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"I feel like I can be me again" : Schoolchildren’s experiences of a dance movement psychotherapy programme

"I feel like I can be me again" : Schoolchildren’s experiences of a dance movement psychotherapy programme
"I feel like I can be me again" : Schoolchildren’s experiences of a dance movement psychotherapy programme
Schools have a crucial role to play in safeguarding the mental health of children and young people, which has seen a concerning decline in recent years (NHS digital, 2021). A tendency to separate mind and body in approaches to supporting mental health, and learning more widely, may have exacerbated a decline in wellbeing amongst children and young people. Resultantly, there is a growing interest in holistic approaches to wellbeing that can be embedded into the school day (Health Committee, 2021). Dance Movement Psychotherapy’s reputation as a clinical intervention has meant that its efficacy as a preventative tool for safeguarding the mental health of children in mainstream schools is underexplored. This research examines the lived experience of four mainstream primary schoolchildren who underwent a 10-week DMP programme in their school setting. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of focus groups and individual participant interviews revealed an overarching theme of ‘Freedom’, experienced in domains of self-expression, movement, and friendship. Participants demonstrated a perspective shift from before to after the programme: moving from a fear of others’ judgement to an increased sense of freedom to be themselves, make mistakes, and build trusting connections with peers. Participant experiences highlight the power of existing school structures to shape self-concept and the subsequent value of including holistic, embodied approaches, within schools, aimed at developing children’s learning, emotional health, and social communication. The research discusses these findings and offers implications for future educational practise.
University of Southampton
Hamilton, Jessica
21044a73-db35-4344-9af2-599eeff5196d
Hamilton, Jessica
21044a73-db35-4344-9af2-599eeff5196d
Bishop, Flis
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Hartwell, Bee
20bec265-d7d2-440a-94f7-ab140acc0bca

Hamilton, Jessica (2024) "I feel like I can be me again" : Schoolchildren’s experiences of a dance movement psychotherapy programme. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 190pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

Schools have a crucial role to play in safeguarding the mental health of children and young people, which has seen a concerning decline in recent years (NHS digital, 2021). A tendency to separate mind and body in approaches to supporting mental health, and learning more widely, may have exacerbated a decline in wellbeing amongst children and young people. Resultantly, there is a growing interest in holistic approaches to wellbeing that can be embedded into the school day (Health Committee, 2021). Dance Movement Psychotherapy’s reputation as a clinical intervention has meant that its efficacy as a preventative tool for safeguarding the mental health of children in mainstream schools is underexplored. This research examines the lived experience of four mainstream primary schoolchildren who underwent a 10-week DMP programme in their school setting. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of focus groups and individual participant interviews revealed an overarching theme of ‘Freedom’, experienced in domains of self-expression, movement, and friendship. Participants demonstrated a perspective shift from before to after the programme: moving from a fear of others’ judgement to an increased sense of freedom to be themselves, make mistakes, and build trusting connections with peers. Participant experiences highlight the power of existing school structures to shape self-concept and the subsequent value of including holistic, embodied approaches, within schools, aimed at developing children’s learning, emotional health, and social communication. The research discusses these findings and offers implications for future educational practise.

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More information

Published date: 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 493603
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/493603
PURE UUID: 1f56f045-3eb7-46d6-a6b6-70bdb7c7d7ce
ORCID for Flis Bishop: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-6662

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Sep 2024 16:39
Last modified: 12 Sep 2024 01:38

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Contributors

Author: Jessica Hamilton
Thesis advisor: Flis Bishop ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Bee Hartwell

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