Dance Movement Therapy
Association of Australasia
The Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australasia Incorporated (DTAA) is dedicated to serving people in our communities through the transformative power of Dance Movement Therapy:
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is the relational and therapeutic use of dance and movement to further the physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and cultural functioning of a person.
As the peak body for DMT in Australasia, the DTAA sets the standards for excellence in practice, training and research, and publishes a Register of qualified and experienced DMT professionals.
Our mission is to promote the growth, development, and recognition of this profession by connecting with allied health professionals, peer organisations, government bodies, education providers and the broader community. We warmly welcome you to join us on this journey.
“We dance from the moment our feet touch the Earth”
– Sharon Chaiklin
Latest News
Developing Metaphors in Dance Movement Therapy
Saturday 27 June 2026
This workshop will offer two developed experiential explorations to look at image and metaphor creation. The first practice after an initial warm up will be to brainstorm body part metaphors e.g. standing on your own two feel. Next participants will be in dyads or triads and explore two to three of these in movement and dance first literally and then allowing these to develop. Finally they will discover a phrase to share with the larger community and if there is time we will dance these together as a large group. We will discuss how this might apply in clinical settings.
Workplace Development Forum: Looking Beyond the NDIS: Where do we go from here?"
Sunday 28 June 2026
The Workplace Development Committee warmly invites all Australian DTAA and non DTAA members, as well as DMT practitioners from other regions, to join a forum exploring the future direction of our profession in light of recent NDIS-related changes. This forum is intended to provide an opportunity to address shared concerns, foster connection, and offer clarity and insight across sectors during this period of transition. There will also be time for movement and reflective sharing among participants.
2 Day Professional Development Workshop, Darling Point NSW-"Strengthening Hope and Resilience in Difficult Times: Embodied, creative, holistic approaches to therapy"
1-2 August 2026
How can we respond to the impact of distressing global events on our clients and ourselves? New Zealand-based Clinical Psychologist and Dance Movement Therapist Brigitte Puls, with musician Ra Witten-Hannah, facilitates embodied, creative exploration and reflection through the lens of Te Whare Tapa Wha*, the Maori model of health and wellbeing, to promote hope and resilience in this 2-day experiential workshop on Sydney Harbour. (*Used with permission)
Invitation to DTAA NSW/ACT Regional Gathering
2 August 2026
The DTAA warmly invites DTAA members from Sydney and surrounding areas of NSW and the ACT to come together to move, connect, share and imagine.
We also welcome practising DMTs who are not currently DTAA members, DMT students, those considering training to become a Dance Movement Therapist and those who would like to know more about Dance Movement Therapy through embodied exploration.
DTAA is a member of:
