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Last week, I had discussed what I was learning in my Psychopathology and Research Methods courses.  This week, I am going to switch gears a little and discuss my classes in Counseling Techniques II and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory II, which are both continuations of courses I had taken last semester.

While I am studying to be a dance/movement therapist, talking as well as moving is an important aspect of the therapeutic process.  Counseling Techniques is a course that gives me an opportunity to learn the different counseling theories and skills associated with verbal therapy.  This class is essential to my course of study and is one of the thirteen classes in the Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling curriculum that will allow me to sit for the state Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) exam upon the completion of my degree.  This semester, the course will be taught by Stacey Hurst who is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), as well as a dance movement therapist.  She will be teaching us the theories related to talk therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Existential Therapy.  While she will focus on the talk therapy skills associated with these theories, being a dance movement therapist, she can also provide insight into different DMT techniques that would apply to these different approaches.  Part of our assignments include weekly readings, as well as articles related to each of the theories we will be learning about.

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Last but certainly not least, I am taking Dance/Movement Therapy II, which is taught by Susan Imus, the chair of the Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling Department.  In part one of this class, we discussed the pioneers who contributed to the field as well as theories they have implemented in their work.  In part two, this course will expound upon the techniques used in dance/movement therapy across all different age groups, as well as how to assess and identify pathology within different populations.  I will learn the techniques that may be applied across different age groups starting with infants and moving through to children, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics.  Throughout the course of this class, I will also be hearing from guest speakers who are dance movement therapist.  They will describe first-hand their experiences working with different populations.  I will also be required to sit and observe two DMT sessions with different populations.  I am looking forward to witnessing different DMT sessions and reflecting on my experience as an observer!

As you may have noticed in reading these last two posts, the beauty of Columbia’s Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling curriculum is how strategically arranged the classes are.  There is a seamless connection that occurs between the topics discussed in all classes.  Inevitably, the material that we cover in one class will transfer over to the next, and this is something I have really come to notice and value as a student in this program.