American Dance Therapy Association
Encyclopedia
American Dance Therapy Association was founded in 1966 to establish and maintain high standards of professional education in the field of dance/movement therapy
.
since the 1940's. The pioneers of the movement saw the relationship of how the body and mind interact in health
and in illness
. Whether it be an illness of the mind which affects the body, or an illness of the body that impacts the mind and spirit
, these early therapists saw the need to treat these issues. For dance/movement therapists, healing has always meant mobilizing resources from that place within where body and mind are one. Since its founding in 1966, the American Dance Therapy Association has worked to maintain the highest standards of professional education and competence in the field.
Today's Dance/Movement Therapists integrate dancers' knowledge of body
, movement and expressive spirit with the skills of counseling, psychotherapy
and rehabilitation
. We help a wide range of people, from children with autism
to seniors in their declining years, including those people with spinal cord
injuries and mental illnesses.
ADTA is the only organization solely dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the profession of dance/movement therapy.
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
.
History
Dance/movement therapy has been a distinct professionProfession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
since the 1940's. The pioneers of the movement saw the relationship of how the body and mind interact in health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and in illness
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
. Whether it be an illness of the mind which affects the body, or an illness of the body that impacts the mind and spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
, these early therapists saw the need to treat these issues. For dance/movement therapists, healing has always meant mobilizing resources from that place within where body and mind are one. Since its founding in 1966, the American Dance Therapy Association has worked to maintain the highest standards of professional education and competence in the field.
Today
- ADTA maintains a registryRegistry-Computing:* Windows Registry, a database of configuration settings in Microsoft Windows operating systems* Domain name registry, an organization that manages the registration of top-level internet domain names...
of dance/movement therapists - Sets and monitors standards for the mastersMaster's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
level programs - Publishes the American Journal of Dance Therapy
- Publishes timely monographs for its members and for allied professionals
- Holds a professional conferenceNational ConferenceNational Conference may refer to:In India:*Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, the largest political party in Jammu and Kashmir, India.*Manipur National Conference, a political party in the Indian state of Manipur that was formed in 2002....
every year - Supports formation of regional groups, conferences, seminarSeminarSeminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s, workshops and meetings
Today's Dance/Movement Therapists integrate dancers' knowledge of body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
, movement and expressive spirit with the skills of counseling, psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
and rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation , physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, is a branch of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. A physician having completed training in this field is referred to as a...
. We help a wide range of people, from children with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
to seniors in their declining years, including those people with spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
injuries and mental illnesses.
ADTA is the only organization solely dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the profession of dance/movement therapy.