Dance Movement Therapy

Movement is our first language. Then we learn how to speak with words. Movement is how our bodies first started communicating with us and the world around us - telling us what we needed to feel safe and cared for. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), according to the IADMT, is "a psychotherapeutic method that uses movement and creative expression to further socio-emotional, cognitive, and somatic integration. This approach is based on the principle that the body and mind are integrated."

Movement knows none of our socially imposed differences. DMT is for people of all ages, genders, races, abilities, and ethnic backgrounds, and can be used in individual, couples, family, and group therapy formats. These therapeutic movement practices and embodied techniques are rooted both in psychological theories & ancient embodied wisdom. As a trained DMT Practitioner, I use these frameworks and tools to offer you a non-judgemental and confidential space to express yourself more fully, become well-resourced in navigating your inner world and emotions, and connect more deeply to the wholeness and truth within you. My training allows me to support my clients to use their body's wisdom and therapeutic movement in navigating concerns like:

Difficulties in self worth and self confidence.

Learning to listen and attune to your body's signs, signals, and cues as a tool to navigating difficult life situations.

Building a tool kit of movement-based self-care practice to help you resource yourself through various emotions.

Exploring authentic self-expression through movement and embodiment.

Feeling stuck in processing with words, and wanting to access more of your unconscious emotional patterns.

Exploring a somatic practice while you are working separately with a talk-based therapist.

Unlike fitness coaching where we are working on your physical health goals, the focus of our work in Dance Movement Therapy sessions is to support your mental and emotional health goals. When words don't feel enough, DMT is a movement practice that allows you to re-write your lived stories in very tangible and neuroscience backed ways. We use movement in DMT sessions, not only as a form of catharsis and release, but also as a way of developing keen awareness of and transforming areas within yourself that you are feeling limited or stuck in because of past experiences or others' expectations. In our sessions, that might look like:

• Body scanning and other mindfulness methods to gain awareness of what it feels like to be in your body today (what sensations are most alive in your body right now?)

• Engaging in mirroring exercises where we move together and you get to see your conscious and unconscious movement patterns reflected in mine (how are you internally responding to seeing your own movement mirrored?)

• Authentic Movement is a method that allows for you to be fully self-guided by your body in your movement with a non-judgemental witness (if your body were to move as it needed without any planning or thought right now, what story might it tell us?)

• Open-ended prompts for you to improvise on and explore your range of motion and how you take up space (what changes when you try moving as if the gravity is extra heavy or extra light today?)

• Using movement metaphors to help you externalise your inner world (how does 'carrying this weight' impact your body?)

• Re-writing limiting narratives by moving differently through them (what would it look like if we moved through the story of this incident that you feel stuck in with more softness or strength available to you?)

• Introducing regulatory somatic techniques and movement rituals to build your emotional tool kit

What to expect

Unlike a fitness coaching session where I would lead you through a guided routine, the therapeutic movement space is more client-led. My role as a DMT Practitioner is to hold space to support a deeper exploration of your mental and emotional landscape through movement.

Therapy sessions (60 minutes each) usually start with a check in to understand what is coming up for you today. This may be followed by a movement warm-up. Then, we can explore any specific mental or emotional themes that you want to work on through embodied exercises. I can offer prompts for guided movement explorations, but I find it helps clients in the long-run more to tune into the kind of movement their body is intuitively expressing or needing.

We close the session by processing what has come up - either through words (spoken or written) or through art journalling. You don't have to share anything with me that you're not ready to, but we can and will find accessible ways for you to process those feelings.

Client Experiences

"I have been moving and working out for 20 yrs now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t think I could go deeper, but we have ! movement therapy & coaching with Ami has taken my relationship with my body to the next level by adding a dimension of softness & gentleness. Through the process of coaching with Ami I have found more freedom, intentionality, and love in my movement practice.

Also wanted to say, that all the small moments you cover during our 1:1 sessions helps bring so much awareness and strength to all the big movements. I have been incorporating them during my solo workouts & they really help with form + Strength.

Whether it's decreasing the range of motion for a deeper impact or isolating parts of the body, I feel so much awareness + strength in my foundation."

Sanam, 33

"I have been feeling stuck in a lot of ways, which has manifested into shoulder, neck and back issues. Since the time I have started training with Ami, I can feel my body unclenching and letting go bit by bit, the numerous fears and insecurities I was holding onto. I feel grateful for the enabling space she creates during the sessions."

Chaitra, 29

"Our last session was just what I needed, to release my emotions. After all the physical release, my emotions flowed out & I cried to let it all go. I feel relieved,"

Kiran, 26

Living In Mumbai?

Consult me for individual and group sessions at Safe Space Studio, Mumbai.