DMT&C Department Mission Statements

MASTER'S OF ARTS IN DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY AND COUNSELING

MISSION STATEMENT

Columbia College’s Master of Arts Program trains students to become practitioners who utilize dance/movement therapy and counseling methods as a means to understand people, the nature of their strivings and conflicts, and as a means of facilitating healing and growth.  The student learning outcomes include:

1. Knowledge and application of theories, methods, and techniques in the practice of dance/movement therapy and counseling.
2. Knowledge of the human body and how its systems affect functional, expressive, communicative and developmental aspects of movement.
3. Knowledge and application of techniques for observing, assessing, and researching verbal and non-verbal communication in dance/movement therapy and counseling.
4. Awareness and understanding of the roles and function of a counselor and dance/movement therapist within facilities and environments that treat individuals, families, and groups with the highest ethical standards.
5. Development of the reflective use of self in understanding the therapeutic process and ethical therapeutic relationships including the impact of environmental, social and cultural factors.
6. Understanding the role of creativity, its development and application in the therapeutic relationship and healing process.

The desired outcomes for the program include providing students with a solid foundation of theories in counseling/psychotherapy, dance/movement therapy, movement assessment, and principles of group therapy.  Experience through fieldwork and internship fosters the ability to develop a professional career.

GRADUATE LABAN CERTIFICATE IN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

MISSION STATEMENT

The Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis Program is the first Graduate level certificate program tailored to apply movement analysis in a therapeutic and artistic setting, providing the opportunity to take the seminal work of Rudolf Laban to a new level of integration.  This is a program that provides a comprehensive study of movement meaning and its application to body/mind therapies and the performing arts.  In the GLCMA we train students in Laban’s analytical framework to achieve the following learning objectives:

1. Knowledge of the human body and how its systems affect functional, expressive, communicative and developmental aspects of movement.
2. Knowledge and application of techniques for observing, assessing, and researching verbal and non-verbal communication.
3. Development of the reflective use of self in understanding the therapeutic/artistic process and ethical therapeutic/artistic relationships including the impact of environmental, social and cultural factors.
4. The ability to embody principles from the Laban taxonomy.
   

The curriculum is designed to take theory into practice, making applicable the links between Laban's theory of movement and the specific context and processes of expressive and somatic arts. The program is designed for somatic therapists and artists who wish to approach an understanding of the body/mind and its expression from a holistic perspective.  It is appropriate for massage therapists, dance therapists, physical therapists, fitness trainers, actors, dancers, and others engaged in somatic education, therapeutic practice, and performance.