Can dance therapy help change body image perception and foster self-acceptance?
In this workshop, offered by dance therapists Élysa Côté-Séguin and Andrea de Almeida, participants will gain a brief theoretical view and an embodied understanding of the unique role of dance therapy for teenagers suffering from eating disorders in a clinical setting.
The experiential part of the workshop will examine the essential concepts of dance therapy when building a meaningful relationship with patients with eating disorders, using a framework informed by the work of Susan Kleinman. A psychological, physical, and clinical presentation of the target population will be made to guide participants through the relevance of using a movement approach with this clientele. Furthermore, the results of a pilot study conducted in Montreal with teenage girls hospitalized for an eating disorder will be briefly presented, to allow participants to have an overview of the impacts of dance therapy in this specific clinical context.
This event is presented by the National Centre for Dance Therapy and supported by the RBC Foundation. It is dedicated to all the dance professionals, dance therapists and practitioners who want to use movement-based practices with teenagers suffering from eating disorders.
We are only accepting a small number of participants. Please reserve your spot below and, if you cannot make it, let us know in advance, so we can free your space for someone on the waiting list.
Élysa Côté-Séguin has worked as a family psychologist since 2018, first in a school setting (with both regular and specialized classes for children on the spectrum), and then in a clinical setting (both in a natal clinic for mothers at high risk and in a hospitalization unit in neonatology). She has completed a PhD in Psychology, Child and Teenage Intervention, at the University of Sherbrooke. Her doctoral thesis explored the impact of group dance therapy on body image for teenage girls hospitalized for an eating disorder.
She has also completed the Alternate Route program at the NCDT in 2014-2015 and has collaborated on various NCDT projects, offering adapted dance classes to children on the spectrum and dance therapy sessions at the Social Pediatrics Centre Le Galop. Her knowledge in dance therapy enriches her work as a psychologist, adding a corporal dimension to the oral psychological work.
She is currently attending a graduate diploma in perinatal psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). She can thus adapt her practice to support parents through the various issues they may face during the pre-and post-natal period.
Andrea de Almeida is a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, who holds an M.A. in Physical Education and Recreation (Specialization in Dance Education) from the University of Alberta, with coursework also at New York University.
Passionate about dance and its impact on wellbeing, she has worked with several populations, including adolescents with eating disorders, seniors, children on the autism spectrum and caregivers, in several clinical and academic settings in Montreal. She also has an extensive experience teaching dance and creative movement for children in Brazil, USA and Canada.
She participated in research projects and conferences on projects involving the National Centre for Dance Therapy and several clinical settings in Montreal. In addition, Andrea has participated to several media events promoting dance therapy in Montreal. She is a member of the ADTA, DMTAC, and AATQ.
