I have great respect for the work dance/movement therapists do with all populations, but I am riveted by my colleagues who work in the trenches with victims of war and torture. Without commentary, I simply want to draw your attention to the powerful work that a fellow dance/movement therapist, David Alan Harris, did with child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Please take a few moments, settle in and read of his account.
And/or perhaps you would rather hear him share the story on ABC Radio on the series All in the Mind.
But do take the time to learn about the circumstances of these children; learn how the work of dance/movement therapy reached them.
While David Alan Harris’ use of dance/movement therapy was tailored specifically to the needs of the children as those needs manifested in the moment, the following brochure from the American Dance Therapy Association can give you a little more insight into how dance/movement therapists work with trauma, in general.
[...] also had the honor of meeting David Harris, MA, BC-DMT, who has just returned from England where he received the Freedom to Create prize for [...]