Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy

An International Journal for Theory, Research and Practice

ISSN: 1743-2979 (Print) 1743-2987 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbmd20

Dance movement psychotherapy with people with

learning disabilities: out of the shadows, into the
st
light, 1 Edition
edited by Geoffery Unkovich, London, Céline Butté and Jacqueline Butler
Routledge, 2017, 154 pp., £24.99 (paperback), £95.00 (hardcover), ISBN
978-1-138-96332-0

Mary L. Patterson

To cite this article: Mary L. Patterson (2019) Dance movement psychotherapy with people with
st
learning disabilities: out of the shadows, into the light, 1 Edition, Body, Movement and Dance in
Psychotherapy, 14:3, 191-194, DOI: 10.1080/17432979.2019.1618916

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2019.1618916

Published online: 15 May 2019.

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BODY, MOVEMENT AND DANCE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
2019, VOL. 14, NO. 3, 191–200

BOOK REVIEWS

Dance movement psychotherapy with people with learning disabil-

ities: out of the shadows, into the light, 1st Edition, edited by
Geoffery Unkovich, London, Céline Butté and Jacqueline Butler
Routledge, 2017, 154 pp., £24.99 (paperback), £95.00 (hardcover), ISBN
978-1-138-96332-0

From birth, each person encounters unique experiences and holds individualised
perspectives on the world around them. For those born with learning disabilities,
these experiences are equally singular and nuanced. ‘Dance movement psychother-
apy with people with learning disabilities, out of the shadows, into the light’ speaks
to the encounters of individuals with learning disabilities and the clinicians who
have focused their work with them. Unkovich, Butté, and Butler compile rich
accounts of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) clinicians asking each contri-
buting author to share their lived experience as embodied clinicians and as mem-
bers of society taking on a personal experience, clinical topic or challenge.
The clinician is valued as an embodied practitioner throughout the book. The
reader is encouraged to give attention to the whole sensory self by engaging in
embodied self-reflection throughout the reading. The editors ask the reader to
consider cultural and societal definitions of ability and disability, acknowledging
the power in linguistics and the formative role labelling has in societal percep-
tion of an individual. In setting up the following contributions, the editors
suggest a framework for pursuing the book with a lens of advocacy and
intentional practice of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) work with indi-
viduals with learning disabilities. Contributions range from deep personal
experiences to best practices for referral and assessment. Intimate stories and
moving proximity to people with learning disabilities map the route of many
contributors’ routes into DMP and their connection to the specialization of DMP
with people with learning disabilities. Clinical impression, assessment and col-
ourful narrative intertwine easily to provide a comprehensive blend of empathe-
tically clinical and human experience.
The book flows easily from vivid, evocative first-person experience to prac-
tice-based evidence and clinical assessment techniques. The text takes the
reader from the birth of a child with a learning disability, to societal and cultural
values, assessment and referral tools. This book explores DMP in traditional and
clinically non-traditional settings, group and individual work, the utilization of
video as a reflective tool, and explorations of pain, gender and identity. Experts
in the field of DMP contribute case examples, vignettes, direct quotations, and
personal reflections providing a variety of entry points into the text. The narra-
tives strengthen the argument for DMP and creative expression for people with
learning disabilities through practice-based evidence. The humanity of the work
192 BOOK REVIEWS

is clear from the therapeutic and personal space. Authors speak to the socio-
political climate of education, health and social care services within the UK as
ever-changing variables influencing the work of DMP. Each contributor provides
a window into the experiences of their clients and reflective contributions on
their work as clinicians.
The introduction and conclusion of the book connect the contributions
present in each chapter to the broader fields of psychotherapy and DMP within
a social, cultural, and political context while holding the authenticity of each
client-therapist relationship. In addition to setting the framework of embodied
self-reflection and socio-cultural contextualisation, the introduction of the book
addresses the critique of language. Select contributors clarify the language
chosen in the chapter referencing societal norms, and in-group preferences for
describing people with learning disabilities. The intentional use of specific
identifiers is highlighted in contextualising the chosen labels in each chapter,
reflecting an active awareness of social-cultural language constructs.
The organization of the chapters allows the reader to build a relationship
with the subject matter early in the text. This becomes necessary as the com-
plexity of the human experience becomes apparent in authors accounts of role,
relationship, and client journey. The initial three chapters set up the lenses
through which the reader may continue through the rest of the book. First-
person clinical accounts from relational, parental, and assessment perspectives
allow the reader multiple entry points into the personal experiences. The
remaining chapters continue to build on the intimate and personal relationships
of each clinician taking the reader through the authors close, complex, and
often very loving encounters.
In Chapter 1, Frizell artfully blends the empathetic and evocative vignette of
a first-time mother, the entry of her new infant, and the news of a Down
Syndrome diagnosis with a discussion on the transferential and counter-trans-
ferential possibilities of the clinician working with learning disabilities. Frizell
discusses transference through symbolic work with the client and discloses
reflection on personal biases surrounding disability. In Chapter 2, Edwards
shares her unique experience as a mother of children supported by DMP
practice and her subsequent journey into the world of DMP as a clinician. She
takes the reader on a journey exploring insider and outsider roles as parent,
client, and clinician. The author writes, ‘DMP has many layers: movement com-
munication, person-centred principles of acceptance, becoming aware of beha-
viour patterns, thoughts, perceptions and beliefs held and the importance of
secure attachments. It has enabled us all as a family to be more aware of
ourselves and each other, so that we are able to make connections in a way
that is not possible through words alone.’ (p.33).
In Chapter 3, Hoo walks the reader through an integrative approach to
assessment and movement observation while giving attention to the necessity
of a self-reflective practice and development of awareness of clinical bias.
Chapters 4 and 5 continue to explore the dynamic interactions of DMP and
educational settings. Wilson clearly outlines the tension and ethical considera-
tions for entering the education space. In Chapter 4 Wilson shares the
 BODY, MOVEMENT AND DANCE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY 193

negotiation of maintaining a dual framework as both an associate teacher and

DMP clinician within a SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) School. In
Chapter 5, Manford outlines VIG (video interaction guidance) as a tool for
increasing sensitivity and attunement through two case studies, the first with
school and staff members and the second, parenting groups. Manford describes
the role of caregiver as both observer and interactive participant as a pathway
to caregiver-child relationships.
Curtis taps into the personal nature of the work in Chapter 6 by encouraging
the reader to pay attention to one’s own experiences and feelings. Curtis
discloses the intersections through personal recollection between working
with people with learning disabilities and the process of experiencing loss.
Butler continues the encouragement of self-reflection in Chapter 7, by exploring
the implications of working with people with learning disabilities in non-clinical
settings. Butler encourages the reader to consider the systemic and ethical
challenges of DMP work outside of traditional clinical settings. Butler shares
reflections on political implications, personal-professional boundary considera-
tions, the personal impact of boundary negotiations and power differentials.
As the only co-authored chapter, Chapter 8, co-authored by Clark and Smith,
naturally explores the collaborative nature of the person-centred approach
when working with non-verbal clients in a group setting. The authors share
five vivid vignettes. The authors evoke a sensory experience with accounts of
Lycra, hair tugging and hand holding through which the reader understands the
non-verbal interactions of both therapist and client. In Chapter 9, Unkovich
shares session notes, descriptions and themes of a men’s group. He creates
space for explorations of sexuality and identity. Unkovich advocates for the
whole identity of a person to be acknowledged and expressed.
In the final chapter, DMP serves as the container for relationship and
transition.
Butté beautifully communicates the evolution of DMP work with the client,
Syon, as he faces progressive disease resulting in chronic pain, decreased
mobility, and increased dependence. Butté maps the possibilities of DMP
through transitional periods of progressive disease by marking five phases of
the therapeutic work.
The editors encompass the spirit of the book in the final words: ‘Coming from
the body, we view movement and postural positioning as a vital form of self-
expression. It is very possible that habitual postural positioning is a result of
neglect, lack of social engagement, or a representation of shutting oneself away
from the world. So, as we sense our clients’ story through our attention to the
body and movement, we recognize the importance of being an advocate for our
clients whose bodies may seem unreadable and whose voices cannot be heard.’
(p. 150). This book contributes to the field of DMP by giving voice to the human
experience through the breadth of qualitative text. Authors share the voices of
their clients and the experiences of the clinicians from an accessible narrative
perspective offering an opportunity to engage in the complexity of a world
existing beyond spoken language. This book gives insight into the multitude of
possibilities and benefits of DMP work making it a notable contribution, valuable
194 BOOK REVIEWS

for any person interested in exploring the possibilities of therapeutic work with
people with learning disabilities. A recommended resource for both the DMP
professional and interested individual, this book offers a deepening of the
understanding of embodied clinical practice and the social, cultural, and political
implications for therapeutic work with people with learning disabilities.

Mary L. Patterson
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
mlpatterson2@wisc.edu
© 2019 Mary L. Patterson
https://doi.org/10.1080/17432979.2019.1618916

Arts therapies in the treatment of depression, edited by Ania Zubala

and Vicky Karkou, London, Routledge, 2018, 256 pp., £33.29 (Ebook),
ISBN-13: 978-1-138-21076-9

Arts Therapies in the Treatment of Depression is a compendium of 15 mono-

graphs on the role of arts therapies in the treatment of depression, which is now
seen as a global crisis affecting upwards of 350 million people of all ages.
Authors from around the world contribute their research on the subject based
on research designs and evidence-based practice. This is recommended as
a useful volume not only for researchers, practitioners and students in the
field of arts therapies but also for colleagues from multi-professional teams
who work with depression.
The editors Ania Zubala and Vicky Karkou are themselves respected experts
and researchers in the field of arts therapy. Ania Zubala is a research fellow in
health psychology and digital health at the University of the Highlands and
Islands, Scotland focusing particularly on the role of arts therapies in the context
of remote communities and ageing populations. Vicky Karkou is a professor at
Edge Hill University, an educator, researcher and dance movement psychothera-
pist and a co-editor of the international journal, Body, Movement and Dance in
Psychotherapy.
The book is divided into three sections corresponding to three major life
stages: childhood and adolescence (chapter 1–4), adulthood (chapter 5–10)
and later life (chapter 11–15). In each section are chapters on all four of the
arts therapy disciplines – art (including photography), dance movement,
drama and music, expressing a well-balanced compilation of approaches
and perspectives on the treatment of depression. The methodologies
included the range from case studies and small trials, to large randomised
controlled trials.
This review will follow one of the interesting concepts of this book, which
is to take the reader on a journey with a constant flow of the chapters from