Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Abstract

As the number of school shootings in the United States accelerates, there has been a gap in conversation, debate, and the responses to these shootings. In the aftermath of a school shooting, the publicized conversations generally center around the shooter, the shooter’s motivation, gun reform and prevention. Survivors of school shootings, in contrast, have been left in the dark. For those managing this unique trauma, it can be incredibly difficult to verbally express what they have experienced and how they have been coping. The magnitude and specificity of the trauma survivors of school shootings face calls for a therapeutic modality that encompasses both the body and mind as one entity. Dance/movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach to healing holistically, that values relationship building, human connection, emotional regulation, physical and mental health, as well as one’s purpose and overall well-being. Dance/movement therapy gives the physical body a voice and uses movement as the main form of communication in the therapeutic process.

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