Dance Movement Therapist

DTAA Registered

Olivia is an experienced and qualified somatics and dance movement therapist, working, moving and connecting in Brisbane. She holds a Graduate Diploma of Somatics and Dance Movement Therapy from Tensegrity Training.

Olivia is passionate and has a deep care for helping people and creating a safe space where clients can express their most authentic self. She believes in a person centred approach where the pace of treatment is led by the client and their bodies capacity. Each session will be individually tailored to the client based on their goals, preferences and needs.  

Olivia is currently offering individual sessions at Bardon Counselling & Natural Therapy Centre with a weekly group session held on Friday evenings.

Olivia Rooney 

Graduate Diploma of Somatics and Dance Movement Therapy 
Diploma of Dance (Elite Performance)

What is Dance movement therapy?

Dance movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic tool. It is a holistic approach to healing and empowerment, using the mind-body connection. It helps to address physical conditions, mental health issues such as anxiety & depression, cognitive conditions and social/ behavioural issues through nervous system regulation, self awareness and exploration and the art of play.

Dance movement therapy works to shift the focus from living in our heads to living in our bodies and increasing the mind-body connection through the ‘felt-sense’.

Our body and posture hold memories that our mind may have suppressed. Dance movement therapy (DMT) has the potential to bring the unconscious to consciousness.

Benefits of DMT

Benefits of Somatics (include, but are not limited to)

  • Increased emotional awareness

  • Decrease in chronic tension and chronic pain

  • Increase in mobility and correct posture

  • Helps to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression

  • Improves quality of sleep

  • Aids in nervous sytem regulation

  • Increases the body’s proprioception

  • Helps to release both the physical and emotional imprint of trauma

Benefits of Dance Movement Therapy ( includes but is not limited to )

  • Helps to improved mobility and motor skills

  • Promotes stress relief

  • Promotes nervous system regulation

  • Improved body image

  • Improved self-esteem and confidence

  • Increases and improves communication skills

  • Increases self-awareness, body awareness and the ability to self regulate

Dance movement therapy has been shown to be beneficial to those experiencing; autism, ADHD, mental health conditions and mood and anxiety disorders, cancer, trauma, chronic pain, PTSD, dementia and alzheimers.