Dance movement psychotherapist
If you enjoy movement and dance and want to help make a difference to people's lives, this could be the career for you
Dance movement psychotherapists use movement and dance as a method of expression to help individuals explore their feelings without necessarily having to talk or communicate in the traditional manner. The aim is to enable personal, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, physical and social integration and development.
You'll provide support to groups or individuals of all ages, including those with:
- emotional or mental health needs
- communication difficulties
- learning disabilities
- physical disabilities, discomfort or movement restrictions
- dementia
- relationship difficulties
- issues relating to bereavement, loss, trauma or change
- addiction or substance abuse problems
- personal development needs.
Based on the principle that movement reflects an individual's thoughts and feelings, you'll acknowledge and support clients' movements, encouraging the development of new movement patterns and emotional experiences.
Responsibilities
As a dance movement therapist, you'll need to:
- observe your clients' physical movement to assess their behavioural, cognitive or emotional state
- plan a series of movement sessions around a particular client or client group's requirements
- deliver therapy sessions with a variety of clients individually or in groups
- help clients overcome physical, personal and emotional difficulties through the medium of movement
- create a safe environment in which feelings can be contained, acknowledged and communicated
- work through areas of personal conflict by interacting with your clients, either individually or in groups
- identify appropriate music resources and create props for sessions
- encourage your clients to interact positively with each other, using role play and other techniques
- write reports, update client records and complete general administrative work
- attend clinical supervision sessions and, in some cases, provide clinical supervision to other therapists
- liaise with colleagues/other professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team
- share relevant information about your clients with colleagues and relatives, while adhering to ethical codes and rules of confidentiality.
Salary
- Salaries for registered dance movement psychotherapists working in the NHS are typically covered by Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. Starting salaries usually range from £33,706 to £40,588 (Band 6).
- Salaries can rise to between £48,526 and £54,619 (Band 8a) for principal therapists. You may find it takes time to work towards the higher bands.
- Salaries outside the NHS vary depending on your experience, employer and whether you're working part time and/or are self-employed.
- Registered dance movement psychotherapists working in private practice may charge around £40 to £60 per hour depending on their experience. Sessions generally last two hours, including preparation and note taking.
Earnings vary considerably depending on your skills and experience, your work setting, working hours and length of contract. Those taking on managerial responsibilities or teaching roles should expect to be paid more.
There are very few full-time salaried positions available and many dance movement psychotherapists work freelance or part time.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
Working hours
Your working hours will depend on your employer. For example, you'll work usual office hours in the NHS, but in private practice your hours may be more flexible to fit round your clients' and your own needs. This can include evening and weekend work.
There are opportunities for part-time and portfolio work, for example combining NHS work, private practice and teaching.
Career breaks are possible as long as you keep up to date with developments in the profession.
What to expect
- Most sessions with individuals and groups take place in residential or nursing homes, hospitals, schools and specialist or community centres. Sessions may occasionally take place in private outdoor spaces or at your client's home. It's also possible, with the appropriate safeguarding and rules of confidentiality in place, to provide online sessions.
- The majority of dance movement psychotherapists are female, and male entrants are encouraged to join the profession.
- Many dance movement psychotherapists work on a sessional (freelance) basis. However, it is sometimes possible to find part or full-time contracts. They often combine a number of part-time posts and take on additional part-time work in related roles, such as dance teaching, yoga or exercise classes.
- The work can be physically and emotionally demanding but also rewarding.
- Travel between appointments is common and you may need to travel between different employers during the week.
Qualifications
You'll need a Masters degree in dance movement psychotherapy recognised by the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP UK) to work as a dance movement psychotherapist. Masters courses are offered by:
Courses last two years full time or three years part time.
To get a place on a course you'll need either a relevant undergraduate degree, an equivalent professional qualification or extensive experience in a related field.
Relevant degree subjects include:
- dance
- drama
- medicine, mental health nursing or other health-related subjects
- performing arts
- physiology or human movement
- psychology
- social work.
You'll also need continuous experience of at least one dance or movement form for a period of two years, as well as experience of different dance and movement forms. In addition, you'll need at least one year's relevant paid or voluntary work experience with vulnerable people.
A Disclosure & Barring Service check is also required as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults.
For full details on entry requirements and course content, contact the training providers. Some training providers offer taster, introductory, summer school or foundation courses, which provide an insight into the profession.
Training covers a mixture of theory and practical work, including supervised clinical placements. As part of the training you must also undertake personal therapy (at your own cost). You'll need to be registered with the ADMP throughout your training.
On graduation, you're eligible for Registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist (RDMP) professional membership of the ADMP UK and entry on their professional member register as a competent and professional dance movement psychotherapist.
If you want to gain accreditation with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), which is usually needed to work in the NHS, you will need to undertake additional training following qualification. For more information, see ADMP UK - CPD. The UKCP holds a national register of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Registration is voluntary but can reassure clients that your training and qualifications meet a specific standard. The UKCP register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Skills
You'll need to have:
- the ability to improvise, relate and communicate through movement
- imagination and creativity
- self-awareness
- maturity and life experience
- emotional stability
- personal integrity
- analytical skills and the ability to critically reflect on and evaluate your practice
- empathy and sensitivity towards your clients
- a high level of commitment to the therapeutic process
- an interest in psychology, anatomy and physiology
- the ability to articulate yourself, both physically and verbally
- self-motivation and a commitment to self-development.
A driving licence is usually required.
Work experience
To get a place on a Masters course, you'll typically need at least a year's relevant clinical experience (a minimum of 200 hours) with vulnerable individuals in settings such as health, social, education or community services. This experience can be either paid or voluntary.
You could work with children, adults and the elderly in areas such as mental health, hospice care, learning disabilities, dementia care, neurodisability, addiction or homelessness. The length and type of experience required may vary depending on the course provider, so check with them.
It can also be useful to spend some time with a practising dance movement psychotherapist before applying for a place on a course. To find one near you, search the ADMP UK Register of Dance Movement Psychotherapists.
For free mentoring resources and experiences designed to support aspiring healthcare and legal professionals - including virtual work experience that is accepted by medical schools, see Medic Mentor.
Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.
Employers
The main employers are organisations and services that provide support for individuals with specific mental and physical health conditions - often public services or voluntary agencies. Typical employers include:
- care and residential homes for the elderly
- centres for victims of abuse or people recovering from addiction
- charities and voluntary organisations
- community care centres
- hospitals and NHS trusts
- prisons and young offenders units
- schools, particularly those for children with special educational needs
- social services departments.
If you're working in private practice you may work in several settings, supporting individuals with diverse therapeutic needs, although focusing on a specialist area is common.
Work is often carried out on a sessional basis, although there are some opportunities for part of full-time contracts.
Look for job vacancies at:
When looking for work, it's largely up to you to take the initiative. Networking is vital and you should foster links and connections in your area, and make speculative applications to create opportunities. You can also take referrals from organisations and other professionals if you're working in private practice.
It may be possible to find work through your clinical placement when training.
Professional development
Once qualified, you'll need to undertake and record a certain amount of continuing professional development (CPD) each year to remain registered with the ADMP UK.
Activities can include attendance at conferences, workshops, seminars and short courses available through the ADMP UK and postgraduate training providers.
Courses can cover areas such as:
- dance awareness
- movement analysis
- specific client groups
- supervision and practice skills
- theoretical approaches
- psychological development
- practical and theoretical professional developments.
Other activities can include engaging in research projects, writing professional articles for journals or chapters for books, and presenting at seminars or conferences. It's also possible to undertake further research at PhD level.
You can also undertake further training to become a clinical supervisor. This involves completing an ADMP UK-accredited clinical supervision course.
The ADMP UK keeps separate registers of professional members competent to work as private practitioners and as clinical supervisors. As a member of any of these lists, you must adhere to ADMP UK's Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
Career prospects
Once qualified, it's possible to gain a range of clinical experience and progress to becoming part of a multidisciplinary team, working alongside other related professionals in a range of settings such as hospitals or care homes. You might start out with a diverse client group and then choose to specialise as your career progresses.
With several years' experience, it's possible to move into private practice. If you want to become self-employed, you'll need to spend time building up your reputation and networking with organisations that may require your services. This can include developing a network of contacts in related therapy specialist areas in order to benefit from mutual referrals, as well as nurturing relationships in the settings in which they operate.
Experienced dance movement psychotherapists may go on to work as consultants or develop a management career leading other arts therapists.
It's also possible to move into training and provide clinical supervision to less experienced therapists, or into a career in teaching on one of the Masters courses or research.