The body is a doorway to the richness of the inner being and a vehicle for integration, transformation, and healing.

Dance is the most fundamental of the arts, involving a direct expression of one’s self through one’s body. It is an especially intimate and powerful medium for therapy. Based on the assumption that body and mind are interrelated, dance / movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of the individual.” Thus, dance / movement therapy affects changes in feelings, cognition, physical functioning, and behavior. - ADTA

I am a registered dance / movement therapist and certified Waldorf Resource teacher. I contract with Waldorf Schools in New England to observe and assess children whose behavior or level of academic achievement is puzzling to teachers and parents. Assessments include on-site observation, teacher and parent interviews, and a written report of findings, with recommendations for movement-based intervention.

British educator Audrey MacAllen developed the Extra Lesson to assist children with learning difficulties. The Extra Lesson is a movement-based intervention inspired by the educational insights of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. It includes both a 1 1/2-hour developmental assessment and weekly lessons which support the foundational senses: proprioception, touch, and balance. The assessment will give a clear picture of a child’s development to parents and teachers, and will enable movement therapists and occupational therapists to develop suitable programs to remediate learning difficulties. Lessons include playful movement and drawing exercises which address weaknesses in midline integration, spatial orientation, body geography, eye tracking, and fine and gross motor skills.

I am also available to conduct faculty workshops about first grade readiness, movement observation and its role in understanding children, and “The Extra Lesson” assessment and exercises and how they can be used in the classroom.

If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to reach out.