Aim and Philosophy:

The MSc programme in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at Queen Margaret University has an international ethos. It values the body-mind connection and regards the dance experience as central to achieving integrated learning and therapeutic experiences. It aims to:

• prepare professionals who will be responsive to the emotional, social, cognitive and physical needs of vulnerable people
• facilitate students in their development of culturally-sensitive Dance Movement Psychotherapy skills, techniques and approaches including the use of advanced movement observation and analysis tools
• enable graduates, through reflective practice, to make sound clinical decisions and offer appropriate justifications for these decisions which are firmly rooted in principles of evidence based practice
• create practitioners who are able to conceptualise, articulate and appropriately evaluate their work.
• encourage graduates to recognise the value of life-long personal/professional development
• The programme places equal emphasis on academic studies, experiential learning and supervised clinical placements, and encourages students to integrate all components to achieve a comprehensive learning experience.
  
  Additional information about the programme.

Members of Staff:

The programme is staffed by people with international reputation and active research interests

Dr Vassiliki (Vicky) Karkou, Programme Leader, Senior Lecturer
Research interests: Group work in dance movement psychotherapy, culture and dance, similarities and differences between different arts therapies, mental health promotion, children and adolescents in education, adult mental health and NHS provision, assessment and evaluation in arts therapies.

Susan Scarth, Placement Co-ordinator, Senior Dance Movement Psychotherapist and Movement Analayst.
Research interests: Susan has had extensive clinical experience in child and adult community mental health services, both in voluntary organisations and NHS services for adults and young people with physical and learning impairments and mental health issues. Susan is developing a private practice in Edinburgh and Fife working with adults and children with a variety of needs. She is particularly interested in the area of trauma and has undertaken the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy training to supplement her knowledge and skills in this area. Susan has enjoyed teaching for many years and has developed a particular style of clinical supervision that pays attention to the somatic body. Research interests are focused on trauma and she would like to explore the possibility of collaborative projects with neurobiology and psychology

Celine Butte, Lecturer and Senior Dance Movement Psychotherapist.
Research interests: Learning disabilities, working with people who are socially isolate including refugees and minority ethnic groups, issues of touch in clinical practice, cross disciplinary work.

Fran Lavendel, Senior Dance Movement Psychotherapist and Authentic Movement Teacher
Research interests: Somatic experience within the relational context of therapist/client. Incorporation of Authentic Movement training in the witness/mover relationship into the professional development of psychotherapists working in any modality.


Ruth Massie, Visiting Lecturer.


Careers:

Graduates will be eligible for registration with ADMT UK and will receive a licence to practise. Once the registration of ADMT UK with the Health Professions Council (HPC) is completed, it is expected that graduates will also become eligible for HPC registration.

Entry requirements:

This programme seeks students with a personal maturity commensurate with the expectations of a professional education. Successful applicants will have to meet the following entry requirements:

• an undergraduate degree in relevant field of study or equivalent;
• continuous experience of at least one dance or movement form for a period of two years and exposure to, and experience of, a variety of dance and movement forms;
• an ability to improvise with confidence, use movement creatively, expressively and symbolically as well as relate and communicate through movement in both dyadic and group interactions;
• at least one year's relevant practical work experience (voluntary or paid);

Online application

Selection procedures:

Applicants are expected to attend a face to face interview and a movement audition. Interview/auditions will take place on specific dates, most likely in February, April and June. For those applying from outside the UK who are unable to attend interview/auditions, face to face contact can be replaced with a telephone interview and a DVD/video recording of the applicant’s movement work

More information on selection procedures

For further queries contact:

Dr Vassiliki (Vicky) Karkou
Tel: +44 (0) 131 474 0000

Or admissions

Link to Dance Base - our collaborative partner

^ to top