Sarah Lawrence College DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence Dance/Movement Therapy Theses Dance/Movement Therapy Graduate Program 5-2019 Dance of Attachment: Dance/Movement Therapy with Children Adopted Out of Foster Care Megan Haase Sarah Lawrence College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/dmt_etd Part of the Dance Movement Therapy Commons Recommended Citation Haase, Megan, "Dance of Attachment: Dance/Movement Therapy with Children Adopted Out of Foster Care" (2019). Dance/Movement Therapy Theses. 50. https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/dmt_etd/50 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Dance/Movement Therapy Graduate Program at DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dance/Movement Therapy Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Running Head: DANCE OF ATTACHMENT 1 Dance of Attachment: Dance/Movement Therapy with Children Adopted Out of Foster Care Megan Haase Submitted in partial completion of the Master of Science Degree at Sarah Lawrence College May 2019 DANCE OF ATTACHMENT 2 Abstract This thesis is an investigative inquiry into the use of dance/movement therapy with children adopted out of foster care and their families. By focusing on the relevance of attachment and trauma with this population, this thesis draws connections between dance/movement therapy theoretical components and literature and the needs of this population. Children adopted out of foster care experience disrupted attachments and traumatic histories of separation, abuse, and neglect. As the literature illustrates, attachment and trauma are body-level experiences, and when addressing these issues, they must be approached through a modality that involves, engages, and values the body and the memories, interactions, and healing potential that it holds.