What do I learn on a course to become a movement therapist / dance therapist?

The structure and content of the courses vary depending on the duration and training objective.

The course material for the Artecura industry diploma and the subsequent higher professional examination for "Art Therapist Method Movement and Dance Therapy" consists of the following 7 modules:

Training modules

  1. Technical basics 1
    Medical basics: anatomy, physiology, disorders and clinical pictures, psychosomatics, hygiene, pharmacology, psychology and psychopathology, emergencies
  2. Technical basics 2
    Communication, learning, developmental and personality psychology, basic pedagogical attitudes and concepts, norms and values in education, biography and group work, salutogenesis and mental hygiene
  3. Artistic skills
    Presentation of an artistic work, written reflection, oral assessment
  4. Art therapy
    Professional ethics, other methods
  5. Internship
    Supervised internship in an institution under mentorship or supervised work as an art therapist
  6. Case study
  7. Professional role
    Communication, organization and management, healthcare

The course of training varies from school to school. It usually consists of a basic course, in which the theoretical and practical basics are acquired, and an advanced course, in which the focus is on further developing one's own artistic expression, deepening therapeutic skills and working with groups. The final course is about preparing for the federal higher professional examination, independent work, internships, etc.

A typical training structure could look like this, for example:

1st year of training

  • Basics of dance and movement therapy
  • Own movement repertoire and perception channels
  • Improvisation, design, creativity
  • Rhythm and voice
  • Accompanying movement processes
  • Verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Choreography

2nd year of training

  • Support and accompany self-development and self-healing processes
  • Designing mental and physical spaces
  • Working with breath and voice
  • Yoga, meditation techniques, relaxation methods
  • Group choreographies and group dynamics
  • Improvisations and solo choreographies
  • Didactics, methods, music

3rd year of training

  • Basics of psychology and psychopathology
  • Individual work in dance and movement therapy
  • Working with dreams, imagination and other creative means
  • Social processes, verbal and non-verbal communication
  • Movement analysis, choreography and therapy
  • Conversation
  • Supervision and exam preparation
  • Implementation and evaluation of a project

4th and 5th year of training

Combination of training elements: theory, dance therapy methods and instruments, self-awareness and group supervision.

Dance therapist / movement therapist" courses