Expressive Therapies

Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Dance/Movement Therapy Specialization

Master of Arts (MA), on-campus or low-residency graduate program

Move people toward wellness.

Dance/movement therapy is a powerful, creative, and effective method of mental health treatment. At Lesley, investigate the power of dance and movement as a therapeutic outlet for individuals, groups, and communities. As you train to qualify as both a dance/movement therapist and licensed mental health counselor, be mentored by faculty who innovate in the field. From them, learn proven strategies for opening channels of expression and nonverbal communication.

Here, you’ll learn to address the emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual health of individuals using dance as a lens for observation, research, and intervention. Throughout your studies, you’ll increase your awareness of socio-cultural dynamics in yourself and others, and become skilled in intrapersonal reflections, integrating theory and practice, making connections with different populations, and building community.

Our dance/movement specialization encourages you to become a critical thinker, creative and reflective practitioner, and instrument of therapeutic and social change. Your professors will be prominent therapists in the field, with specializations that include children, adolescents, adults, older adults, conflict resolution, trauma, family systems, somatic and spiritual development, and more.

Program Structure

3-Year Program, Full-Time; On-Campus or Low-Residency Formats

Prerequisites
- To enroll in this program, you’ll need to show proof of your:
  
  - Bachelor’s degree, preferably in your artistic discipline or psychology with a GPA of 3.0 or better
  - Expertise in at least two different dance or movement forms
  - Demonstrate an ability to move in a connected and kinesthetically informed way through video portfolio submission
  - Life experience and/or volunteer work related to human services
  - Anatomy and Kinesiology course with a grade B or higher
  - 6 credits of completed coursework in psychology with grades of B or better. Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.
Dance/Movement Therapy Courses 15 Credits
- Required dance/movement therapy courses in dance/movement therapy theory, body/movement observation, group work, research and evaluation, and more
Required Core Courses 33 Credits
- Required core courses in expressive therapies theory, research, and practice, human development, and ethics
Field Experience 12 Credits
- Field experience including clinical skills and applications coursework and supervised internship experiences

View Program of Study

Program Goals and Learning Statement

Learn more about the expected program goals that our Expressive Therapies master's degree programs meet.

Program Goals

The goal of the Expressive Therapies master’s degree programs is to provide students the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to practice in a range of professional settings, including health care facilities, schools, community agencies, and private practices. The Expressive Therapies 60-credit programs meet the academic and field training requirements for mental health counselor licensure (LMHC) in Massachusetts. (Students intending to work outside of Massachusetts are advised to review their state's regulations to determine their eligibility for licensure.) Specialization tracks prepare graduates for certification or registration by their respective professional associations.

The Expressive Therapies faculty established these program goals. Aligned with the mission of Lesley and the Graduate School of Arts & Social Sciences, they are also specific to the Graduate Expressive Therapies Department, with deep consideration of our program’s history and the contemporary landscape of expressive therapies and mental health counseling.

1. Dual Identity as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Expressive Therapist

Students will demonstrate a dual identity as a clinical mental health counselor and expressive therapist, and an understanding of the ways in which the professions enhance and complement one another.

2. Professional Orientation and Ethics

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the counseling profession and their modality profession. Students will demonstrate the capacity to provide counseling services within the ethical codes of the counseling profession and their modality specializations, and with an understanding of legal issues.

3. Clinical Mental Health Counseling Theory

Students will gain substantial knowledge of core counseling theories as applied to individual and group processes, skills, and approaches.

4. Human Development Across the Lifespan

Students will assess and cultivate an understanding of human growth and development throughout the lifespan, including an understanding of arts-based development, and the connection between developmental theory, clinical issues. Students will be able to design interventions, as well as apply considerations of environmental, biological, and cultural factors.

5. Clinical Skills and Helping Relationships

Students will demonstrate counseling skills and techniques which exhibit awareness of self and other in the therapeutic relationship. Students will demonstrate the ability to document and evaluate progress towards treatment goals.

6. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Students will develop a critical multicultural lens of the sociocultural foundations in the counseling and expressive therapy process, including developing an awareness and knowledge of power, privilege, and oppression at the micro, macro, personal, and interpersonal levels. Students will develop strategies to identify and eliminate cultural barriers, prejudice, and discriminatory practices.

7. Career Development

Students will demonstrate knowledge of vocational counseling theory and apply career development methods to individual professional development.

8. Group Process in Counseling and Expressive Therapies

Students will develop a theoretical and embodied understanding of group process and dynamics, theory, skill, and approaches.

9. Assessment

Students will gain knowledge and skills in understanding and utilizing formal assessment instruments and information gathering techniques, used in case conceptualization, treatment planning. Students will also be able to analyze and critique assessment tools regarding ethical usage and multicultural competency.

10. Research and Program Evaluation

Students will develop the ability to locate, read, critique, and evaluate research to inform clinical practice. Through this activity, students will contribute knowledge to the profession of counseling and their modality specializations.

11. Psycho-diagnostics and Treatment

Students will gain an understanding of the broad spectrum of psychopathology and diagnostic criteria utilized in the current DSM 5 and ICD 10 to inform ethical clinical practice and evaluation within a diverse context.

12. Trauma and Crisis Intervention

Students will demonstrate trauma-informed skills within clinical practice, including knowledge of crisis intervention, and risk and suicide assessment. Students will understand current research and application in how the arts are used in trauma-informed practice, including individual, community, cultural, and systemic complex trauma across the lifespan.

13. Embodied, Experiential and Creative Clinical Practices

Students will be able to articulate, embody, and apply the transformative nature of creativity and the arts intrapersonally, interpersonally, and clinically, demonstrating the integration of knowledge and skills within practice.

14. Mental Health and Community Systems

Students will demonstrate knowledge and apply skills associated with working in diverse communities and multi-disciplinary teams. Students will critically analyze methods of treatment, referral, and interdisciplinary collaboration from a global health perspective.

15. Personal Growth, Insight, and Congruence

Students will develop and engage in multifaceted processes which foster self-awareness, and awareness of others’ experiences with cultural sensitivity. Students will develop and begin to articulate and evidence, in their scholarship and clinical practices, their theoretical orientation.

Students take courses in a scheduled sequence, where learning takes place in increments that align with their emerging competencies as clinicians. Following the program's course sequence ensures that students build upon knowledge and skills in a manner that maximizes their learning efforts, and that is appropriate and supportive, as they begin to practice in the field.

On-Campus Option

Become part of a community of artists and scholars in Cambridge while pursuing your degree. Gain in-person access to leaders in the field and benefit from Lesley’s professional network in and around Greater Boston and New England. Taking three to four courses per semester, immerse in rigorous study and complete your program within a three year sequence.

Best if you:

Live near Cambridge or are able to relocate
Enjoy the rigor of an intensive program and want to take advantage of internships in Greater Boston
Want face-to-face time with faculty and peers and to become integrated into campus life
Are not planning to work full-time during your studies

Low-Residency Option

Participate in one 3-week summer residency per year on Lesley University’s Cambridge campus. Between residencies, continue your studies online with Lesley faculty and through supervised field experiences in your community. Your courses correspond with those of our on-campus program, and will be completed within three years.

Best if you:

Live at a distance
Enjoy the flexibility of online learning
Want to take fewer courses at a time
Would like to complete internships/research in your community

Student location:

If you are are located in, or plan to be located in New York or North Carolina at any time during your enrollment, you are not eligible to enroll in our Low Residency program, due to regulations that exist in those states.
If you are located in, or plan to be located in Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Wisconsin at any time during your enrollment, please discuss your location and licensure plans with an admissions counselor in order to determine if you are eligible to enroll in our program.
Please visit Lesley’s Licensure and Credentialing webpage for more information.

Neusa Araujo-Furtado ’17

For Neusa, traditional batuque dance is more than a means of staying in touch with her Cape Verdean roots. It’s a tool for educating and empowering others. Knowing full well the potential of dance to promote personal transformation, today she works with urban youth, using dance and movement techniques to facilitate healing, positive body image, and social skills.

Licensure Information

Depending on your professional goals, where you reside or plan to practice, and the licensure requirements within that state, there are different pathways toward licensure or credentialing that may be relevant. In accordance with Lesley University’s institutional participation in SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement) and with federal regulations, we strongly encourage prospective applicants who intend to pursue licensure in a state other than Massachusetts to visit the Lesley University Licensure and Credentialing webpage and review the “Licensure Information for Students and Applicants” document for their specific program.

Where Our Students Intern

Our field training experts will help you find an internship that will enhance your practice and further your career goals.

Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals
Outpatient Clinics
Public Schools

Therapeutic Schools
Residential Homes
Substance Abuse Clinics

AIDS Treatment Centers
Domestic Violence Shelters
Homeless Shelters

Events

Wednesday, May 14 12:00 pm

MA in Expressive Therapies Virtual Information Session

View all events

Field Work

1,150

Hours you’ll spend turning theory into practice through field training and internships.

Online Psychology Boot Camp

If you don't have a background in psychology, Lesley offers training in advance of your program. Before starting your program you can take online Psychology Boot Camp courses to get the training you need.

Vivien Marcow Speiser stands on South Campus

Fulbright Scholar to establish therapy program in Africa

Dr. Vivien Marcow Speiser ’77 awarded Fulbright to launch dance movement therapy program at alma mater.

Graduate Student Scholarships

Graduate study is an investment. That's why we offer generous merit scholarships. Awards are based on your admissions application and are announced when you're accepted.

Learn more about the scholarships we offer.

American Dance Therapy Association recognizes Lesley’s hybrid model

Graduate Programs

95%

of our 2019 graduating class is employed or furthering their education.

Lesley’s Expressive Therapies community celebrates driving force in Dance Movement Therapy in words, music and motion.

Gain Professional Credentials

Through our dance/movement therapy program, gain eligibility for these professional credentials:

Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT)

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Massachusetts

American Dance Therapy Association recognized graduate degree

Jennifer Wiles ’86 to expand grief services for special-needs youth through grant

Charles River with Boston skyline in the background

Discover Boston & Cambridge

Learn more about our cities.

Alumni Satisfaction

Ranked #20

by alumni

According to a survey published in Forbes, Lesley ranks #20 nationwide for providing a high-quality education that is worth the cost.

View the survey results.

FAQs

Have questions about the expressive therapies master's program? View our frequently asked questions to find your answer.

Expressive Therapies FAQs

When does the program start?

The master’s program in expressive therapies only has one start term per year, which is summer. On-campus students have an online orientation course in July, with on-campus courses beginning in the fall. Low-residency students have an online orientation course in July followed by a 2-3 week on-campus residency, with online courses in the fall and spring.

Do you offer the program online?

Through the low-residency format, students attend an in-person summer residency each July on Lesley’s campus. In the fall and spring semesters, students continue their studies online with a mix of asynchronous and synchronous coursework. Field work is completed in their home community. The completion time for this model is 3 years (20 credits each year with 2-3 courses per semester). Internships take place in years 2 and 3, alongside coursework in the fall and spring semesters.

Are the online courses in the low-residency program asynchronous or synchronous?

Students in the low-residency program attend the on-campus residency each July. During the fall and spring semesters, students take their coursework online with a mix of asynchronous and synchronous learning.

How do students in the low-residency programs stay connected as a learning community?

During the 3-year program, students in the low-residency model come to campus each July for their residency. During this time, students and faculty make very strong connections that are fostered throughout the program. When learning online, students participate in both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Lesley’s Online Learning Platform also offers interactive tools that can be used for courses beyond just posting comments to a discussion board. You can use a collaborative tool to work on group projects, work with your class to find a time that works for everyone to video in to connect, instant message with faculty or peers, upload PowerPoint presentations and record yourself over the presentation as if you were giving it in person and faculty and peers can provide feedback. Faculty make the online work as engaging as possible and the in-person residency period is very hands-on and experiential! Students stay connected through email, phone, Zoom and social media as well!

How is the on-campus model formatted?

Our on-campus model has courses during the daytime, on weekdays, or in an intensive format as well (either a weekend-intensive course or a five-day intensive course). The completion time for this model is 3 years (20 credits each year with 3 courses per semester). Internships take place in years 2 and 3 alongside coursework in the fall and spring semesters.

Can I continue to work full-time while in the program?

We don’t typically recommend that students work full time while in the program. Our on-campus courses take place during the daytime as well as nights and weekends, and daytime courses cannot be avoided.  Please keep in mind that there are synchronous components to the low-residency model’s online coursework. Your place of employment would need to be flexible should you be required to attend your synchronous online course during regular business hours.

In the low residency model, it may be possible to work full-time for the first year of the program, as long as you can take the required weeks off in July for residency. If you can find an internship site in your second year of the program that has nights and weekend hours, you may be able to complete the 15 hours/week that are needed and still work full time and come for residency in July.  The third year of the program, however, requires about 25 hours/week at your site, making it impossible to work full time, complete your coursework, and fulfill those hours.

How do I submit my portfolio?

Portfolios should be submitted on Slideroom. Learn more about the portfolio requirements and how to set up an account with Slideroom.

If my GPA does not meet the preferred requirement of a 3.0 or higher, can I still apply?

The program prefers that applicants have a GPA of a 3.0 or higher, however applicants with a lower GPA may still be reviewed. If you have a lower GPA and are concerned about it impacting your admissions decision, we recommend addressing this in your Written Personal Statement. You can address anything that may have affected your grades, or you can address why you believe you are prepared at this time to be successful in a graduate program.

How do I select a writing sample?

The Academic Writing Sample can be a previously written research-based paper from a college-level course. It should show your ability to think critically, synthesize information, and write at the academic level. Your submission can be on any topic and must be between 3 and 5 pages in length (double-spaced). If you have written a longer paper, you can submit an excerpt of 3-5 chronological pages (it is okay if the submission is out of context). If you do not have a paper from your previous studies, or if you graduated from college several years ago, you may choose to write a 3-5 page paper on a topic of interest. Please choose your best writing to submit for review.

If admitted into the program, can I defer?

If unexpected circumstances are preventing you from starting your Lesley graduate program in the term you were admitted, you may request to defer your enrollment for up to 1 year. You will be required to submit an enrollment deposit and deferral request form to hold your spot. Learn more about the deferral process.

I am interested in more than one art modality. Can I apply to multiple programs?

Although you can’t apply to more than one specialization, a unique aspect of our program is that you still get exposure to each of the art forms. Meaning, if you chose to pursue Drama Therapy, some of your core courses would still train you in the other expressive therapies in a therapeutic setting. This helps you down the road when you may be working with a client who may not respond to one specific modality. Theory and practice are interwoven into this program’s curriculum.

Which prerequisites do I need in order to apply?

Art Therapy Program

Completed coursework in:

Psychology (12 credits, including abnormal psychology and developmental
psychology, with grades of B or better). Studio Art (18 credits, with grades of B or better). Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.

Dance Therapy Program

6 credits of completed coursework in psychology with grades of B or better and Anatomy and Kinesiology with a grade of B or higher. Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.

Drama Therapy Program

6 credits of completed coursework in psychology with grades of B or better. Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.

Expressive Arts Therapy Program

3 credits of completed coursework in abnormal psychology and 3 credits of completed coursework in developmental psychology with grades of B or better. Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.

Music Therapy Program

6 credits of completed coursework in psychology with grades of B or better.

Principles and Practices of Music Therapy (3 credits) or a music therapy course that includes the history and survey of the profession, its theoretical approaches, and its application to various populations.

Not all coursework must be complete before you apply. Contact Graduate Admissions for details.

How can I gain experience in the field of human services and learn more about Expressive Therapies?

Prospective students can gain human service experience by pursuing community resources through volunteering and observation. This will greatly strengthen an application when ultimately applying to the program. Below are some resources for prospective students to explore:

www.volunteermatch.com

www.idealist.org

Students may also learn about what types of work Expressive Therapists are doing in the field by exploring the resources below:

Art Therapy: American Art Therapy Association (AATA)

Expressive Arts Therapy: International Expressive Arts Therapy (IEATA)

Dance/Movement Therapy: American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)

Drama Therapy: North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA)

Music Therapy: American Music Therapy: American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)

Voices – An online journal that looks at social justice through the use of Music Therapy.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers – A publishing company that houses reading material for all creative arts therapies.

Barcelona Publishers – A publishing company “dedicated entirely to the field of music therapy” with the goal of expanding and moving the field forward.

How can I schedule an appointment to learn more?

Please click on the links below to schedule a time to meet with admissions or visit our campus.

Schedule an Appointment with a Graduate Admissions Counselor

Attend an Information Session or Campus Tour

1,005

Counselors, therapists, and other mental health practitioners were trained at Lesley University in the last 5 years, making us the largest provider of training for licensed mental health counselors in New England.

Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for mental health care according to Mental Health America, with excellent access to care for both youth and adults.

22%

Careers in mental health counseling are expanding, with projections for a 22% increase in job openings from 2018 to 2028. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Careers

Jobs You Could Have

The field of mental health counseling is expanding rapidly, making this an exciting time to pursue graduate study. Common job titles for people with master's degrees in dance/movement therapy include:

Dance Therapist
Recreation Therapist
Creative Therapist
Activity Therapist
Mental Health Therapist
Movement Therapist
Mental Health Counselor

Careers

Where Graduates Work

Massachusetts and the Greater Boston area have a large concentration of medical, healthcare, and mental health-related facilities and organizations. Graduates find careers in a wide range of places, including:

Mental Health Clinics
Psychiatric Clinics
Hospitals
Rehabilitation Centers
Schools
Correctional Facilities
Inpatient and Outpatient Facilities

Faculty

Meg Chang, EdD, BC-DMT, LCAT, NCC, is a board-certified and New York State licensed dance/movement therapist. Core faculty in the Lesley University Expressive Therapy Division, Meg coordinated the Dance/Movement Therapy program from 1993-1996. Recently she was adjunct faculty and in 2018-2019 was a visiting scholar in the Dance/Movement Therapy program. A certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher, she teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital Center For Mindfulness, in Worcester, MA for people with a range of medical and psychological concerns.

In addition to her clinical practice, Meg served as National Treasurer of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) for two terms and is a founding member of the Multicultural and Diversity Committee of the ADTA Board of Directors. She is a frequent presenter at the ADTA Annual conference where she was invited to present pre-conference training seminars. In 2018 she was the keynote speaker for the New England ADTA conference Traversing Cultural Differences and Challenges. A member of the NYC CATS of Color (New York City Creative Arts Therapists of Color), and Task Force member of the Critical Pedagogy in Arts Therapy (CPAT), she is also a lifelong dancer. She takes a creative dance class with Jack Wiener in New York City whenever she can and is collaborating on a retrospective interview series about her friend and mentor, the late Elaine Summers from the Judson Church movement.

She has taught in the dance/movement therapy program at Pratt Institute and The New School, both in NYC and served as Chair of the Somatic Psychology program and faculty at California Institute of Integral Studies. Publications include “Dance/Movement Therapists of Color in the ADTA: The First 50 Years,” in the American Journal of Dance Therapy (2016); and “Cultural Consciousness and the Global Context of Dance/Movement Therapy,” in The Art and Science of Dance/Movement Therapy: Life is Dance, 2^nd edition (2016), Chaiklin & Wengrower, (Eds); she co-authored “Mobilizing Battered Women: A Creative Step Forward,” in F. Levy, (Ed.) Dance and Other Expressive Art Therapies: When Words Are Not Enough. New York: Routledge, 59 – 82; 1995.

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Total approximate cost for this master's degree program. Tuition and fees are for the 2024–2025 academic year.

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Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Dance/Movement Therapy Specialization

Move people toward wellness.