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Embodying Self: A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach to Working with Concealable Stigmas

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Abstract

Concealable stigmas are characteristics, attributes, or identities that can be hidden from others and are socially devalued and negatively stereotyped. While research exists on the psychological costs of having a concealable stigma, less exists on the somatic costs of having a concealable stigma and on clinical approaches with this population. Drawing on the Kestenberg Movement Profile, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and the Five Fundamental Actions, this article proposes how dance/movement therapy (DMT) can be an additional lens through which to understand how having a concealable stigma impacts a person, particularly on a somatic level. This article also outlines specific DMT interventions designed to increase embodiment and movement repertoire. The goals of these interventions are to lessen the somatic impact of having a concealable stigma and empower clients to have choice in the ways in which they present themselves in the world.

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  1. Naropa University, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA

    Nell G. Roberts

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  1. Nell G. Roberts
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Correspondence to Nell G. Roberts.

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Roberts, N.G. Embodying Self: A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach to Working with Concealable Stigmas. Am J Dance Ther 38, 63–80 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-016-9212-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-016-9212-6

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