Body Questions in Practice: Decision-Making Through Movement and the Arts

Body Questions in Practice is a comprehensive multimedia guide to exploring life transitions and decision-making, supporting readers during these processes by engaging with body movement and dance. Blending original music composition, illustrations, accessible movement exercises and reflective journaling, this book helps readers understand the important messages our bodies communicate, leading to deeper self-awareness and providing insight into interpersonal relationships.

Through practical case studies in creative and therapeutic settings, each chapter illustrates the application of key stages of embodied decision-making. Readers will discover methods to enhance communication, bolster confidence and articulate potential courses of action both in their own practice and in working with others. Underpinned by the principles of dance movement therapy, this framework facilitates embodied exploration, unveiling significant insights into individual movement preferences and cultural influences, while informing effective strategies for managing life’s challenges and opportunities.

This dynamic integration of practice and theory provides a space for readers to reconnect with their bodies and deepen their understanding of movement, ultimately enriching their creative or professional endeavours. With activities tailored to all abilities and experience levels, it will resonate particularly well with mental health practitioners, arts therapists, artists, students, academics and advocates for wellbeing.

Dr Thania Acarón (she/her) PhD, BC-DMT, R-DMP, FHEA is a Puerto Rican lecturer, researcher and dance movement therapist (DMT) based in Wales. She obtained her PhD at the University of Aberdeen on the role of dance/movement in violence prevention and is certified as a DMP in the US and UK. Thania currently works as course leader of the MA in Arts, Health & Wellbeing at the University of South Wales. She directs The Body Hotel CIC, a social enterprise that designs and implements dance/movement-for-wellbeing programmes about burnout prevention, employee wellbeing, menopausal health and decision making for organisations and marginalised communities. Acarón has taught in over 10 DMT training programmes around the world, and codirects Fflamingo CIC, and their flagship project House of Deviant, which advocates for LGBTQ+, disability-led and inclusion focussed performance projects. Readers can keep up with Thania's work on social media @thebodyhotel.