Dance / Movement Therapy

Throughout my life, I have held countless positions in the field of dance and movement. I have been a conscious dance facilitator for over a decade. Before I attended graduate school, I had a private somatic practice in which I engaged clients in embodiment sessions in a dance studio setting, often accompanied by music. I love incorporating movement into my somatic sessions with therapy clients.

This is a creative and somatic method that invites in body awareness as well as expressive movement. Movement signifies vitality, change, adaptability, and is the opposite of stuckness and stagnation. When we mindfully allow thoughts and emotions to move, we can ride the waves of life with grace.

DMT is the therapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual, based on the empirically supported premise that the body, mind and spirit are interconnected. Movement is used as a catalyst, and a means into the person's inner feelings and a way to express, cope, interact with others, and integrate their experiences. Is it fancy? No! Movement&dance can be anything from breathing, posture, communicating, the way we hold ourselves.

I am a Board Certified-Dance/Movement Therapist. I have a Master's degree in Expressive Arts Therapy with a Dance/Movement and Mental Health Counseling specialization.

I am specifically trained in vinyasa and mainly do work in the restorative area of yoga. When Covid hit, I suddenly found myself at home with two young, rambunctious kids and a house that felt like it was caving in on me. Yoga became a daily healing tool for me and I found myself wanting to help others find the same peace I did. I have been practicing yoga since 2016 and became a registered yoga teacher in 2020. Yoga is not about jamming the body into poses, its about loving the body as it is.

In my dance/movement therapy work, I use body awareness and movement to help my clients get out of their heads and into their bodies as a whole, furthering the body/mind connection. Movement is our first language and it can express what may be too difficult to express with words alone. Overall, I am passionate about helping my clients expand their movement life (whatever way that may be) as a way of self expression, healing, and empowerment.

By delving into the intricate dance between thoughts, emotions, and actions, Dance/Movement Therapy harnesses the power of movement to help individuals express and process emotions. Integrating movement with therapeutic techniques, I offer a unique approach that goes beyond words, promoting self-discovery, emotional release, and enhanced well-being. Movement can lead your way to self-awareness, resilience, and positive change.

The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) defines dance/movement therapy as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual. Dance/movement therapists focus on helping their clients improve self-esteem and body image, develop effective communication skills and relationships, expand their movement vocabulary, gain insight into patterns of behavior, as well as create new options for coping with problems.

Dance/movement therapy offers a space for people to listen to their bodies and let them express what's been held inside. In dance/movement therapy, the definition of dance is very broad, from stillness and breath, to gestures and facial expressions, and to improvised and choreographed movement. No previous dance experience is necessary. All you need to do is to stay curious of your internal experience. Any body movement and expression will be welcome and appreciated.

I offer yoga therapy services. I have a Certificate of Yoga Therapeutics from the Ghosh Yoga College of India (2017), Truman informed yoga training, 500 hr teacher training from PURE Yoga Institute (2019) and Yin Yoga Training (2020). I can offer you the assistance in yoga that is best suited for individual needs. Experience teaching yoga in recovery centers and behavioral hospitals in both Austin and Houston.

With a certificate in movement studies, my bachelors in dance, and a masters in occupational therapy, I have an extensive background and rich history in the therapeutic power of movement. I utilize breath, yoga, pilates, hula, chi gong and deep core activation, strengthening and relaxation-as well as encouraging my clients to get in touch with how their own body wants to move.