Abstract
Touch is the first language humans learn; one learns to touch in the womb long before they develop an ability to communicate in other forms. This article speaks to the importance of touch in working with a survivor of sexual abuse. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) understands the importance of integrating the body into psychotherapy. Dance/movement therapist’s abilities to meet the individual where they are at somatically support their work with survivors in a touch model. This article, by reviewing existing literature and research in the field of the application of touch in the psychotherapeutic relationship, in combination with the research that states essential goals for survivors of sexual abuse within therapy, attempts to suggest ways in which DMT can enhance and support the use of touch in working with survivors. This article also suggests that touch is a healing component in psychotherapy, particularly in regards to working with survivors to reclaim and relearn their relationship to their bodies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Aposhyan, S. M. (2007). Natural intelligence: Body-mind integration and human development. Boulder: NOW Press.
Betty, A. (2013). Taming tidal waves: A dance/movement therapy approach to supporting emotion regulation in maltreated children. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 35(1), 39–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-013-9152-3.
Brooke, S. L. (2007). The use of the creative therapies with sexual abuse survivors. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
Caldwell, C. (2002, June). Using touch in psychotherapy. Paper presented at the USA Body Psychotherapy Conference, Baltimore.
Chaiklin, S., & Wengrower, H. (2016). The art and science of dance/movement therapy: Life is dance. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Cozolino, L. J. (2014). The neuroscience of human relationships: Attachment and the developing social brain. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Dell, C. (1979). A primer for movement description: Using effort shape and supplementary concepts. New York: Dance Notation Bureau Press.
Ford, C. W. (1992). Where healing waters meet: Touching mind and emotion through the body. Barrytown, NY: Station Hill Press.
Ford, C. W. (1999). Compassionate touch: The body’s role in emotional healing and recovery. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
Frank, Z. (1997). Dance and expressive movement therapy: An effective treatment for a sexually abused man. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 19(1), 45–61.
Harrison, C., Jones, R. S., & Huws, J. C. (2012). “We’re people who don’t touch”: Exploring clinical psychologists’ perspectives on their use of touch in therapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 25(3), 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2012.671595.
Hendricks, K. T. (2009). What I learned from Mary: Reflections on the work of Mary Starks Whitehouse. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 32(1), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-009-9073-3.
Ho, R. T. (2015). A place and space to survive: A dance/movement therapy program for childhood sexual abuse survivors. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 46, 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2015.09.004.
Hunter, M., & Struve, J. (1999). The ethical use of touch in psychotherapy. London: SAGE.
Krantz, A. (1999). Growing into her body: Dance/movement therapy for women with eating disorders. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 21(2), 81–103.
Levy, F. J. (1988). Dance movement therapy: A healing art. Reston, VA: The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
Lilly, M., & Hedlund, J. (2010). Healing childhood sexual abuse with yoga. International Journal of Yoga Therapy: Yoga Therapy in Practice, 20, 120–129.
Mackinnon, L. (2012). The neurosequential model of therapeutics: An interview with Bruce Perry. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 33(03), 210–218. https://doi.org/10.1017/aft.2012.26.
Matherly, N. (2013). Navigating the dance of touch: An exploration into the use of touch in dance/movement therapy. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 36(1), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-013-9161-2.
Miller, A. (1984). Thou shalt not be aware: Society’s betrayal of the child. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.
Mills, L. J., & Daniluk, J. C. (2002). Her body speaks: The experience of dance therapy for women survivors of child sexual abuse. Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2002.tb00169.x.
Moore, C., & Yamamoto, K. (2012). Beyond words (3rd ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Musicant, S. (2001). Authentic movement: Clinical considerations. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 23(1), 17–28.
Nasim, R., & Nadan, Y. (2013). Couples therapy with childhood sexual abuse survivors (CSA) and their partners: Establishing a context for witnessing. Family Process, 52(3), 368–377. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12026.
Ogden, P., Pain, C., & Minton, K. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. New York: W.W. Norton.
Perry, B. D. (2009). Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: Clinical applications of the neurosequential model of therapeutics. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14(4), 240–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325020903004350.
Phelan, J. E. (2009). Exploring the use of touch in the psychotherapeutic setting: A phenomenological review. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 46(1), 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014751.
Piqueras-Ramos, I. (2015). Dance movement psychotherapy and sexually harmful behaviour. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 11(1), 60–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2015.1117527.
Popa, M. R., & Best, P. A. (2010). Making sense of touch in dance movement therapy: A trainee’s perspective. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 5(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/17432970903545941.
Schoop, T. (1974). Motion and emotion. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 22(2), 91–101.
Serlin, I. (1993). Root images of healing in dance therapy. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 15(2), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00844028.
Shafir, T. B. (2015). Bridging the trauma-adult attachment connection through somatic movement. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 10(4), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2015.1067256.
Smith, E. W., Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. (1998). Touch in psychotherapy: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Guilford Press.
The Code of Ethics and Standards of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) and the Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB). (2018, February 14). Retrieved February 14, 2018 from https://adta.org/ethics/Ethics.
Townsend, C. (2013). Prevalence and consequences of child sexual abuse compared with other childhood experiences. Charleston, S.C., Darkness to Light. Retrieved March 3, 2017 from https://www.D2L.org.
Townsend, C., & Rheingold, A. A. (2013). Estimating a child sexual abuse prevalence rate for practitioners: studies. Charleston, S.C., Darkness to Light. Retrieved March 3, 2017 from https://www.D2L.org.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Submitted in partial satisfaction for the Somatic Counseling Psychology Program requirements of a masters’ degree in Dance/Movement Therapy & Body Psychology.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cristobal, K.A. Power of Touch: Working with Survivors of Sexual Abuse Within Dance/Movement Therapy. Am J Dance Ther 40, 68–86 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-018-9275-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-018-9275-7