Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling MA

Major: Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling
Degree Awarded: Master of Arts (MA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 90.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2302
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1129

About the Program

The Master of Arts program in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling supports students to become creative, responsive and effective mental health practitioners where dance and movement are the essential modes of transformation. Through a balance of experiential and reflective learning, theory and skill-based education and supervised practicum and internship experiences, students develop a strong base for effective clinical practice as dance/movement therapists and counselors.

The 90.0 quarter-credit curriculum includes anti-oppressive and trauma-informed clinical mental health counseling coursework in addictions and recovery; human psychological development; differential diagnosis and processes; crisis and trauma; social and cultural foundations; clinical appraisal and assessment; and group dynamics and processes. Specialty coursework also centers around dance movement as (1) a tool for communication, creativity and expression; (2) essential for growth and development; and (3) situated within cultures. In-class experientials and didactic learning inform each student's simultaneous on-site, community educational experiences with individuals and groups. 

Program graduates are eligible for the Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) credential with the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) as well as professional counseling licensure in Pennsylvania (upon completion of post-graduation requirements). Because licensure requirements vary from state to state, students interested in attaining post-graduation counseling licensure are encouraged to check the requirements for any state(s) where they plan to work and practice. In addition, the students must begin to know and understand the requirements for any future licensure they may seek. 

The profession is positioned to meet an increasing interest in mind-body approaches to mental and physical health that have emerged in health profession circles and in the general public. Upon graduation, students utilize their skills to work in a variety of settings such as schools, early intervention programs, community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, medical, social service and wellness settings. Students also engage in innovative therapeutic applications through clinical work and research.

Additional Information

For more information about the program, visit the College of Nursing and Health Professions Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling website.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses
CATX 501Foundations of Creative Arts Therapies2.0
CTCN 501Human Psychological Development4.5
CTCN 503Differential Diagnosis and Processes4.5
CTCN 504Professional Orientation and Ethics4.5
CTCN 505Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy4.5
CTCN 509Social and Cultural Foundations4.5
CTCN 540Approaches to Addictions and Recovery4.5
CTCN 601Introduction to Behavioral Research4.5
CTCN 603Clinical Appraisal and Assessment4.5
CTCN 604Career Counseling4.5
CTCN 606Group Dynamics and Processes4.5
Dance/Movement Therapy Track Courses
CTCN 552Therapy Relationship Skills I2.5
CTCN 553Therapy Relationship Skills II2.0
CTCN 554Movement Observation and Assessment I2.0
CTCN 560Theory and Practice: Special Populations3.0
CTCN 555Movement Observation and Assessment II2.5
CTCN 563Movement Perspectives in Human Development3.0
CTCN 651Medical Dance/Movement Therapy1.0
CTCN 565Movement Observation and Assessment III2.5
CTCN 654Crisis, Trauma, and the Body4.0
CTCN 655Dance, Culture, and Healing1.5
CTCN 659Advanced Topics in Dance/Movement Therapy2.0
CTCN 656Movement Observation and Assessment IV2.0
Clinical Education Courses
CTCN 511Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar I2.0
CTCN 521Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar II2.0
CTCN 531Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar III2.0
CTCN 611Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar I2.0
CTCN 621Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar II2.0
CTCN 631Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar III2.0
Culminating Project
CATX 623Culminating Project in Dance/Movement Therapy I1.5
CATX 624Culminating Project in Dance/Movement Therapy II1.5
Additional Electives *
As needed, in consultation with the program director students can select the following electives:
For Culminating Project Only
Independent Study in Creative Arts Therapies
Total Credits90.0
*

Please note that electives are in addition to the 90 credits required for the degree.  Please consult with you advisor before registering for an elective


Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
CATX 5012.0CTCN 5094.5CTCN 5034.5CTCN 5044.5
CTCN 5014.5CTCN 5212.0CTCN 5312.0CTCN 5054.5
CTCN 5112.0CTCN 5552.5CTCN 5532.0CTCN 6511.0
CTCN 5522.5CTCN 6064.5CTCN 5603.0 
CTCN 5542.0CTCN 6551.5CTCN 5652.5 
CTCN 5633.0   
 16 15 14 10
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
CTCN 6014.5CATX 6231.5CATX 6241.5 
CTCN 6112.0CTCN 5404.5CTCN 6044.5 
CTCN 6544.0CTCN 6034.5CTCN 6312.0 
CTCN 6562.0CTCN 6212.0CTCN 6592.0 
 12.5 12.5 10 
Total Credits 90

Program Level Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to:

  • Provide individual and group dance/movement therapy and counseling services across a diverse spectrum of recipient populations and ages, including assessment, evaluation and intervention.
  • Utilize creative processes in therapeutic work and elicit healing properties of dance and movement within a given cultural context.
  • Apply understanding of functional, relational, developmental and expressive aspects of movement to support health and wellbeing.
  • Exercise cultural humility to work with diverse populations, applying collaboration and advocacy with respect for differences and a commitment to social justice.
  • Critically interpret and apply research and other scholarly literature in practice relevant to dance/movement therapy and counseling.
  • Effectively communicate, interface and collaborate with other professionals and members of the public as part of clinical/community practice and advocacy. 
  • Demonstrate an understanding of systems of care and professional roles within systems.
  • Demonstrate ethical sensitivity and consistent application of ethical principles and standards of practice.
  • Use of self-awareness, reflexivity and self-evaluation for continued professional growth.

Creative Arts Therapies Department Faculty

Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC (Temple University) Director, PhD Program in Creative Arts Therapies. Professor. Research in music therapy, chronic pain, systematic reviews.
Natalie Rae Carlton, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC (Lesley University) Director, Art Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor. New media and comics, zines and graphic novel uses in art therapy.
Christina Devereaux, PhD, LCAT, LMHC, BC-DMT, NCC (UCLA) Program Director for Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling. Associate Clinical Professor. Dance movement therapy, children, attachment, autism spectrum disorder, trauma, group work, clinical supervision.
Girija Kaimal, EdD, MA , ATR-BC (Harvard University) Interim Department Chair, Assistant Dean for the Division of Human Development and Health Administration. Associate Professor. Art therapy, indigenous arts, oncology, trauma leadership, program evaluation.
Clarissa Lacson, PhD, MT-BC (Drexel University) Core Counseling Course Coordinator, Creative Arts Therapy MA Programs. Assistant Clinical Professor. Interprofessional collaboration, program development, clinical supervision, research coordination, pediatric and medical music therapy
Marisol S. Norris, PhD, MT-BC (Drexel University) Director, Music Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Assistant Clinical Professor. . Community music therapy, critical pedagogies, Black aesthetics, culturally sustaining practice, radical healing framework.
Nalini Prakash, BC-DMT, CMA (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Dance/Movement Therapy. movement analysis, mental illness, criminal justice, violence prevention, clinical supervision, arts and culture, arts-based community development.
Michele Rattigan, MA, ATR-BC, NCC, LPC, LPAT (MCP Hahnemann University). Associate Clinical Professor. Art Therapy. self-compassion, community compassion, and mindfulness-based arts therapies approaches for U unresolved trauma; post-partum depression and anxiety; disordered eating and body image concerns; self-harming behaviors; & dissociative disorders. Critical compassionate pedagogy, interprofessional collaboration, & Universal Design for Learning in higher education. Doctor of health science student; higher education concentration.
Minjung Shim, PhD, BC-DMT (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Medical dance/movement therapy, chronic pain management, mindfulness-based interventions, healthy aging, virtual reality and eHealth interventions, clinical trials, theory/model-building, scoping reviews.
Adenike Webb, PhD, MT-BC (Temple University) Clinical Education Coordinator, Creative Arts Therapy MA Programs . Assistant Clinical Professor. Anti-oppressive pedagogy, wellbeing and creativity, social justice, culturally sustaining practice.
Denise Wolf, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, LPAT (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Consulting, trauma sensitive care/complex interpersonal trauma, clinical supervision, hand paper-making, Dialectical behavior therapy, art museum spaces, school-based art therapy, community engagement.

Emeritus Faculty

Nancy Gerber, PhD, ATR-BC (Union Institute and University). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Art therapy assessment and treatment of adolescents and adults; modern psychoanalysis and art therapy; arts therapy education and doctoral education; arts based research and mixed methods research.
Sharon W. Goodill, PhD, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Union Institute and University). Clinical Professor Emerita. Medical dance/movement, mind/body studies, movement assessment for DMT, CAT research and leadership.
Florence Ierardi, MM, MT-BC, LPC (Temple University). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Clinical improvisation, trauma-informed music therapy, multicultural music therapy perspectives.
Ellen Schelly-Hill, MMT, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Antioch NE Graduate School). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Adults diagnosed with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain and with histories of trauma; clinical supervision; ethics.