The Difference Between "Therapeutic" Dance and Dance/Movement Therapy

"Currently, the word 'therapy' is used to refer to anything that makes us 'feel better.'... But feeling better from dance is not the same thing as dance/movement therapy. How can we differentiate dancers who utilize the innate therapeutic power of dance and dance/movement therapy?" ~ Susan D. Imus Susan D. Imus, MA, LCPC, BC-DMT, GL-CMA, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Creative Arts Therapies in the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Columbia College Chicago. Susan is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC), a board certified dance/movement therapist (BC-DMT), and a certified movement analyst at the graduate level (GL-CMA.) Susan has practiced, educated, and consulted in dance/movement therapy and the creative arts throughout the U.S. and abroad for 33 years. Originally trained in nursing, she has been employed by 10 different hospitals throughout her career in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Prestigious institutions include McLean Hospital and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, where she was recruited to assist in the development of chronic pain services in 1988 through the Department of Medical Specialties. Susan has also taught a course called, "Embodiment; A Way to Know Your Patient," in the Bioethics and Humanities Department in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University for 7 years and 2 years at the Rush Medical College. Susan has intermittently served on the Board of Directors for the American Dance Therapy Association for 15 years. She is currently the chair of the Education, Research, and Practice Committee. She received the first Excellence in Education award by the ADTA in 2006. For more information about dance/movement therapy or to find a dance/movement therapist in your area, please see www.adta.org.