Meet the Team

Meet our amazing trainers who you will have both group and one on one tuition with over the course of the DMT training

  • Course Director & Senior Teacher
    ATHR, MA AT Clin., DTAA (Clinical Supervisor), ADTA Associate, DTAA & DTNZ Director

    Anaia Treefoot is the Director of both Dance Therapy Training Aotearoa and also of Dance & Arts Therapy NZ, and is based in Auckland, NZ. Anaia previously developed and worked as Course Director in the Master of DMT at the University of Auckland. She is experienced in developing and delivering training and supervision to new dance movement therapists as well as organisational and DMT programme development. Her previous clinical background as a dance movement therapist included working with children with disabilities, neurodiversity and emotional and behavioural challenges; clients with depression, anxiety and stress; teens with Eating Disorders; adults seeking personal growth and self understanding; and young children and their parents.

    Anaia holds a Masters in Clinical Arts Therapy from Whitecliffe College, is a Clinical Professional Member of the Dance Therapy Association Australia, and a Professional member of ANZACATA. Anaia has trained extensively overseas in Authentic Movement, Laban/Bartenieff, Soul MotionTM Dance, Halprin Life/Art Process, Mindfulness Practice and Gestalt Awareness Practice. Anaia is also a long-time student of The 5RhythmsTM.


  • Admin & Placement Coordinator
    BA Creative Arts Therapy (dance & movement), ANZACATA, DTAA (Prof DMT)

    After finishing her Bachelor of Creative Arts Therapy in The Netherlands, Maud started her journey as a Dance Movement Therapist. From working as a dance teacher to starting her own practice and offering DMT in different populations.

    Maud has worked with neurotypical children, teens and adults; elderly with dementia & Alzheimer; adults diagnosed with a personality disorder and/or depression and women who were affected by cancer. She provides DMT in groups and individual sessions. Maud moved to New Zealand in 2019, and is currently working with DTNZ. Expanding her experience in working with adults with disabilities, children with autism and other populations. Her role as the admin & placement coordinator for the Diploma programme gives the opportunity to help spread the knowledge of DMT, through the students, into different populations and areas of NZ, Australia and the rest of the world.


  • Senior Teacher + Supervisor
    ATHR, MAAT (Clin), MHSC, R/N/ ANZACATA. CTAA. DTAA (Prof DMT)

    Anne has been working for over 10 years in arts/dance movement therapies in mental health settings, and privately. Anne works with individuals and groups, youth and adults – specialising in complex trauma, eating disorders, Authentic Movement and complex disability. Anne combined a lifetime of creative dance and a career in mental health, completing her Masters in Health Science (Expressive Therapies) in 2010 and an MA in Clinical Arts Therapy (Dance Movement Therapy specialisation) in 2011. Anne is on the steering committee of CTAA and has presented at CTAA, DTAA, ANZATA and NZAC Conferences.

    Anne also teaches creative therapies on the counselling degree programme at MIT (Auckland) and supervises students at Whitecliffe College’s MA Arts Therapy programme.

  • Core Teacher
    MA, DTAA (Prof DMT), PACFA (Clinical), ADMPUK

    Kimberly completed her MA in Dance Movement Psychotherapy from Goldsmiths in the UK. Working in her majesty’s prison system and statutory health services, specialising in child and adolescent mental health, child protection, foster care, kinship care and pre and post adoption, as well as providing consultation and training services for social care and the court system. Kimberly works in child centred, family focused model centring attachment, neurosequential development, trauma informed practice and creative process at the centre of parent-child relationships within her work.

    Kimberly moved to Australia in 2015 and since has continued specialising in trauma in families, working with families who have experienced domestic and family violence, homelessness, young parents, out of home care residential homes, and perinatal infant mental health. In her private practice, Kimberly offers dance movement psychotherapy for children, adolescents and adults as well as perinatal and parent-child relational work. Kimberly offers Supervision and clinical case consultation for professionals working within mental health, trauma and child protection settings as well as for students and those starting their practice. Kimberly is also certified in circle of security parenting, tuning in to kids and bringing up great kids parenting programs as well as offering training, debriefing and case consultation and reflective practice through her private work for organisations interested in a body based approach to working with trauma.

    Kimberly is registered as a professional member and clinical supervisor with DTAA, member of ADMPUK and clinical registrant and accredited supervisor with PACFA.


  • Support Teacher
    ATHR, MA CAT (Clin), Cert. DMT, ANZACATA

    Leticia (she/they) (Ngāti Raukawa, Pākehā) is an artist and registered clinical creative arts therapist. She grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, NZ) and moved to Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, NZ) in 2012. She has always been interested in the creative experience and how the arts support wellbeing, expression, discovery and processing.

    Leticia started supporting dance therapy groups at DTNZ in 2016 and went on to complete a Certificate in Dance Movement Therapy (2020) and a Masters in Creative Arts Therapy (Clinical) at Whitecliffe College (2022).

    They have worked in various NGOs and private practice alongside neurodivergent children, adults with disabilities, young people who have experienced trauma, parental loss and mental health challenges.

    Leticia works multi-modally and describes her approach as person-centred, trauma sensitive and arts led. She is passionate about creating neurodivergent and LGBTQI+ affirming spaces and practising cultural humility. She positions herself in social models of mental health and values lived experience and peer support models.

  • Support Teacher
    MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy, MSc Psychology, ADMP, BPS

    Shi Han is a Dance Movement Psychotherapist and experienced Counsellor. She is particularly interested in an integrative approach to Psychotherapy that blends the verbal and non-verbal; cerebral and creative. Shi Han holds two Master degrees – one in Dance Movement Psychotherapy from the University of Derby, and the other in Psychology from the University of East London. Her DMP thesis, which explored the autobiographical embodied, relational and existential aspects of emptiness with relevance for the clinical practitioner, was awarded a near perfect score.

    In 2021, Shi Han founded Movemental, a social enterprise in Singapore that is dedicated to helping individuals and communities heal and thrive through creative embodied approaches. She enjoys nurturing a small team in shaping and improving access to Dance Movement Therapy in Singapore.

    In addition, Shi Han is a Lecturer on the Expressive Arts Therapy Program at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and provides clinical DMT at the Institute of Mental Health.

  • International Guest Teacher
    BA, Master of Arts

    After finishing her Bachelor in Primary School Education and teaching in different countries, Simea wanted to find more ways of supporting children who faced difficulties in mainstream schools. Therefore, she completed the Master of Creative Arts Therapy in Dance Movement Psychotherapy and the Master of Arts Therapy in Music Therapy.

    Simea has worked with newborns in neonatal and perinatal units; with children, teenagers in an inpatient setting; with adults in forensic low security, rehabilitation, and acute units; and with adults with brain injuries, mental health issues, addictions, and Parkinson’s.

    Through the work with Kim Dunphy, Sue Mullane and Paula Lebre as well as different research teams, Simea is teaching about the Dunphy Outcomes Framework and the Movement Assessment and Reporting App (MARA) to support Dance Movement Therapists from all around the world.

  • International Guest Teacher
    PHD, MPH, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC

    Dr. Amber Elizabeth L. Gray is a Dance/Movement Therapist, Somatic and Human Rights Psychotherapist; yoga and Continuum teacher; mentor, educator, storyteller, and organizational consultant on staff care and well-being. She works with survivors of war, torture, human rights abuses, historical and collective trauma and oppression, on Turtle Island and in active and post conflict zones, refugee camps, and disasters globally. 

    Equally activist, artist, advocate, author, mystic and therapist, her clinical, healing, educational and organizational work endeavors to promote reciprocity and empowerment and incite meaningful change.

    She brings her Polyvagal, Heart and Spirit-informed Right to Embody somatic human rights framework and Body of Change eco-dance regenerative retreats to communities of therapists, artists, global citizens and change makers world-wide.

    Amber originated Polyvagal-informed Somatic and Dance/Movement Therapy through 25 years’ immersive mentoring and exploration of Polyvagal Theory. This work is a survivor-centered, multi-cultural and social justice framework that reflects many years of co-inquiry with her clients to understand how Polyvagal Theory promotes restoration and healing in the body-heart-mind-spirit for survivors of egregious human rights violations.


  • NZ Guest Teacher
    PhD, MA, PGDip, BSc

    Dr. Francine Hills is a dance practitioner, academic, and passionate advocate for dance (in all its forms and genres) in supporting health and well-being. Her current work centers on the intersection of creativity, community, and older bodies within the context of a community dance practice.

    Francine was awarded the Rosemary Buchanan Scholarship through the University of Auckland in 2020 to pursue PhD research in community dance as falls prevention. Through research and practice, Francine is fascintated in the role of dance as a celebratory participatory practice. She completed in August 2023 and is now working alongside Age Concern Hauraki Coromandel. Although these are early days, Francine is intent on weaving dance into conversations of healthy ageing and ageing well for rural communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is particularly interested in dance as a catalyst for social participation ( particularly in a rural context) where dance becomes a community response, supporting ageing in place and playing a pivotal role in supporting all older adults to live better later lives.

    Francine moved here from West Wales in 2020, having delivered dance classes to all manner of rural community groups for over fifteen years. She has supervised dance degree students, mentored dance artists and worked alongside health professionals. Although not a dance therapist, her dance practice actually began with a Post Graduate Certificate in DMP, which she utilised straightaway whilst working in residential care.

    Francine guest lectures at the University of Auckland on the Community Dance degree and delivers weekly dance sessions for two older adults groups in the Coromandel, New Zealand. She has presented at conferences throughout the UK and internationally and worked with the Dance for PD programme from the outset. Francine leads professional development both here and in the United Kingdom and is grateful everyday for having dance in her life.


  • NZ Guest Teacher
    Dip BCST. Cert Zen Thai Cert. Pilates UK. Dip Dance Performance NZSD

    Fluid and Bones is the home studio of Clare Luiten, Dancer, Bodyworker, Artist.

    I have an 18 year history of working with movement wellness with people. Constantly refining my practice is a path to staying inspired. I have recently completed a diploma in Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Training.

    Originally I trained as a dancer at NZ School of Dance and later at London Contemporary Dance School. The experiential rigour of Contemporary Dance Training, when combined with in depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology are excellent tools to staying mobile for life. Like Pilates, which was used by dancers for decades before it became vastly popular in the early 2000’s, many of the other Somatic techniques and trainings, utilised by dancers are now being recognised as key ways to work with rehabilitation of injury. I feel blessed to have had this in-depth embodied understanding of movement potential through my training.

    My official qualifications are a Diploma of Dance Performance (NZSD) Pilates Mat Work Certificate, (The Place, LCDS, London) Zen Thai Shiatsu Practitioner, and Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Certificate (Body Intelligence) as well as various short courses in a wide range of Body/ Mind related practices.

    After completing training in London, I went on to work in England and Europe as a professional dancer for seven years. On return to NZ I continued to dance as well as work for and subsequently own Absolute Pilates in Mt Eden. I have taught various body/movement courses at Auckland’s Tertiary Dance Institutes, Unitec, AUT, and Auckland University, and co organised the NZ Contact Retreat 2018/19. As a mother with two kids, it suits me to work from home, mostly with people privately, and small groups, and work collaboratively on dance projects that interest me. Opening up peoples movement potential and perpective never ceases to bring me joy, and I view what I do as being part of a partnership towards their wellness.


  • Core Trainer + Supervisor
    DTAA (Prof DMT), Cert (ACP) DMT

    Verity Larraman is a registered Dance Movement Therapist (Prof. DMT, DTAA, Reg. No. 221-01)

    Yoga teacher and DMT educator who has over 7 years of working with adults, teens and children specialising in nervous system resilience. Verity is passionate about providing nourishing and comfortable spaces for individuals to be seen, felt and heard whilst encouraging authentic connections to self, each other and the community in which we share. Extraordinary times call for secure places to support a baseline of safety, a human right for expansive living.

    Teaching on the diploma of Dance Movement Therapy New Zealand has been a transformative experience. It is such a privilege and a joy to share the foundational aspects of the profession with a profound number of cultures and life experiences that people bring. This continues to challenge our approach to support and grow Dance Movement therapy so that it may authentically reach as many people as possible throughout Aotearoa.


  • Core Trainer
    DTAA (Prof DMT), Cert (ACP) DMT, BA Education/Psychology

    Bex comes with over 12 years of experience working in the disability sector. She has extensive experience working with people of all abilities including complex needs. She has worked with Children, Teens and Adults, in both group and individual settings. Her key populations are Teens and Adults, with a preference for group work in either a face to face setting or online.

    Growing up in New Zealand she has a rich respect for indigenous culture, which she endeavours to bring into her practice and teaching, while mindfully navigating her role as Tangata Tiriti.

    Bex operates from a Social Model of health, with a critical perspective that recognises intersectionality and social systems as factors to be aware of when working with groups of people. Bex has experience working with mixed ability groups and utilises movement, art and music in groups, as carrier activities to support connection, relationship, social, emotional and life skills. A key consideration of her work is always ‘how can I make this accessible and meaningful to everyone present.’

    She is currently enrolled at Massey University, for her Masters with a focus on Mindful Movement. Her special interest areas are ADHD; Dance Movement Therapy adaptions for wheelchair users; group processes; critical realism; linguistic philosophy; mindful movement; Space and Time; embodied cognition; interception; proprioception and movement practices to support emotional regulation.

    Her practice is influenced by her background in circus, clowning and Middle Eastern Dance. More recently she gained a certificate in Lego therapy, and enjoys the small group work in this context which supports language and social skill development.

    Bex came to Dance Movement Therapy when she was doing her psychology degree, as she sought a way to integrate her love of dance and movement, with her psychology studies and her work with mixed ability groups. She started her Diploma in DMT in Auckland in 2014, and paused partway through as she welcomed the birth of her daughter. Completing the course in the next intake, she found that the course’s focus on developmental movement patterns, connection and relationship building through movement supported her role change as she transitioned into motherhood. The skills she took from the course helped her to be a better group facilitator; supported her personal development and self regulation skills, and authentic relationship building with her daughter.

    Her current influences in her movement practice are: Chase, Schmais, Yallom, Kestenberg, Laban, Bartenieff, Green Gilbert, Boas, Kabat-Zinn, Schoop and Evans.


  • NZ Guest Teacher
    MA, R-DMT (ADTA), CDT (TDTA), DTAA (Prof DMT)

    Jacquelyn is a Dance Movement Psychotherapist based in Auckland, working with both individuals and groups, with a specialty in children with emotional disturbances, interaction-relation issues, ASD, ADHD, and trauma issues; adults with mental health issues, and disabilities; individuals seeking personal growth and self-care through body-mind integration. Her theoretical approaches are psychoanalytic, client-centered, and humanistic therapy.

    Jacquelyn earned her Masters in Dance Movement Therapy at Drexel University in the United States, and was trained in Applied Psychology in Taiwan. She served as a member of executive board in Taiwan Dance Therapy Association and has established several dance therapy programs in Taipei, Taiwan. She has worked in the United States, Taiwan, and New Zealand.


  • NZ Guest Teacher
    PHD Coventry, MFA Temple, MA UCLAN, RSME ISMETA, RSDE ISMETA, FHEA, BA AGNESS SCOTT

    Becca Weber investigates intersections between dance, science, and somatics.

    Becca earned a PhD in Dance Psychology from Coventry University, while working on the Leverhulme Trust funded project, “In the Dancer’s Mind.” She is published widely, including in Dance and the Quality of Life; Research in Dance Education; Multimodal Perspectives in the Performing Arts; The Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices; Dance, Movement and Spiritualities; and the anthology Dance, Somatics, and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives, which she co-edited. Director of Somanaut Dance, Co-Director of Project Trans(m)it, Associate Editor of Dance, Movement and Spiritualities, and Board Member of Carolina Dancer Wellness. Becca is currently a Lecturer in Dance Studies at the University of Auckland.


  • NZ Guest Teacher
    NZAP, CTAA, DUPANZ, Clin. Psychologist, Clin. Movement Therapist (EAG), DTAA (Prof DMT).

    Brigitte Puls is a clinical psychologist (NZ reg. psych., clinical scope of practice), clinical movement-dance psychotherapist (EAG, MCTAA, MDUPANZ (cert.) and psychotherapist (NZ reg., MNZAP). Part-time senior lecturer at AUT University, teaching in the areas of creative-expressive therapies, psychotherapy and child and adolescent mental health.

    Brigitte practices private practice for individual adults, children and adolescents. Her areas of special interest are movement-dance group psychotherapy and holding holistic healing retreats and workshops that enhance participants’ natural dance, their creativity, their personal and spiritual essence as well as meeting their needs for being in a healing and healthy relationship with others and with nature.


  • International Guest Teacher
    ED.D, BC-DMT, CMA, LCAT, LMHC

    Dr. Tortora is a board certified dance movement therapist, Laban Nonverbal Movement Analyst, and specialist in the field of infancy mental health and development. Her expertise in early childhood development and the importance of early relationships inform her psychotherapeutic work across the life span. Dr. Tortora has a private dance movement psychotherapy practice, in New York City and Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson, New York. Dr. Tortora offers training programs and lectures about her dance therapy and nonverbal video analysis work with infants, children and families, at national and international professional meetings and universities.

    She is on the board of the New York Zero-to-Three Network.

    Dr Tortora has been featured on “Good Morning America” and Eyewitness Five-O’Clock News, WABC –TV; Women’s Day magazine; highlighted in Malcolm Gladwell’s New Yorker article and book titled What the Dog Saw and other adventures; has published numerous papers about her therapeutic and nonverbal communication analysis work with children, parent-infant dyads, and Autism Spectrum Disorders; has twice been guest editor of the Zero to Three Journal; and has a book with Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company titledThe Dancing Dialogue: Using the Communicative Power of Movement with Young Children.

    Dr. Tortora graduated with honors from the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development Tufts University specializing in child development, education and psychology; received her dance movement therapy masters degree at New York University; and her doctorate with a specialization in infancy/early childhood development, psychology and education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

    She has done extensive study and training in the field of infancy and early childhood research, development, education, communication and intervention through the Zero to Three Institute and Dr. Stanley Greenspan. She has studied Authentic Movement with Janet Adler & Body-Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Dr Tortora is also a certified Laban Movement Analyst, and Kestenberg Movement Profiler.


  • International Guest Teacher
    PHD in DMT, Supervisor, NVDAT

    Rosemarie Samaritter, (PhD) is an associate professor for arts and health at Codarts, Rotterdam. In clinical practice she works as a licensed senior dance movement therapist and supervisor. She has specialized in dyadic DMT intervention in personality disorders, post-trauma treatment and psychopathologies of disturbed sense of self. Rosemarie has been involved in the early development of professional DMT programs in the Netherlands and was founding chair of the dance therapy chapter of the Dutch Association of CAT, currently the Dutch Association for Dance Therapy.

    She has been a board member for the governmental licensing and certification of Dutch DMT Education Programs and has been involved in the guideline development for mental health services for the Dutch NHS. Rosemarie has been teaching and presenting DMT theory and methods at National and International DMT training programmes and conferences.

    She has published on DMT and edited a Dutch book on DMT. Her research focus is on intervention research and arts-informed research strategies. She is member of the Dutch National research group for the arts therapies and researcher at KenVaK (Dutch national research center for the arts therapies). As the committee chair of the research group of the European Dance Therapy Association EADMT she has initiated online DMT science café’s to support the international exchange between DMT researchers.

  • International Guest Teacher
    BC-DMT, Supervisor, PHD Candidate, NVDAT

    Simone Kleinlooh, (Phd. Candidate) is a BC-DMT and a senior registered dance movement therapist and supervisor from the Netherlands. After a career as a dancer, dance teacher and having worked over 25 years in clinical settings and private practice with adolescences and adults she now works at the Master of Arts Therapies – Dance Therapy Department, University of the Arts in Rotterdam as the program leader and as a lecturer.

    She is a member of KenVak, Dutch Research Center for the Arts Therapies and offers DMT and nonverbal communication and creativity trainings in China a.o countries. In private practice she also offers coaching and supervision. At the moment she is a PhD candidate at Erasmus MC University Rotterdam, Netherlands on the topic of DMT and clients with a personality disorder.


  • International Guest Teacher
    MA, CMA

    Judy is the Director and Founder of the Center for Movement Education and Research (CMER), a 501c 3 non-profit organization (2003). From 2005-2016 she directed the CMER Dance/Movement Therapy Alternate Route Training program. She continues as an international movement specialist, dancer, teacher, with over 38 years of academic work. From 1982-2005 Judy was an Associate Adjunct Professor at UCLA in the department of Dance, World Arts & Cultures with focus on Laban Movement Analysis, dance anatomy/kinesiology and creative dance/movement education. Judy’s teaching in the United States includes the University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Dominican University, University of Washington, University of Illinois, Sonoma State University, and the University of Western Michigan. Internationally, she has taught Laban Movement Analysis at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and dance therapy programs in S. Korea, Moscow Russia and Embodied Leadership in Beijing China and Germany.

    Judy has a broad perspective of the role of dance/movement in healing and education. Her article in the Somatic Journal, Cultivating Body Knowledge, received a first award placement by the professional/post-certification Laban organization, Motus Humanus.

    Her current creative work includes Embodied Leadership Training, The MAP journey and Movement for Equanimity (MFE). Her myofascial movement practice (MFE) is based on studies with Karin Gurtner from Switzerland. Judy divides her time living in California, USA and Coromandel, NZ.

    “As a dancer I value creativity and expression; I strive to lead with clarity, empathy and the power to invoke personal exploration in others.

    I am interested in helping others discover the power and meaning that comes from living an embodied life. I firmly believe that conscious embodiment is the balance to 21st technology. Dance is a source for integrating social/cultural awareness and emotional intelligence when guided with somatic awareness. It is vital to our humanity that we connect to the wisdom within our conscious bodies and become literate in the psychophysical aspects of movement”

  • NZ Guest Teacher
    BA Arts & Drama, Dip DMT, DTAA (Prov. Prof.)

    Sergio has worked in main stream education since 2005, teaching arts, dance and drama. He worked as a specialist teacher in Aotearoa with children, teenagers and young adults with disabilities and autism and recently has provided sessions focused on mindfulness, movement and art therapy for special needs schools, organizations and individuals.

    He holds a Bachelor in Arts and Drama, post-graduated in History of Art also has specific training in teaching arts. He finished his diploma in Dance Movement Therapy in 2022 with DTTA and now he's studying a diploma in Psychology and Counselling.

    His group sessions are focused on belonging, relating to others and finding the common ground to create and heal together. He provides emotional and artistic resources to support people's development, self-awareness and how to find their own voices, unlock their potential and to connect to others.

    He's been studying mindfulness and active meditation, practicing Tai Chi and Qigong, learning from spiritual teachers like Ram Dass and Eckhart Tolle, applying humanistic psychology (Carl Rogers) and interested to integrate the Moving Cycle theory (Christine Cadwell) into his creative explorations with body movement and self-discovery.

ABOUT THE DIPLOMA

Want more specific details? Check out all the details of our diploma programme here.