Abstract: Background: Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) represents a distinctive approach within creative arts therapies that harnesses the intrinsic connection between bodily movement and emotional experience. Despite its growing application across clinical populations, comprehensive analyses integrating its historical development with contemporary theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence remain limited. Objective: This article traces the historical evolution of DMT from its mid-twentieth century origins to contemporary practice, synthesizes current theoretical frameworks identifying core therapeutic mechanisms, and reviews empirical evidence for DMT's effectiveness across diverse populations.......
Keywords: Dance Movement Therapy; psychological well-being; therapeutic mechanisms; embodied cognition; history of psychotherapy; creative arts therapies.
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