Authentic Movement Is…
Authentic Movement is a type of Dance/Movement Therapy. It is a form of movement-based practice used in psychotherapy, healing and creative exploration. Authentic Movement was created by one of the pioneers of Dance/Movement Therapy, Mary Whitehouse. In an individual session (or group), there are 2 main roles:
The Mover: (typically will be the client/participant), who with either eyes closed or having a soft gaze. The mover allows spontaneous movement to occur and arise from internal sensations and impulses. The mover simply allows space to track their own sensations, images that arise or emotions that occur. This can be done in silence, or with music.
The Witness: (typically will be the therapist/facilitator), who will hold the space non-judgmentally while they witness and track their own experience.
Part 3 is a combined connection where the mover and witness may share what they noticed. This supports integrating the unconscious or subconscious material that may have arisen during movement to the consciousness. This reflection may be done through verbal processing, journaling or art experiential’s.
The difference between a fully focused Authentic Movement session versus a Dance/Movement Therapy session is that an Authentic Movement session will focus on just movement with limited verbal engagement. A Dance/Movement Therapy session, while it may incorporate some authentic movement principles, may also include more interactive experiences between the client and practitioner and may include art, play and other expressive arts.
Authentic Movement can have similar benefits to a Dance/Movement Therapy session as it can also provide relief for symptoms of depression, anxiety, life stressors, trauma and grief. Authentic Movement allows for the mover to increase personal awareness of self, bring the subconscious or unconscious to the conscious experiences where the participant can increase self control, awareness and reflection for themselves.
Why Authentic Movement? We begin moving as early as “in-utero.” Our bodies, as they are being held within our birthing parents wombs, are exploring and responding to its environment. Movement continues at both conscious and unconscious levels then throughout life after birth. As babies, we explore our environments by putting things in our mouths, recognizing what is nourishment and what is not. We explore with our hands in the mud, squishing the sensations between our fingers to identify if this is a yucky feeling or a good feeling. We learn to ride our bikes, creating new sensations of balance and coordination, until riding a bike simply becomes muscle memory-which is where we do something without even having to think about it. Our body just “remembers.”
Many experiences become muscle memory, as our bodies spontaneously respond in a familiar way that has worked before. The problem becomes, is when experiences become stuck in an unhelpful movement reaction. An example of this may be that we find we become intensely irritable, snappy and feel like fighting or fleeing when we notice our partner has not put their dishes away in the dishwasher like we asked. Our bodies react by tensing, yelling or perhaps withdrawing and giving the silent treatment-waiting for our partner to “get it.” Here is the catch: our bodies have created a muscle memory from past experiences of that the only way to get the need met is to “react.” If we were in control of our RESPONSE-we may be able to better evaluate that “oh, my partner didn’t put their dish in the dishwasher because a call came through they had to take-they must be coming back around to it,” or “hmm…maybe they just forgot. I forget things sometimes too.” Both of these processes then result in our bodies taking a breath, a step back, and increased patience to follow up with a constructive conversation about emotions and needs with our partner later.
While this is a simplified example, Authentic Movement gives us a chance to increase reflection of our bodies automatic reactions, and increase our ability to become aware of how we can re-pattern old muscle memories into new, and constructive actions in which we feel more physical and emotional control.
Interested in exploring Authentic Movement further? Join one of our group series, where it may be more cost effective than an individual session. Ready to jump right in? Schedule an individual Authentic Movement Session. Individual Authentic Movement Sessions can be provided via Telehealth or within the Rutland, Vermont area. Reach out for more information!
