Dance and Movement Therapist

Dance and movement therapists support people with limited mobility or reduced body awareness. Depending on the indication or diagnosis, they design personalized treatment plans and use movement to enhance physical, emotional, and cognitive processes, deepen body and self-awareness, and restore a healthy mind–body balance.

They record therapy progress and outcomes and adjust interventions when needed. Dance/movement therapy is also used preventively, for example to prevent postural problems or to improve mobility in older adults.

Dance/movement therapists may be employed

• in private and group practices for dance/movement therapy, as well as in naturopathic or psychiatric practices
• in hospitals or specialist departments of psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, neurology, and oncology, and in pain or palliative care centers
• in preventive and rehabilitation facilities
• in elder-care settings
• in social, therapeutic, and special education institutions

The salary level for Dance and Movement Therapist in Germany is: from 2942 up to 4273 EUR per month

What is it about?

Dance/movement therapists apply dance and other movement modalities to promote, maintain, or restore the mental, physical, and cognitive health of patients and clients.

Methods and approaches

Dance/movement therapy is closely linked to psychotherapy, psychology, medicine, neuroscience, the social sciences, and special education. It is based on the unity and interaction of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social processes. In individual or group work, practitioners help clients build relationships in new ways, strengthen agency, deepen body awareness, process emotions, and cope with conflict. Depending on the case, they also conduct therapeutic conversations to reflect on and integrate what was experienced through movement.

Individual treatment plans and measures

Clients include people with burnout, anxiety disorders, and psychological or physical trauma, as well as older adults, rehabilitation patients, and individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities. Using assessment and dance/movement diagnostics, therapists select suitable methods and techniques and create tailored treatment plans. Throughout the course of therapy, they observe closely, evaluate outcomes, adapt interventions as needed, and document progress.

Diverse fields of practice

Work settings span prevention, curative care, rehabilitation, and palliative care—for example, clinics and practices in psychiatry, neurology, and psychosomatic medicine; geriatrics; addiction treatment; and special or therapeutic education institutions.

In research, practitioners design new dance/movement approaches, such as programs that activate older adults or support people living with Parkinson’s disease. In academia, they teach courses in self-experience, diagnostics and methods, or supervision. Independent scholarly work generally requires a master’s degree and a doctorate.