Dance & Movement Therapy for Trauma or Sexual Abuse
From our blog | 06 October 2024
A True Story
Many years ago, I had a lady who came to see me for a private session. She didn’t share much about her past but I knew she had experienced some type of sexual abuse.
I took her through a process of reconnecting with her body… and after a short time something extraordinary happened. She seemed to move in a way that I could see was new for her; like she was discovering something within herself she hadn’t tapped into before. I don’t know how I knew this, but I felt it. I started to cry watching her dance.
She later shared with me that as a 60-year-old woman it was the first time since she was a very young child that she felt safe enough to feel and experience her body again. Since her abuse, she disconnected from herself in such a strong way that she never felt safe to be in her body. It was really one of the most extraordinary moments for me to witness.
So what happened here?
When we experience trauma; especially at such a young age, we don’t usually know how to process it… so we don’t. it gets locked in our system. Some people might call this soul loss, which it often is.
When it comes to sexual abuse, it is even worse – as it can come with emotions of shame, guilt etc… Often, one doesn’t know how to or want to talk about it. That is why dance and movement therapy is the answer! If guided in the right way and held in a safe space, it can support one to deal with unresolved or unexpressed emotions without having to speak about it. Through the dancing, we can express it and move it through our bodies – which actually leads to a deeper transformation as we are using our minds, hearts and bodies all at the same time.
If you have a story around how movement therapy supported you through a traumatic event, please share your story here with us as it truly can inspire others!
