Dance Movement Psychotherapy

Applicants will normally be required to hold an honours degree, third class or above. In most cases this will be in a dance-related discipline or a clinically related discipline such as Dance, Psychology, Mental Health Nursing or Social Work. Alternatively, graduate level professional qualifications in appropriate disciplines such as Dance, Drama, Performing Arts, Occupational Therapy, Probation Officers or Social Work are also accepted.

International applicants and those unable to attend in person interviews must submit videos of dancing alone and in relationship to another prior to interview.

Applicants will be expected to have prior appropriate clinical experience of working within a setting and with clients appropriate to the programme. Normally, applicants will be expected to have a minimum of one year prior clinical experience. This may include working with children, adults or older adults in areas such as learning disabilities, mental health, hospice care, dementia care, neuro-disability, homelessness or addictions. This work can be on a voluntary or employed basis.

It is expected that applicants will have prior movement and dance movement experience, either through professional work in a dance movement or performance context or through continuous practice for a minimum of two years prior to training.

Knowledge and experience of at least two dance movement techniques or styles will be ascertained from the personal statement and or interview. Applicants should also demonstrate personal qualities considered important to train as a therapist, including the capacity to form and maintain appropriate empathic relationships with clients, emotional literacy, robustness, and an ability to be self-aware and open.

Applicants will be required to supply two completed references within their application. Normally one reference should comment on academic suitability and the other on clinical suitability for the programme.

All students must be prepared to enter mandatory ongoing personal therapy for the duration of the programme.

The typed personal statement, approximately 500 words, should cover the following areas:

• What has led you to wish to train as a therapist at this time.

• How this connects with your dance background, experience and hopes for the future.

• Your experience of how dance movement may enhance lives and facilitate change, including specific reference to work or volunteering with vulnerable people where relevant.

• Relevant courses, conferences, reading, and any meetings with dance movement or other therapists.

Please refer to the general entry requirements for UK and international students.