CONNECTING CULTURE, DANCE, AND MOVEMENT: DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY FOR SUPPORTING SECONDARY SCHOOL REFUGEE STUDENTS’ TRAUMA RECOVERY – AN EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOP  

Traumatic experiences during the refugee journey and challenges of settling into a school environment can impact learning and cognitive performance for students. Beyond mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, trauma can impact concentration, academic performance, school attendance and connection with peers and teachers.  

Dance Movement Therapy is both a form of Creative Arts Therapy and somatic psychotherapy.  It has much potential in working with refugee young people as it recognises the interconnectedness of body and mind in trauma recovery. It combines elements of dance, movement systems and creative processes to support emotional, psychological, cognitive, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 

 This half-day experiential workshop will offer an embodied exploration of Dance Movement Therapy practices, and the methods that can assist refugee high school students to explore themes such as settlement, culture, safety, shared refugee experiences, and acculturation.  It will explore ways that Dance Movement Therapy can help to increase protective factors and healthy development while decreasing the negative impacts of trauma.  

The workshop will include participatory movement and dance activities and exploration of Dance Movement Therapy principles and polyvagal theory. Workshop participants will gain an increased understanding of the use of Dance Movement Therapy when collaboratively delivered in schools as a strength-based approach to trauma recovery, and participants will have a felt sense of what expressive therapies can do to engender hope and recovery for survivors. 

 This workshop is underpinned by key theoretical foundations of Dance Movement Therapy and models including Polyvagal Theory, which highlights the importance of integrating somatic experiences into trauma recovery, and Amber Grey’s Restorative Movement Psychotherapy model, which emphasises belonging and meaning making as central in somatic work with survivors of torture and relational trauma. 

 This workshop is suitable for professionals working in therapeutic, education, family support and health contexts. No prior dance experience is necessary.

Workshop run time: 3 hours