Dance Therapy is a type of therapy (treatment to help a behavioral or cognitive issue) that uses dance and movement to integrate emotional, cognitive, and physical capacities in a person. Dance therapy is used in a variety of therapeutic settings such as mental health treatments, rehab facilities, nursing homes, and childhood education. People of all ages and backgrounds participate in dance therapy with emphasis being placed on the integration of the physical body and the mind.
Benefits can be both physical and mental with improvements in balancing and flexibility along with decreases in depressive symptoms and improvement in self esteem. Common participants in dance therapy are stroke victims who find the combination of physical and mental activity can help increase movement that may be inhibited by paralysis.