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Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling

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 therapy practioners 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.

The 90.0 quarter-credit curriculum includes specific dance/movement therapy coursework situating dance movement as (1) a tool for communication, creativity, and expression; (2) essential for growth and development; and (3) situated within cultures. In addition, general mental health counseling coursework in human development; psychopathology; social and cultural foundations; clinical appraisal and assessment; and group dynamics deepens the counselor identity. Program graduates are eligible for the Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) credential with the American Dance Therapy Association as well as professional counseling licensure in Pennsylvania (upon completion of post-graduation requirements).

The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) defines dance/movement therapy as the psychotherapeutic use of movement in a process that furthers the emotional, cognitive, social, and physical integration of the individual. 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 go on to work in a variety of settings such as schools, early intervention programs, community mental health, inpatient psychiatric, 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 501	Foundations of Creative Arts Therapies	2.0
CTCN 501	Human Psychological Development	4.5
CTCN 503	DSM and Psychopathology	4.5
CTCN 504	Professional Orientation and Ethics	4.5
CTCN 505	Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy	4.5
CTCN 509	Social and Cultural Foundations	4.5
CTCN 540	Approaches to Addictions and Recovery	4.5
CTCN 601	Introduction to Behavioral Research	4.5
CTCN 603	Clinical Appraisal and Assessment	4.5
CTCN 604	Career Counseling	4.5
CTCN 607	Group Dynamics in Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy	4.5
Dance/Movement Therapy Track Courses
CTCN 552	Therapy Relationship Skills I	2.5
CTCN 553	Therapy Relationship Skills II	2.0
CTCN 554	Movement Observation I	2.0
CTCN 556	Movement Observation II	2.0
CTCN 560	Theory and Practice of Dance/Movement Therapy: Special Populations	3.0
CTCN 563	Movement Perspectives in Human Development	3.0
CTCN 564	Mental Health Applications of Movement Analysis	3.0
CTCN 651	Medical Dance/Movement Therapy	1.0
CTCN 654	Crisis, Trauma, and the Body	4.0
CTCN 655	Dance, Culture, and Healing	1.5
CTCN 657	Dance/Movement Therapy Assessment	2.0
CTCN 659	Advanced Topics in Dance/Movement Therapy	2.0
Clinical Education Courses
CTCN 511	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar I	2.0
CTCN 521	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar II	2.0
CTCN 531	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Seminar III	2.0
CTCN 611	Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar I	2.0
CTCN 621	Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar II	2.0
CTCN 631	Clinical Internship & Internship Seminar III	2.0
Culminating Project
CATX 623	Culminating Project in Dance/Movement Therapy I	1.5
CATX 624	Culminating Project in Dance/Movement Therapy II	1.5

Additional Electives
As needed, in consultation with the program director students can select the following electives:
CATX 627	For Culminating Project Only
CATX I699	Independent Study in Creative Arts Therapy
Total Credits		90.0

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 501	2.0	CTCN 509	4.5	CTCN 503	4.5	CTCN 504	4.5
CTCN 501	4.5	CTCN 521	2.0	CTCN 531	2.0	CTCN 505	4.5
CTCN 511	2.0	CTCN 556	2.0	CTCN 553	2.0	CTCN 651	1.0
CTCN 552	2.5	CTCN 607	4.5	CTCN 560	3.0
CTCN 554	2.0	CTCN 655	1.5	CTCN 564	3.0
CTCN 563	3.0
	16		14.5		14.5		10
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CTCN 601	4.5	CTCN 603	4.5	CTCN 604	4.5
CTCN 611	2.0	CTCN 621	2.0	CATX 624	1.5
CTCN 654	4.0	CATX 623	1.5	CTCN 631	2.0
CTCN 657	2.0	CTCN 540	4.5	CTCN 659	2.0
	12.5		12.5		10
Total Credits 90

*: 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.

Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling 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 art therapy, social justice in art activities, transgender and LGBTQ identity.

Susan Deutsch Adjunct Assistant Professor. Laban Movement Analysis

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.

Sharon W. Goodill, PhD, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Union Institute and University). Clinical Professor. Medical dance/movement, mind/body studies, movement assessment for DMT, CAT research and leadership.

Scott Horowitz, MA, MT-BC, LPC (Drexel University) Director of Field Education. Clinical Instructor. Interdisciplinary practice and education, developmental models of clinical and practicum supervision, music therapy and neurodevelopmental populations.

Girija Kaimal, EdD, MA , ATR-BC (Harvard University) Interim Department Chair, Assistant Dean for Special Research Initiatives . Associate Professor. Art therapy, educational research, program evaluation, art therapy.

Dawn Morningstar, MCAT, VC-DMT, LP (Hahnemann University) Coordinator of CAT Clinical Services. Assistant Clinical Professor. Specialty in working with children and adolescents, Dance/movement therapist at Drexel's Parkway Health and Wellness faculty practice outpatient clinic.

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.

Michele Rattigan, MA, ATR-BC, NCC, LPC (MCP Hahnemann University). Associate Clinical Professor. Unresolved trauma; post-partum depression and anxiety; disordered eating and body image concerns; self-harming behaviors; dissociative disorders

Minjung Shim, PhD, BC-DMT (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Medical dance/movement therapy, chronic pain management, mindfulness-based interventions, clinical trials, theory/model-building, qualitative inquiries, scoping reviews.

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.

Florence Ierardi, MM, MT-BC, LPC (Temple University) Director, Music Therapy and Counseling MA Program. 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) Director of Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Adults diagnosed with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain and with histories of trauma; clinical supervision; ethics.

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