Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Abstract

Abortion is one of the most common procedures in the United States with roughly a quarter of the female population receiving the procedure before the age of 45. Abortion is often an emotionally significant event that changes the course of someone’s life. For some of those women, negative physical and psychological symptoms can emerge post abortion. Grief, depression, trauma-based disorders, and concealable stigmas may accompany the range of physical changes. Communication is 55% nonverbal, therefore using a body-based modality for expression and healing is crucial. Dance/movement therapy is a body based modality that’s core principle uses the body as a form of communication. Addressing the physical and psychological symptoms therapeutically through bodily-felt experiences facilitates healing by integrating the mind-body connection. Fueled from the feminist movement which included agency over women’s reproductive rights and their bodies, dance/movement therapy was recognized as a profession in the 1960s. Using various techniques and interventions, dance/movement therapy honors the entire woman, where they are in their mental health journey, respecting their choice of reproductive health, and acknowledging the agency they have over their bodies and minds.

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