The Therapeutic Encounter: Joining, Attunement and Kinesthetic Empathy

 

I

 

Unit: The Therapeutic Encounter

Theme: Joining, Mirroring/Reflecting, Attunement & Kinesthetic Empathy

Introduction

 

Within the context of Dance/Movement Therapy, joining someone is to become linked or connected to that person in movement. On the other hand, attunement is the reactiveness we have to another person. It is the process by which we form relationships. Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, explains, "When we attune with others we allow our own internal state to shift, to come to resonate with the inner world of another. Finally, kinesthetic empathy, a key interdisciplinary concept in our understanding of social interaction across creative and cultural practices, describes the ability to experience empathy merely by observing the movements of another human being.

II

Check In

III

 

Learning Objectives 

 

• Understand the meaning of joining
  
• Explain the importance of attunement
• Gain awareness of the use of kinesthetic empathy
• Experience a movement dialogue
  

IV

Main Lesson

1

Review

• According to Anna Halprin, there are two ways of looking at dance.
• Ana Halprin said that "a dance ritual is a dance with an intention."  
• Creating a dance-ritual requires engaging in a process of exploration, discovery and performance.
• Parts of the Dance/Movement Ritual: Beginning (introduce the theme or metaphor; develop it), Middle (create a climax ; a pulsing) and Closing (consolidate the ritual with the achievement of the group-body).

2

Experiential Concepts

Joining

Attunement

 

3

Video

Pulp Fiction

Question 1

What did you noticed about the interaction of the dancers?

4

LINK:

Attunement By Sandra Kay Lauffenburger

After reading the following article, answer the following questions:

 Question 2

  What are these affects to which it is important that we attune?

Question 3

  Because we work non-verbally, to what in the body-movement spectrum are we attuning, and how do we do it?

 

 V

A Note to Remember

1. Dance Movement Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that relies on the connection between what one is thinking/feeling and one’s body movement.

2. Dance is important for humans because it is a form of communication and expression. 

3. Western dualism and Cartesian separation reflect the common idea that mind and body are separate. 

4. The arts can help people find new ways to express their thoughts and emotions as they view their human experiences as an integrated whole rather than separate parts.

VI

Case Studies

1

 

After watching this video, try this exercise with another person and reflect on the experience by writing a few sentences. (For students who are making up, record it and post it on Discussion Board).

2

Movement Dialogue 

Kinesthetic Empathy

 

 After watching this video, try this exercise with another person and reflect on the experience by writing a few sentences. (For students who are not in class, record it and post it on Discussion Board).

VII

Discussion Questions

 

 

• What are these affects to which it is important that we attune?
•   Because we work non-verbally, to what in the body-movement spectrum are we attuning, and how do we do it?

 VIII

 

Activity

 

• Introduce yourself to another student
• Eye Contact Exercise
• Mirror Exercise (Attunement)
  
• Movement Dialogue (Kinesthetic Empathy)
  

IX

Journaling

Based on the work you have done today, how would you define the terms attunement and kinesthetic empathy? Compare and contrast.

 

 

X

Sources

What is Attunement? Momentous Institute.  

https://momentousinstitute.org/blog/what-is-attunement

 

XI

 

Students' Work 

 

Dillon Londin Class Makeup

Collapse

1. What did you notice about the interaction of the dancers?

While at first the male was very hesitant, being ultimately forced to dance by the women in the situation you can see through their eye contact with one another that the connection is deeper than just what is portrayed on the screen. As the scene progressed, both characters gained momentum and rythym with one another creating a sense of security in their quirky dances. This shows the power of connection in dance and music. 

2. What are these effects to which it is important that we attune?

It is important that we attune in order to create the effects of security, empathy, and connection to ones mental and physical state. Being "in tune" relates to the understanding of the factors that make someone feel a certain way. By observing body movements and looking into the eyes of a person help decipher what feelings the person is hiding or projecting. 

3. Because we work non-verbally, to what in the body-movement spectrum are we attuning, and how do we do it?

Since we work non-verbally, we are attuning based on mutual empathy…. a sameness of needs and responses, but also a synchronization in rhythms”.Attuning to or sharing the same or affine tension flow rhythms creates the foundation for empathy and communication”. By relegating tension flow rhythms to the less important position, we began focusing more on the body actions rather than the affective tone component.

4. Based on the work you have done today, how would you define the terms attunement and kinesthetic empathy? Compare and contrast.

Based on the work we have done today I would define the term attunement as the connection with one another that fosters and develops a sense of self. Meanwhile, the term kinesthetic empathy relates more to the effects of a social interaction including touch or eye contact that results in an empathy based on the movements of someone else