Cancer survival is a transition through a difficult period of time that can cause anxiety, distress and impaired quality of life, so that women may seek therapies that bring mind, body, emotions, and spirit into greater balance. The illness, treatment and side effects can also affect a woman’s identity, body image and ability to function. Signs of emotional distress can include feelings of helplessness, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, loss of identity and meaning, and feelings of betrayal by one’s body. Dance/movement therapy is a whole person therapeutic method uniquely suited to working with women with breast cancer to rebuild their sense of self, create new narratives, and experience personal transformation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Increase understanding of the impact of breast cancer on a woman’s body.

2. Observe examples of a breast cancer support group that used dance movement therapy as a healing modality, and understand some of the possible ways of using movement for health and healing through PowerPoint and readings.

3. Understand the important clinical, ethical and professional considerations of leading support groups for women with breast cancer.

Continuing Education Credits: 1.0 ADTA CE, 1.0 NBCC CE, 1.0 NY LCAT CE

Presenter Bio:

Ilene A. Serlin, PhD, BC-DMT is a licensed psychologist and board certified dance/movement therapist in practice in San Francisco and Marin County. Past president of the San Francisco Psychological Association, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, past-president of the Division of Humanistic Psychology. She has taught at Saybrook University, Lesley University, UCLA, the NY Gestalt Institute, and the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich. She is the editor of Whole Person Healthcare (2007, 3 vol., Praeger), over 100 chapters and articles on body, art and psychotherapy, and is on the editorial boards of PsycCritiques, the American Dance Therapy Journal, the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Arts & Health: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, Journal of Applied Arts and Health, and The Humanistic Psychologist.