Safe space in dance therapy – a phenomenological inquiry

Abstract

A space, where the client feels safe, is necessary for therapeutic process. Its importance seems to be implicitly understood and agreed upon across different schools of psychotherapy. However, what it means and how it appears in therapy has not been clearly described before. This paper presents the findings from the first author’s master thesis, which sought to answer the question ‘Why is safe space important in dance therapy, and how do dance therapists define and create it in their practice?’. This phenomenological inquiry originated from a need to translate the experiential phenomenon of safe space into words. It is a first attempt to investigate safe space in depth and to provide a definition of its essence in dance movement therapy. Findings from this research describe working methods and interventions for safe space as well as qualities that therapists can embody to help their clients feel safe.

Keywords:

• Safe space
• dance/movement therapy
• polyvagal theory
• psychotherapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meri Erkkilä

Meri Erkkilä, studied dance/movement therapy at Codarts, Rotterdam. She graduated in 2019. Safe space was the topic of her master thesis, and a topic she continues to explore. She is currently living in Finland and working in special education with young people with autism and setting up a dance/movement therapy practice.

Rosemarie Samaritter

Rosemarie Samaritter, is an associate professor for Arts and Health at Codarts University of the Arts, Rotterdam (NL) where she also works as a programme leader of research for the department of Arts Therapies. She is a certified senior dance movement therapist with longstanding experience in Dutch outpatient psychiatry and private practice. She has been a founding chair of the Dutch dance therapy association and has been developing and teaching DMT theory and methods since the early beginnings of the profession in the Netherlands. She is a licensed supervisor for dance/movement therapists and researchers.