The Dance/Movement Therapy Internship

Internship Content

1. A complete internship entails 6 months full time or its equivalent in part-time hours, totaling a minimum of 700 hours
2. The internship should include 350 hours of direct patient contact.
3. The student should have a minimum of 70 hours of BC-DMT supervision.
4. There should be a period of orientation, observation, participation, and co-leadership, as well as eventual responsibility for the intern's own groups.
5. The intern should be involved in staff meetings, treatment planning, record keeping, and any educational programs offered through the institution.

Responsibilities of Clinical Supervisors

1. Schedules weekly supervision for the intern for at least one hour as well as provides informal supervisory opportunities.
2. Serves as liaison between intern and institution in defining roles, responsibilities and schedules, and in developing intra- and inter-departmental communication.
3. Provides ongoing observation of the intern's work and periodic evaluations of the intern through progress reports and mid-term and final evaluations.
4. Informs Antioch's academic supervisor if problems arise which demand special and/or immediate attention.
5. Provides training to the intern in record keeping and treatment planning consistent with the demands and expectations of the facility.
6. Completes contract (provided) in consultation with student intern.
7. Provides intern with ongoing feedback concerning progress and determines need for further training or extension of internship.

Responsibilities of Antioch's Director of Internship

1. Provides appropriate information, contracts, and evaluation forms.
2. Serves as liaison between the clinical supervisor and Antioch University New England.
3. Maintains contact with the supervisor and intern through written responses to evaluations and occasional contact via telephone.
4. Acts as "trouble shooter" when problems arise between intern and supervisor.
5. Provides for a site visit.

Expectations of the Intern

1. Accepts feedback and effectively utilizes supervision.
2. Honors professional commitments.
3. Develops an observing and critical self.
4. Communicates effectively with staff.
5. Takes responsibility for expressing feelings and getting needs met.
6. Gain specific skills and competencies.
7. Participates in as many learning opportunities as possible.

The internship experience is pivotal in each student's journey. It is during this time that the student makes the shift from beginning learner to professional, and prepares for work as a professional dance/movement therapist. This is the opportunity to integrate and apply all of their classroom and practicum/fieldwork experiences.

Overall, I am working on finding my "role" as dance and movement therapist. I am coming to know what my strengths are [and] what needs expansion and extension in my personal/professional selves in order to do this work successfully. I am gradually becoming more comfortable with cut up wrists and angry dark faces, and coming, instead, to see the humanness that lurks beneath the surface of skin and facial expressions. Some days I can't believe how much I love this work and other days I feel a bit lost. However, inspiring moments bring me back on a regular enough basis to keep me mostly in the joy of moving and being with others. For after reading about the healing power of dance and movement in theory over the past two years, I am now seeing and experiencing, each day, the transformational and awe-inspiring effect this work has on others." — DMT intern

The DMT internship offers the rare opportunity to reach deep within and discover new things about oneself and the role of a helper/healer. This period of time, when they can still be a student, while working on many fronts as a professional, is a gift.

"When I think back to the person I was before I began this journey toward being awarded a degree in Dance/Movement Therapy, I am astounded at the changes in myself. I have learned so much about being in relationship with myself and with other people through this process. Today, I see myself and others with different eyes, not only psychologically, but in a human sense. What I have learned has given me a greater sensitivity in which to relate to my surroundings. In addition, I have discovered an intelligence to communicate with others and have acquired an understanding about how people use their bodies to tell their story. My training at Antioch empowered me to be open and ready to take on new challenges in the outside world. Therefore, as I entered my internship experience, I already had a foundation for building more confidence as a dance/movement therapist." — DMT intern

Past sites have included: psychiatric hospitals, prisons, special schools, day treatment programs, substance abuse treatment centers, expressive therapy centers, mental health clinics, community programs, nursing homes, medical settings, developmental centers, rehabilitation hospitals, among others.

Populations may include children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Students work with clients with widely varying diagnoses, including autism and developmental delays, eating disorders, psychiatric illnesses, substance abuse/addiction problems, medical conditions, PTSD, and behavioral problems.

Dominion Hospital in the Washington, DC area, stands out as an outstanding training site. This short term psychiatric hospital provides in-patient and out-patient services to children, adolescents, adults and seniors. Jody Wager, the on-site BC-DMT supervisor, has been a practicing DMT since 1980, and has trained several of our students. She enjoys the challenge of mentoring interns and is able to individualize her supervision to meet the needs and strengths of each student. One of her interns described her supervisory experience this way:

The Brattleboro Retreat, established in 1834, is right in our back yard, and our connection with this psychiatric hospital and addictions treatment center goes way back. In fact, Phyllis Jeswald, director of dance/movement therapy internships, worked there as a dance/movement therapist in the late 70's, and there's been a DMT there ever since. Currently, Alice Scudder, an adjunct faculty member in the DMT program, is the supervisor of our interns at the Retreat. Another program graduate, Lynn Huston, BC-DMT, is also available to supervise students. Interns have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of groups, including movement and art; body-mind; coping skills; recovery; mindfulness; and women's group. They also get experience working with individual clients.

The Children's Upstream Services (CUPS) Program, provides dance/movement therapy services to children and families in homes and preschools across Southern, Vermont. Claire LeMessurier, supervising BC-DMT, is also an adjunct faculty member in the DMT program.

The Community Therapeutic Day School in Lexington, MA, serves children ages 3-12 with severe emotional and neurological difficulties.

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, part of the growing University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has a 7 person Creative Therapies Department. This site offers students the opportunity to train in psychiatric and medical settings.

The Hancock Center for Movement Arts and Therapies in Madison, WI, offers dance/movement services to individuals and human service agencies. Rena Kornblum, BC-DMT, specializes in violence prevention in schools.

Tomorrows Children's Institute in New Jersey, treats pediatric oncology patients and their families. DMT interns have the option of being trained as Child Life Specialist, in addition to their dance/movement therapy work.

These are just a sampling of the dozens of sites spread across the country (and internationally) where our students have interned.