Jessica Beliles

What is therapeutic movement?

Like other body-based healing processes (such as massage, yoga, etc.), a dance-based healing space allows participants to explore their experiences in a new way - where language stops and somatic knowledge begins. It allows us to, quite literally, move through our physical memories. To take stock of our physical tensions and blockages is to recognize and deal with the embodied effects of distress or trauma.

As Bessel Van Der Kolk notes in his bestselling book, The Body Keeps the Score, “Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies. Being frightened means that you live in a body that is always on guard. Angry people live in angry bodies… In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them.”

Who is it for?

Therapeutic movement sessions are for anyone looking to integrate their body into their healing process. I offer private sessions for children, teens, and adults of all ages. No dance experience is required and all mobility modalities are welcome.

Why practice therapeutic movement?

Movement is an easy way in to connect with our physical selves in a deep, finely attuned way - especially if we are feeling alienated from our own body. It has the capacity to make us feel capable and powerful, it allows us to express or confront things we may not have words for, and it can provide a space for physical catharsis.

I use specific movement patterns designed to create a physical sensation of release, inward attention, and joy. I also utilize guided improvisation prompts and individual movement exploration and composition to encourage participants to connect with and take inventory of their bodies.

Through spending some time with feeling our body’s relationship to space, time, and environment, I hope to create a space in which everyone can foster an appreciation for and deeper understanding of their embodied experiences.

Above all, I hope to help participants find a willing home within their own bodies.