An interview with Janet Adler

Abstract

Janet Adler, Ph.D., ADTR, has been a dance/movement therapist since 1963 when she trained with Marian Chace at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. She documented her work with autistic children in the award winning film “Looking For Me,” in 1968. A student of Mary Whitehouse, the first person to describe Authentic Movement, Janet further developed the work and, in 1981 founded and directed the Mary Starks Whitehouse Institute, the first school for Authentic Movement. Since moving to Northern California in 1985, she has been leading training groups in the study and practice of Authentic Movement. In 1988, she created a film about Authentic Movement called “Still Looking,” and completed her doctoral degree in mystical studies in 1992. She currently lectures, offers groups in the United States, Europe, and teaches in the Authentic Movement Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Janet's early work stresses the development of a psychological understanding of the therapeutic relationship in the mover/witness dyad. As her work develops, her understanding of the role of the witness deepens and the spiritual aspect of the practice expands. Janet brings a remarkable capacity for seeing, listening, and reflecting her students' experience as well as a willingness to take important and creative risks in further developing her work. Her warmth and clarity of presence have been a gift to colleagues and students alike. Her respect for life's mysteries and courage in following her vision is a source of inspiration to many.