clinicians in devising effective treatment plans. Using a participatory observation study process, this study examined the mental and physical characteristics of children coping with anxiety symptoms during dance/movement therapy (DMT) sessions, as recorded in therapy logs of eight patients, aged 8–11 who underwent one to two years of treatment. The therapy logs were analyzed based on the Milner method for subjective autobiographical writing and psychoanalytical self-exploration. The findings revealed four themes: (1) disconnection to connection; (2) avoidance to presence; (3) merging to independence; and (4) control to release. In each theme, patterns were identified regarding movement in relation to others, body positions, movement in space, and transference and countertransference physical and mental patterns. The findings illustrate that movement occurs in the mind and body, and that physical and mental patterns coincide. Our insights can lead to a holistic understanding of how anxiety manifests in the body and mind, providing a foundation for a diagnostic model than can help in devising more effective treatment plans for children with anxiety symptoms.

Theories about embodied knowledge have emphasized the importance of familiarity with the socio-physical aspect of sexuality. The present study examines the kind of embodiment knowledge that contributes to the formation of wishes in intimate physical interaction in the couple relationship. Nine couples (n = 18) participated in 12 sessions of dance/movement therapy for couples (DMT-C). The sessions were documented on video and in personal diaries. Two themes emerged from movement experience: (a) a wish for security and (b) a wish for the partner to be magically compatible. In the discussion section, the contribution the results make to knowledge on physical intimacy will be addressed.