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We have a new intake of year one students each February. If you have missed the ‘Intro to DMT’ module (offered the prior October) it’s not too late to join! You can enrol and complete Module 1 as a make up. We have some students each year who do this. Year two starts in February also.

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, cultural and physical wellbeing.

It is a holistic, evidence based therapeutic approach that draws from the fields of psychology, anatomy, movement dynamics, improvisation, creative practice and psychotherapy and supports people to grow, change and heal.

You know the endorphin rush you can get when you move your body? The feeling of social connection when you dance with others you feel safe with? Perhaps you know how it feels to be truly seen and accepted with empathy and compassion? DMT combines these powerful experiences to support people to grow, change and heal.

Someone who has completed at least a 2 year training in DMT that includes clinical knowledge such as assessment, ethics, working with risks and confidentiality. DMTs practice in many different ways – from community based group work to individual psychotherapeutic private practice.

Dance therapists use tools such as mirroring (moving with a person with similar movements and emotional expression) and attunement (‘matching’ a person’s energy while they are moving in a way that is different to mirroring) in order to communicate body based empathy, facilitate the experience of being seen and to build a safe therapeutic relationship.

Therapeutic dance classes can have many positive benefits – release, self expression, connecting to others. In DMT, these benefits take place in a safe container where we also attend to boundaries, the client-therapist relationship, ethics, and DMT usually involves more verbal processing of movement experiences in order to integrate them and learn from them.

Each week, we estimate that the students will be engaged in approximately 4-6 hours of work for readings, assignments, placement and supervision.

This includes optional attendance at Simulated Practicums for 2 hours, 6x/year as another opportunity to experience DMT and develop leading skills in a supported environment.

Yes - with our support and guidance. We have a dedicated placement coordinator who will work with you and support you to find an appropriate placement/s. We also have a process/guideline and the necessary paperwork/documents to support you as you liaise with a potential placement contact.

While we try to keep costs as low as possible and all inclusive in our programme fees there may be associated costs where a student misses workshops, more than one tutorial or requires a placement extension. These are:

Missing a seminar/part of a seminar:
A $60-$100 fee is payable to cover additional costs of makeup assignment setting, marking and administration (fee depends on how many workshops are missed).

Missing more than one tutorial:
A $60 fee is payable if a student misses more than one tutorial, this covers the cost of a tutor providing a 1:1 tutorial make-up session.

Personal therapy hours:
As part of the course requirements, you are also required to participate in 10 hours of personal therapy/therapeutic dance. The diploma will try to link you with subsidized sessions to achieve this however there may be costs incurred to achieve this requirement.

Year 2 Placement extensions:
If placement hours are not completed by December of Year 2, a placement hour extension is offered of up to 6 months:

Client contact placement hours extension:
$100 fee per 3 month period is payable to cover administration, placement coordinator liaison and paperwork.

Personal therapy hours extension:
$50 fee per 3 month period is payable.

DTAA Student Membership fee (optional):
We strongly encourage students to join the DTAA (Dance Therapy Association of Australasia) as a student member. This is the professional body that both registers and represents the profession of DMT in Australasia and gives students a welcome package, member discounts for professional development events, regular newsletters and networking and seminars held for student members. The student membership fee is $50AUD/year.