Growth effects of experiential movement psychotherapy

• Published in: Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 63 - 68
• Main Authors: Dosamantes-Alperson, Erma, Merrill, Nancy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Division of Psychotherapy , American Psychological Association 01-01-1980; Educational Publishing Foundation
• Subjects: Body Image; Dance Therapy; Experiential Psychotherapy; Human; Self-Actualization; Self-Perception; Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation
• ISSN: 0033-3204; 1939-1536
• DOI: 10.1037/h0086066

Examined growth effects promoted by experiential movement psychotherapy, a therapeutic approach integrating felt-movement, imagery, and thought through a single unified process. Pre/post measures obtained from 2 experimental groups (volunteer participants in experiential movement psychotherapy groups) were compared with pre/post measures obtained from 2 control groups (a ballet class and a waiting-list control group drawn from the same population as the experimental groups). Evidence of significant change attributable to experiential movement psychotherapy is presented with respect to 6 measures of degree of self-actualization (inner-directedness, existentiality, feeling reactivity, spontaneity, self-acceptance, and capacity for intimate contact) as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory, and on physical body-self acceptance as assessed by the Body-Cathexis Scale. Preliminary findings relative to a measure of individual expressive movement range--the Dosamantes-Alperson Expressive Movement Scale--are described. (16 ref)