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A survey of professional dance/movement therapists regarding the relationship between nonverbal attributes/movement qualities and leadership styles, therapeutic effectiveness, and patient populations
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/1097
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| Title: | A survey of professional dance/movement therapists regarding the relationship between nonverbal attributes/movement qualities and leadership styles, therapeutic effectiveness, and patient populations |
| Authors: | Frank, Cheryl Lee |
| Keywords: | Dance Therapy |
| Issue Date: | May-2003 |
| Abstract: | This study investigated nonverbal attributes of leadership in dance/movement therapy and the relationship between leadership styles and patient populations.
Three hundred dance/movement therapists with advanced certification (ADTR) were
sent surveys; 144 replied and 136 responses qualified for the study. The findings
generally supported the leadership style - patient population "match" theory in that a
dance/movement therapist's nonverbal behavior, movement qualities, and
management practices were specific to meeting the traditional needs of particular
patient populations. Laissez-faire leadership was more associated with normal
neurotic patients who were described by survey respondents as having the ego
strength to tolerate a loosely structured therapy session. Task-oriented and
authoritarian leadership styles were largely associated with patients who require a
more structured approach, such as groups of children/adolescents and mentally ill
hospitalized patients. Descriptive tests (chi-square and frequencies) provided
evidence of statistically significant relationships between laissez-faire leadership and
free flow, an indirect use of space, and lightness, whereas task-oriented and
authoritarian leaders were generally characterized by a direct use of space, use of
vertical and horizontal planes, gathering, and bound flow. The predominant "goal" of
therapy, as indicated by 79.4% of the dance/movement therapists surveyed, was for
the patient to experience a relational process/connection with the therapist. Job satisfaction was high regardless of leadership style - patient population "match." Respondents stressed that the effectiveness of dance/movement therapy depends on the therapist's ability to be flexible, centered and grounded, and kinesthetically empathic/present. The prominent emerging theme of this study was that one's leadership style is essentially guided by one's personality. Moreover, the dance/movement therapists who responded to the survey stressed that a wide-ranging movement repertoire enables them to modify their therapeutic approach to meet the needs of their patients, and that the ability to "meet the patients where they are at" is fundamental for the work. Implications of this research might be relevant for increasing awareness of nonverbal attributes of leadership in traditional verbal psychotherapy and other social services, as well as enhancing the training of dance/movement therapists. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/1097 |
| Appears in Collections: | Health Sciences Theses and Dissertations
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