- Diploma in DMT:
Overview & Year One - Intro to DMT Workshops - Module 1
- Diploma Year Two:
Clinical Practicum - Tuition
Fees
Trainers
Overview
The Diploma training in Dance Movement Therapy is a two year part time training that offers a pathway toward practicing as a Professional Dance Movement Therapist. The course consists of two years. After the two year training, you will have completed the requirements for registration as a Provisional Professional member of the DTAA (Dance Therapy Association of Australasia) and be able to practice professionally. You must complete both years in order to practice as a Dance Therapist, however you may opt out of the training after the first year, if you choose, and still apply the principles of DMT to your work and lead therapeutic group dance sessions.
BOTH YEARS WILL BE OFFERED ONLINE IN 2022 FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT TRAVEL TO AUCKLAND FOR TRAINING MODULES.
Who is this for?
This first year is designed for those who are interested in developing skills to work in the field of Dance Movement Therapy in the future, or those who would like to integrate therapeutic dance into an existing related Profession such as Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Teaching, Occupational Therapy, or Physiotherapy. It is also ideal for Arts Therapy Trainees who wish to specialise in Dance Movement Therapy as part of their training. The second year supports students to practice more clinically, and individually, and to gain the required practice and supervision hours to be able to register as a Prof. Prov. DMT.
Course Content
The first year is experiential in nature, utilising current DMT practice and tools to develop embodied skills and understanding. This experiential learning will be supported by a strong theoretical base, provided through workshops, lectures, tutorials, supervision, coursework and readings throughout the year.
The first year consists of six weekend modules - an initial Intro to DMT (Foundation Module) which can be attended in person or online, in Nov 2021. The remaining modules are taught over five long weekends between February & December 2022, in two separate cohorts - an in person group and an online training group. Each cohort will have dedicated trainers and support team to ensure optimal learning throughout the year.
In addition, online evening tutorials, supervision and simulated practicum sessions will be offered between the modules on Zoom.
Each student will participate in a 60 hour Placement during the first year (minimum 30 hours client contact), to observe & assist in Dance Movement Therapy and other settings to gain practical experience and apply their learning. This can be done outside of NZ. The first year consists of 175 contact hours.
Training modules will be taught by experienced Dance Movement Therapists, and will include Guest Presenters who are experts in the field of Dance Movement Therapy, both Nationally and Internationally.
For further information about the second year see the 'Year Two: Clinical Practicum' tab.
Diploma Application Process
If you would like to apply for the Diploma in DMT, there are three application pathways:
- You have attended a Foundation Module in a previous year:
- Fill in application form - deadline 1st November (attach assignment 1)
- Pay deposit to confirm your space once offered a place
- Your space is then guaranteed
- You want to enrol in the Diploma now, but have not attended a Foundation module (or have attended one outside of NZ):
- Fill out Application form
- Attend online interview
- Enrol by paying deposit + FM fee once offered a space (your space is then guaranteed).
- You will attend the Foundation module as the first part of your training.
- You are not sure if you want to do the Diploma:
- Register for and attend Foundation Module
- Fill out application form after completing FM (deadline 3rd Dec)
- Spaces are not guaranteed at that stage - there may be some still available, if not, you may need to wait another year to enrol.
Fill out the form
First Year: In-person Modules:
Fridays 1-5pm & Saturdays-Sundays, 9.30am-5pm (except for Foundation Module). Location: Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.
Foundation Module: 6-7 November, 2021
Module 2: 11-13 Feb 2022
Module 3: 22-24 April 2022
Module 4: 24-26 June 2022
Module 5: 9-11 Sept 2022
Module 6 : 18-20 Nov 2022
Tutorials: weeks of: 17 Jan, 14 March, 16 May, 1 Aug, 17 Oct, 28 Nov.
First Year: Online Modules:
Thursdays 5.30-9.30pm, Fridays 6-9.30pm, Saturdays 2-5pm, Sundays 10.30am-6pm (all NZ time):
Foundation Module: 6-7 November, 2021
Module 2: 24-27 Feb 2022
Module 3: 5-8 May 2022
Module 4: 7-10 July 2022
Module 5: 22-25 Sept 2022
Module 6 : 1-4 Dec 2022
Tutorials: weeks of: 19 Jan, 28 March, 30 May, 15 Aug, 31 Oct, 12 Dec.
This module will introduce students to the historical and cultural background of dance for healing and to the origin and development of dance movement therapy (DMT) as a profession in the context of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Students will be introduced to foundational skills and practices in the field of DMT, allowing students to experience a variety of DMT approaches first hand.
Relevant theory and concepts will be presented to support the experiential learning, and to assist students to reflect on how these practices may be used therapeutically.
This module will explore the unique contribution of Maori and Pasifika dance & wellbeing practices, and the work of key originators in Aotearoa (and their international DMT lineage) who have developed the profession.
This module will introduce you to systems for describing and assessing movement through non-verbal movement observation, the biomechanics of movement and the theories behind movement development/preferences. It will provide frameworks for how DMT can enhance and develop movement patterns in order to support therapeutic goals. These systems and frameworks are comprehensive and at times complex; this module will provide an introduction to this work, and the concepts and theories taught will be built on and developed throughout the rest of the course.
The initial focus will be on understanding and describing your own movement and how this relates to other internal and external aspects of yourself and your history. The module will utilise practice-based experiences to both teach key concepts, and to support the expansion of your own movement practice. An important element underpinning this module is that the greater functional and expressive range we have in our own movement, the fuller psychological expression we have access to, and the more choices we then have in life. When we maximise our own movement range, this also increases the resources we have available to support future clients.
This module aims to introduce students to a range of key theories that underpin and inform dance movement therapy: theories of cognitive and psycho-social development, creativity & improvisation, and psychotherapeutic & counselling theories. This theoretical knowledge provides a solid ground upon which the application of DMT practice can rest. Each theory will be introduced utilising practice based methods and population specific examples, in order to further develop students’ experiential knowledge alongside their theoretical understanding.
LBMS material introduced in the previous module will be woven through this module, building on and further developing students’ understanding of how to apply LBMS to the more psychological aspects of therapeutic practice. This module will serve as an introduction to a range of models – students may choose to develop their knowledge in one or two of these models going forward through the rest of the course and into their future DMT practice. The person-centred approach will be utilised as a primary model in this and future modules in order to give students a more comprehensive understanding of one key model that offers immediate practical application to the field of DMT.
In order to practice DMT, we need to gather a range of practical tools and skills that are connected to theory and methods. These tools are intrinsically connected to fundamental DMT concepts and theory, as the field grew out of a practice-based approach. We begin our application of practice in the context of facilitating DMT groups, as this is the setting where most students in their first year will begin their placement experience. Many of the concepts apply to individual practice as well, however individual applications will be further developed in the Advanced Clinical Practicum year. In order to understand and effectively work with groups, theories of group dynamics and other related theories will be introduced to provide a ground from which to begin working with both children and adults.
This module takes a hands on, practical approach, enabling students to develop useful ‘how-to’ skills and methods which can be taken into placement settings. This can include how to select music and props, along with how to demonstrate empathy and build connection through movement. The therapeutic relationship is a key element, which can be the most significant element enabling a client to grow and change. Safety is also foundational to any DMT work, and this is addressed on both physical and other levels to support the therapeutic process.
Dance movement therapy uses dynamic and ongoing processes to continually assess and reassess what a client or group of clients may need. LBMS provides key tools and frameworks to support this process of understanding what is happening for a client, and where their growth areas may be. The more deeply we can understand our clients – on a movement level as well as who they are, where they come from and what they need – the more effective our interventions can be. Part of this process involves being able to identify and set key goals in collaboration with clients that act as markers in our sessions, guiding the improvisation and creativity that are also fundamental to the DMT approach.
The process of assessment in DMT, and how assessment can guide treatment planning and intervention, will be an ongoing learning process that continues through this module, the rest of this year and into the Advanced Clinical Practicum year and placements. This module serves as an introduction and a basis from which to develop further skills and experience, and focuses on applications of these tools to DMT groupwork. In the ACP year this knowledge will be further developed, with the focus shifting to individual DMT work with clients.
Through placements this year, you will have been introduced to a range of different clients and contexts for DMT and other therapeutic work. Some elements of DMT practice are universal – others are specific to the context and group of people you are working with. This module will go deeper into specific examples of different populations, and how DMT groupwork can be applied in these areas. There will be case presentations along with space to bring your own experience and observations of specific client populations, and to share your knowledge with the group.
In preparation for the end of this year, and to prepare for the Advanced Clinical Practicum year, professional practice aspects will be introduced. These include how to keep clinical records, boundaries, ethical considerations, self-care, and how to do an ‘elevator pitch’ to promote and explain concisely what DMT is and why it is beneficial. Some basic research skills will also be covered to ensure you have the resources you need to write your final group case study.
