About

Recognized as the “Leader of Tomorrow” in 2008 by the American Dance Therapy Association, Lora Wilson Mau, MA, BC-DMT is passionate about increasing the world’s understanding of the field of dance/movement therapy.  A board certified dance/movement therapist, she served as President of the California Chapter of the ADTA for two terms and is a long-standing member of the ADTA’s Public Relations Committee. She also is a program adviser for the Arts and Healing Initiative, a non-profit organization in partnership with the UCLA Collaborative Center for Integrative Medicine to “facilitate the use of arts-based tools for mind-body healing in the community.”

Lora earned a B.F.A in Acting from Wright State University and an M.A. in Dance as Healing and Therapy from the University of California, Los Angeles. She furthered her dance/movement therapy (DMT) training at Kinections™ in Rochester, New York under the tutelage of renowned dance/movement therapist, Dr. Danielle Fraenkel, Ph.D., ADTR, NCC, LCAT, LMHC.

A testament to the inherent power of movement, no matter how seemingly “small,” Lora facilitates connections through dance with even the most physically and cognitively impaired individuals; she focuses much of her current work on creating joyful moments for older adults living with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s Disease and helping facilitate deeper, more satisfying communication with their loved ones via nonverbal communication. Additionally, Lora works with the chronically mentally ill, helping those who suffer from anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders discover meaning and healing in their own expressive movement.  She began her career as a dance/movement therapist working with adolescents with eating disorders, implementing the first DMT program at Strong Memorial Hospital’s eating disorder clinic in Rochester, New York. She continues to offer DMT workshops that help women foster a healthier body image and higher self-esteem.

Lora teaches Nonverbal Communication and MindBody Interaction for the Dance Department at California State University, Long Beach and receives rave reviews from her students each semester. A charismatic speaker, she facilitates workshops and presents at organizations and professional conferences both locally and nationally. Most recently, Lora presented “Gene Expression and Neuroplasticity: Implications for Dance/Movement Therapy and Alzheimer’s Disease” at the ADTA’s 45th Annual Conference in Brooklyn, New York.