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Background: The relationship with the body and the embodied relatedness with the world are reflected in the body image.

We have researched body image with the Body Image Assessment -interview in the context of dance movement therapy (DMT) groups based on the tri-partite model of body image.

Objectives: The workshop participants will learn about the body image concept and research on the body image contents in adults with depression or with bereavement.

The workshop offers a movement space allowing personal experience of DMT practices in group, aiming at eliciting interest in body image.

Methods: The workshop combines theory and a DMT experiential, inviting the participants to engage with a movement exploration on their body image, cultivating the attunement to the body and the healing potential of dance movement and connection.

Results: DMT supports individuals with depression in developing a healthier body image, which initially typically involves discomfort, disconnectedness, and a tendency not to sense the body. A bereaved person embodies grief and can express the grief by accessing body memories in the present. The DMT group process invites the participants to explore between the tendency to withdraw vs. connectedness. Movement and body awareness provide a medium to discovery through embodied engagement.

Conclusions: In DMT, modulation through the body and movement is the key to healing. This workshop will deepen the professionals’ understanding of relational and interactional body, and appreciate its role in living through the lifespan. The concept of body image is relevant in research and in structuring clinical practice.