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TRANSCRIPT
Using Physical Movement to Enhance Adlerian Principles in Therapy Sessions
Photo re t r ieved 10- 13 - 14 f rom: ht tp : / /www.awaken. com/ w p-c ont ent /upl o ads/ 2013/07 /Va te r -de r -Psychosomat ik . jpg
© Danáe Ashley 2014
Mother’s movements, fears, voices, and music they hear. (Image from: alldaychic.com)
Mother’s food intake, what they smell, their stressors, and what they feel. (Image from: www.dreamstime.com)
Movement reveals meaning
“Reflexes, gestures, accommodating maneuvers, posturings, precise complex articulations, random actions, and practical and aesthetic patterns” (Blom & Chaplin, 1988, p. 3) are used to live, move, and have our being.
Image from: http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/world/rudegestures/835248/innocent-gestures-that-mean-rude-things-abroad
“In Greece and Turkey, this gesture can be taken as highly vulgar. You are telling someone that they resemble a similarly shaped part of the human body and, by extension, that they are homosexual. In some Middle Eastern countries, such as Kuwait, the okay sign signifies the evil eye” (Simon Busch, MSN UK).
“I REALLY, REALLY LOVE YOU!”
Alfred Adler was born in a village which is now a suburb of Vienna on February 7, 1870.
From a middle class Jewish family, converted to Christianity as an adult.
Was not in the best health growing up—had rickets, pneumonia, and one of his siblings died in the bed they shared.
Became a medical doctor and psychiatrist. Part of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society which included Freud
and Jung. Broke away from the Society and formed his own theory which
he called “Individual Psychology”—meaning the whole person. Immigrated to the United States, but lectured, wrote, taught,
and toured all over the world. Died on a lecture tour on May 28, 1937 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
1. Individual perceptions
2. Soft-determinism
3. Inferiority/Superiority
4. Holistic
5. Lifestyle
6. Family constellations
7. Social interest
8. Empathy
9. Encouragement
10. Behavior is purposeful and goal oriented
SOME CORE PRINCIPLES OF
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY:
“A simple rule in dealing with those who are hard to get along with is to remember that this person is striving to assert his superiority; and you must deal with him from that point of view.” Alfred Adler (Image from: www.awaken.com)
Where’s the problem? (Image from: positiveatmosphere.com)
Psychosomatic issues (Image from: metaphoricalmarathons.com)
In Individual Psychology, “[i]t is always necessary to look for these reciprocal actions of the mind on the body, and of the body on the mind, for both of them are parts of the whole with which we are concerned” (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956, p. 225).
The Body and the Law of Movement
Born January 28, 1909 in New York City. Studied dance with Bird Larson, Martha Graham, Dalcroze
(eurhythmics), Veola and La Meri, among others. Owner of the School of Creative Dance, 1934, later opened The
Dance Therapy Centre (for the normal neurotic urban adult), 1967.
Dance therapist at the Bellevue Children’s Psychiatric Ward in New York City, 1943.
Co-chairperson of adjunctive therapies at the Alfred Adler Institute of Individual Psychology, 1959, and on faculty until her death.
Wrote many articles, did films and interviews about dance therapy.
Died December 24, 1982 in New York City.
Moving our beings… Adler said, “There is a strict
corollary between movement and psychic life. In the evolution of the psychic life, therefore, we must consider everything which is connected with movement. We see that both mind and body are expression of life: they are parts of the whole of life. And we begin to understand their reciprocal relations in that whole. The life of man is the life of a moving being.”
(Understanding Human Nature)
Evan adds, “Yes, ‘the life of man is the life of a moving being’ but the typical urban body in the United States has ceased moving…The no-outlet energy for some becomes active-destructive violence, outwardly to the world and/or inwardly to one’s self” (Benov, 1991, p. 142).
…Keeps neurosis at bay?
The basis of the warm-up was to bring individuals “into contact with the reality of their psychophysical selves” (Levy, 2005, p. 33) with the therapist addressing the whole person. When in a group, social interest and encouragement were practiced by having members take turns at leading the warm-up (Levy, 2005).
This technique “included postural work, coordination, placement of body parts and rhythmicity. This style of work was individualized, varied, adapting to the individual’s unique anatomical needs. In Evan’s words, functional techniques ‘…respects nature’s plan of the body in action…Changing the body tonus from destructive tension to resilience is vital’ (Rifkin-Gainer, et al., 1984, p. 14)” (Levy, 2005, p. 34). This exemplifies the psychological theory of the law of movement in the most holistic and fundamental way, remembering Adler’s approach to each person being unique and that “Everything can also be different” (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956, p. 194).
Evan’s definition of improvisation was “…the spontaneous creation of form” (Levy, 2005, p. 34). She used three types of approaches: projective techniques (having clients take on the form of an animal, color, or texture), sensitization to and mobilization of potential body action (use of props, words in opposition—gather/scatter/, morning/night, etc.), and in-depth and/or complex improvisation (expressing the client’s own thoughts and feelings in structured movement) (Levy, 2005). These approaches echo Adler’s creativity in the use of hunches, following the client to where they are, use of metaphor, and acting “as if” to help understand the client’s mistaken beliefs (Mosak & Maniacci, 1999).
This is the process of traditional psychotherapy during and after the dance sessions—the talk therapy integrated with the body. “Evan emphasized the importance of knowing why the therapist was asking an individual to do a specific movement exploration” (Levy, 2005, p. 37). Like Adler, she also would assign homework and encourage the process of putting “ ‘insight into action’ between sessions” (Bernstein, 2005, p. 3).
Born January 25, 1905 in Bergen, Norway. Studied dance in Germany with Mary Wigman, also studied physiology
and gymnastics. Like Evan, she studied eurythmics with Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. Fled Germany during WWII, first to England, then to the U.S. in 1941. Taught dance in the 1940s at the YWCA and the Wright Oral School for
the Deaf. Studied psychotherapy for three years in the 1950s at the Alfred Adler
Institute in New York City. Became the Director of the Division of Creative Therapies, Mental
Retardation Institute in 1961 and later a dance therapist at the Alfred Adler Mental Hygiene Clinic.
Developed the first Postgraduate Training in Dance Therapy department.
Died December 17, 1988 in Queens, New York.
“In this context the major influence is derived from the Adlerian concept of treating the triune existence of the indvidual: (1) the emotion being the motivating force; (2) the mind organizing the action; and (3) the body performing it” (Espenak, 1981, p. 38).
ESPENAK AND ADLERIAN INTEGRATION: Psychomotor Therapy
Image of Marian Chace (another influence on Espenak’s work) from www.adta.org.
1) Aggression drive 2) Social feeling 3) Inferiority feelings (and related organ inferiority) 4) Life-style (early recollections, first memory) This theory offers itself, almost naturally in its
linking of organic functioning to mind and body, as a useful point of departure for relating psychological thinking with bodily function and especially expressive movement, i.e. dance” (Espenak, 1981, p. 38).
Test 1A: Body Image “Is a muscular test in
which the patient is asked to walk on his or her toes. The patient’s posture during this activity reveals information about his or her ego strength and self-assertion” (Levy, 2005, p. 46).
Involves improvisation…[and] provides information about ‘the life style and emotional climate of the patient’ (1970, p. 10)” (Levy, 2005, pgs. 46-47).
Test 1B: Emotional Response (Spatial Relationships)
Test II—Degree of Dynamic Drive (Force Adjustment)
“Demonstrates ‘the physical and motivational energy applied in performance of a task’ (1970, p. 10)…Espenak found that the degree of energy displayed by the patient could indicate the degree to which he can be challenged by the therapist” (Levy, 2005, p. 47).
Observes the patient’s sense of time as Espenak relates, “ ‘Control and organization of time reveals both eh individual’s inherent personal rhythm (as a sum total of his personality) as well as his ability to adjust to any given organization from the outside (i.e. to cooperate). (Espenak, 1970, p. 11)” (Levy, 2005, p. 47). Interestingly, this test focuses on breathing as the natural rhythm of a person’s life and an indication of inner feelings being entwined with both physiological and emotional changes of the body (Levy, 2005).
Test III—Control of Dynamic Drive (Rhythm, Time Concepts)
Test IV—Coordination (Body-Awareness and Locomotion)
Tests “the patient’s movement-flow as indicated in walking…Espenak saw coordination as the physical expression of the individual’s mental and emotional control. ‘The movement of walking is…the best natural demonstration of…the interaction of body and mind’ (1970, p. 12)” (Levy, 2005, p. 47).
Measured the “‘kinesthetic drive combined with mind control, endurance’ (1970, p. 12). It utilizes various tolerance tests, including the use of repetitions of movement to determine the patient’s attention span, ability to concentrate and tolerance for frustration and stress” (Levy, 2005, p. 47).
Test V—Endurance (Constancy)
“Measures the patient’s ability to perform movements that may seem somewhat threatening” (Levy, 2005, p. 47) such as walking backwards, floor exercises, changing the center of gravity, and rocking backwards. “Anxieties relating to movement, such as fear of falling or running downstairs, are closely linked to the fears the patient experiences in everyday life” (Levy, 2005, p. 47).
Test VI—Physical Courage (Anxiety States):
Image from: www.pyroenergen.com
Current science research has proven that what we do with our bodies changes our psychological perception as well as our chemistry. Social scientists Amy Cuddy (Harvard Business School) and Dana Carney (University of California, Berkeley) studied the questions “Do our nonverbals govern how we think and feel about ourselves?” and “Do our bodies change our minds?” In her TED Talk (2012), Cuddy reveals the answer is yes to both.
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are (10:19-12:40)
Who can do this? This modern research lends the
scientific proof to what Adler and others already knew: we must look at the body as well as the mind if we are to be able to heal the whole person. If this is important, then how can a therapist who is not trained in dance/movement therapy be able to connect the mind and body of their clients safely and with relative comfort? The answer lies in small ways.
These techniques are not equivalent to dance/movement therapy, although there are some elements akin to it. The techniques are to give the therapist and the client more information and awareness about healing the whole self.
I strongly encourage therapists who are going to try the techniques to be especially discerning with who you want to try the techniques with. There are some clients, like a client whom you do not have an established relationship with or someone who has been through severe trauma and needs an expert DMT therapist, for example, which may not respond well to these techniques. Please use discretion and ethical judgment when trying them out. A client’s well-being is always the priority.
The client’s well-being is the priority
The Try On: Empathy breathing and body patterns Amy Cuddy’s “Power Poses”: Confidence in self
Image from: help-veterans.blogspot.com
Living Teeter-Totter: Understanding power differentials
Follow Me: Understanding the other
Image from: blog.ncpad.org
COUPLE TECHNIQUES
Questions
Take-Aways
Image from: peoplecheck.de Image from: www.quoteswave.com
