Lesley University DigitalCommons@Lesley Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences Expressive Therapies Dissertations (GSASS) Spring 3-15-2019 Meeting Point: Partner Dancing as Couple's Therapy Rami Eckhaus Lesley University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_dissertations Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, Counseling Commons, Dance Movement Therapy Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Movement and Mind-Body Therapies Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons, Psychology of Movement Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Eckhaus, Rami, "Meeting Point: Partner Dancing as Couple's Therapy" (2019). Expressive Therapies Dissertations. 88. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_dissertations/88 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS) at DigitalCommons@Lesley. It has been accepted for inclusion in Expressive Therapies Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Lesley. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 MEETING POINT: PARTNER DANCING AS COUPLE'S THERAPY A DISSERTATION submitted by RAMI ECKHAUS In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy LESLEY UNIVERSITY May 2019 2 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at Lesley University and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowed without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of sources is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: ___________________________ 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In every major life endeavor one needs the best people in his or her corner. I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to those in mine: First and foremost, to my parents, who have always been there, with me and for me, no matter when, no matter what… My deepest love and gratitude. To my committee members: To my fantastic advisor, Dr. Mitchell Kossak, for allowing me the space to explore ideas, for his cleverness and care, and for wisely uncomplicating the complicated, to Dr. Robyn Cruz, for her professionalism and attention to details, and to Dr. Ronit Barash Kishon, for being a supporting voice of reason. To the wonderful Valerie Blanc for her observant eyes and for sharing her valuable insights with me. To the faculty of Expressive Therapies doctoral program at Lesley University for teaching me skills and enlightening me with ideas and insights that supported my growth throughout this process. To the Lesley library staff, especially Constance Vrattos, for the professional advice, the patience, and the willingness to help with the smallest details. To the participating couples in this research who allowed themselves to step into an unknown path while opening their hearts and souls. Last but not least, my special gratitude to Michal Rosenberg, for her generous support, for her soothing optimism and faith, and for her infinite wisdom. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................8 1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................01 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................14 Health and Wellbeing Effects of PD ........................................................................14 Relational Characteristics of PD ...............................................................................15 PD as a Dance of Cooperation ........................................................................15 PD as Reflecting Gender Roles .......................................................................16 PD as Revealing Interactional Styles and Dynamics ......................................19 An Overview of Couple’s Therapy ..........................................................................23 Different Issues in Couple’s Therapy .......................................................................24 Power and Egalitarianism................................................................................24 Aspects of Trust and Communication in Couple’s Therapy ...........................26 Attachment and Relationships ..................................................................................27 Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) ..............................................................27 Relationships and Intimacy ......................................................................................29 Creativity and Expressive Therapies for Couples ....................................................32 Touch and Movement in Couple’s Work .................................................................33 Dance and The Metaphor of Dance in Couple’s Work ............................................37 Conclusion ................................................................................................................41 3. METHOD ......................................................................................................................44 Research Guiding Question ......................................................................................44 Participants ...............................................................................................................44 Criteria for Participation..................................................................................45 Design .......................................................................................................................45 The Procedure .................................................................................................46 Session 1 ................................................................................................47 Sessions 2-4 ...........................................................................................48 The PD Teaching Method .............................................................49 The Couples ...........................................................................................51 Data Collection and Confidentiality .........................................................................54 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................55 Triangulation ...................................................................................................55 4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................57 Communication ........................................................................................................58 Challenges/ Lack of Communication ..............................................................58 Conflicts ..........................................................................................................59 6 Value of Communication ................................................................................60 Non-Verbal Communication ..........................................................................61 Layers of Intimacy ....................................................................................................63 Shared Experience ...........................................................................................63 Intimacy ...........................................................................................................64 Trust ................................................................................................................67 Synchronization ........................................................................................................68 Synchronization ...............................................................................................68 Cooperation .....................................................................................................70 Rhythm ............................................................................................................71 Attunement ...............................................................................................................72 Negotiating Spaces: Distance and Proximity ...........................................................75 Interpersonal Dynamics ............................................................................................77 Lead and follow ...............................................................................................77 Control and Letting go ....................................................................................80 Presence and Passive Versus Active