Professional Development

Movement Psychotherapy was developed in the 1940’s through the art of modern dance. A dancer by the name of Marion Chase began working in the back wards of St. Elizabeth Hospital in New York City with mentally ill patients through movement and nonverbal communication. She soon discovered the efficacy of using movement as an expressive tool for those who had limited verbal skills. Since then, the profession has developed into a psychodynamic approach working not only in mental health hospitals, but in schools, prisons and private practices. It is now a worldwide profession growing rapidly in many European and Asian countries.