Greek Association of Dance Therapists

The Greek Association of Dance Therapists is a professional association that was founded in 1993. It is a full professional member of the European Association Dance Movement Therapy as well as a member of the American Dance Therapy Association.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The Greek Association of Dance Therapists aims at:

• Safeguarding its members’ professional interests, in the framework of offering high standard mental health services to the community.
• Diffusing and establishing the discipline of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) in Greece, while providing the community with experiential workshops and educational programs.
• Creating a current reciprocal relationship between DMT profession, social reality & the community’s needs.
• Maintaining a high standard training program in DMT
• Developing an updated and ongoing professional identity.
• Supporting its professional members by organizing continuing professional education and supervision workshops.
• Encouraging professional DMTs through the awarding of scholarships.
• Being part of exchange and cooperation programs with corresponding foreign Associations.
• Being updated to current literature and research in the fields of body, movement, art and psychotherapy, as well as other related fields.
• Being in contact & forming working groups with other professionals in the Arts Therapies, along with the relevant Ministries, seeking formal recognition and accreditation of the Dance/Movement Therapist profession.

ACTIVITIES

The activities of The Greek Association of Dance Therapists include:

• Participation in Greek and International Conferences with Lectures, Presentations and Workshops.
• Presentation of the discipline of DMT in Television and Radio broadcasts.
• Publication of articles in scientific journals and the daily press.
• Organization of workshops with local and international renowned Dance/ Movement Therapists. These workshops are realized with the cooperation of mental health units, universities, public institutions, art places and addressed to everyone who wants to be familiar with dance therapy.
• Organization and Supervision of Training Programs & educational modules.
• Keeping an ongoing link and cooperation with other International Associations.
• Sustaining an ongoing connection with other professionals in The Arts Therapies.
• Library access to our professional members and trainees in DMT.
• Keeping professional members updated through our website & newsletter, regarding current conferences, workshops, lectures, article publications, placements & job offers.
• Continuing professional education and supervision workshops for the members.

Where is the DMT’s place of action?

Dance Therapists in Greece, are mostly working in mental health settings such as:

• Psychiatric Institutions & Clinics
• Day Centers
• Prevention, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Units for substance abuse
• Special Education Schools
• Nursery schools
• Social Care Units
• Special units taking care of patients suffering from cancer, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer
• Nursing homes with the elderly
• NGO’s providing social support to the community
• Community settings for immigrants & refugees
• Reform Centers
• Socially marginalized populations, emigrants

TRAINING

The three years postgraduate course in Dance Therapy

The Greek Association of Dance Therapists (GADT) coordinates and supervises postgraduate courses, offered to people principally from the fields of dance, the arts and generally from social and humanistic studies. The formulation of these courses is based on the criteria set by the European Dance/Movement Therapy Association It is a three years course, part time. Aimed to the education, GADT also coordinates every year an introductory course of four seminars.

The tutors in these postgraduate courses are experienced professors and trainers from Greece and abroad.

COLLABORATIONS

The Greek Association of Dance Therapists has developed co-operating networks with mental health units in both public and NGO’s sector, as well as with research and academic institutions, Public Services, Local Authorities and Social and Scientific Bodies.
Special emphasis is given to the participation of GADT in international co-operating networks. GADT is Full Professional founding member of the European Association of Dance Movement Therapy (EADMT), as well as a member of The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA).
Furthermore GADT, obtained funding from Stavros Niarchos Foundation for DMT’s placements in various mental health institutions (2008-2010).
Finally, GADT cooperates with artists and art places in the implementation of performances