Projects and Publications

I’m very proud to be a visiting lecturer with some fine universities in the North West. I’ve facilitated movement psychotherapy sessions for a variety of research projects and contributed to writing papers and articles on the results.

Edge Hill University, Ormskirk

Dancing With Health was a Europe wide Dance Movement Psychotherapy research project with survivors of breast cancer. I was one of a team of three DMPs who facilitated the project in Liverpool. We took the original dance protocols and ‘translated’ them to work as a therapeutic intervention. The study concluded that the programme had both physical benefits on anthropometric measures and fitness levels, as well as psychosocial benefits for women with breast cancer. The quality of life measure also indicated positive changes after the intervention.

I have also facilitated the therapy sessions for a feasibility study of Dance Movement Psychotherapy in primary schools which indicated that DMP led to improvements in children’s life functioning, wellbeing, duration of sleep, emotional and behavioral difficulties. Interviews with children also suggested positive outcomes, such as self-expression; emotional regulation; mastery and acceptance of emotions; improved self-confidence and self-esteem; reduced stress; and development of positive relationships.

Edge Hill and Salford Universities

Arts for the Blues is a creative arts-based group intervention for depression, low mood and anxiety, developed by researchers and artists at the universities of Edge Hill and Salford. It is an evidence-based model for delivering creative psychotherapies with adults and children. Arts for the Blues was originally designed to address the needs of primary mental health service patients and to offer an alternative to current provision in NHS Talking Therapies services. I’m involved both as a therapist – delivering sessions for health professionals and doctors in training, and as a trainer – facilitating professional development sessions for qualified therapists.

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