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Christina Devereaux Ph.D, LCAT, LMHC, BC-DMT, NCC

About

Christina Devereaux, Ph.D., LCAT, LMHC, BC-DMT, NCC, (she/her) is an Associate Clinical Professor and Program Director for the Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling program at Drexel University, College of Nursing and Health Professions and an internationally recognized presenter, educator, and author in dance/movement therapy. Internationally, she served on the faculty at Inspirees, a training program for dance/movement therapy in China, Dance Therapy New Zealand, and Agape Belgium.

She specializes in using alternative outlets for expression working with diverse populations struggling with a range of psychological concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, victims of abuse and neglect, families in crisis, substance misuse, and perinatal mental health, with a specialization in neurodivergent youth and those with complex trauma.

She served as co-editor of the American Journal of Dance Therapy and is a two-time President’s Award recipient from the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) for her outstanding contributions to the profession. She has been featured on National Public Radio, CCTV, various podcasts, and as a presenter for the 2014 ADTA Talks series.

Christina publishes widely in various peer-reviewed journals and has authored and co-authored book chapters about dance/movement therapy, attachment behavior, and autism spectrum disorder.

Her most recent co-authored chapter, “Body, Brain, and Relationship: Dance/Movement Therapy with Children with Complex Trauma” is published in the book Dance/Movement Therapy for Trauma Survivors: Theoretical, Clinical, and Cultural Perspectives.

Recent Posts
The Fascinating Nonverbal Dance in Every Hug
Research shows that the average hug lasts three seconds, yet many nonverbal signals happen within this quick time frame. By looking at some of the concepts through systems of movement analysis along with touch research, we can begin to understand the nonverbal dance that might occur within a hug. Here are a few concepts, oversimplified, of course.

Dance/Movement Therapy and Autism
Dance/movement therapy has the capacity to meet people with autism in many ways. This approach is not only unique, but unlike many treatment approaches in autism, the goal is to channel the communication patterns into “dances of relationship.”
Dance: A Tool to Empower Breast Cancer Survivors
Deborah Cohan’s viral video dancing in the operating room prior to her double mastectomy is encouraging people to “dance, move, and be in their bodies.” Can dance improve emotional and physical well-being with breast cancer survivors? Research says yes. The inclusion of the dance and the arts in healthcare has shown positive results.
Are You Afraid to Dance?

Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh no! I don’t dance”? Is there something about dancing in particular that induce fears of vulnerability, embarrassment, humiliation, or shame? Why be afraid? Dance has the potential to reduce anxiety, stimulate memories, activate the brain’s pleasure circuits, regulate mood, and improve body image (just to name a few).

Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh no! I don’t dance”? Is there something about dancing in particular that induce fears of vulnerability, embarrassment, humiliation, or shame? Why be afraid? Dance has the potential to reduce anxiety, stimulate memories, activate the brain’s pleasure circuits, regulate mood, and improve body image (just to name a few).

Movement and Rest

When we are in constant motion, not allowing for reflective and resting periods, our capacity to be fully present is inhibited. We need both movement and stillness in our life—in a creative combination—in order to integrate our experiences and inspire new insights. The importance of rest, pause, and release of tension, are all principles embedded in the art form of dance.

When we are in constant motion, not allowing for reflective and resting periods, our capacity to be fully present is inhibited. We need both movement and stillness in our life—in a creative combination—in order to integrate our experiences and inspire new insights. The importance of rest, pause, and release of tension, are all principles embedded in the art form of dance.

Why Should We Dance?

Why would dance be a vehicle to cope with daily stressors or even horrific tragedies such as the Boston Marathon explosions, or the Newtown school shootings? Studies have shown that dance, in particular, can decrease anxiety and boost mood more than other physical outlets. Because dance in itself is innately an expressive art, it is a particularly useful tool in therapy.

Why would dance be a vehicle to cope with daily stressors or even horrific tragedies such as the Boston Marathon explosions, or the Newtown school shootings? Studies have shown that dance, in particular, can decrease anxiety and boost mood more than other physical outlets. Because dance in itself is innately an expressive art, it is a particularly useful tool in therapy.

One Billion Dancing

Founders of One Billion Rising, a global effort to “strike, dance, rise” to demand an end to violence against women and girls, assert, “one billion women violated is an atrocity, however, one billion dancing is a revolution.” This brings more attention to the influence of dance in healing, providing the world with an invitation to understand their own meaning in motion.

Founders of One Billion Rising, a global effort to “strike, dance, rise” to demand an end to violence against women and girls, assert, “one billion women violated is an atrocity, however, one billion dancing is a revolution.” This brings more attention to the influence of dance in healing, providing the world with an invitation to understand their own meaning in motion.

The Dance of New Patterns

It's that time, a New Year. How do we establish new patterns? How do we move forward and make changes and adjustments in our lives that become integrated as a new way of being in the environment? These changes often don’t just come from a place in your mind where you cognitively make a decision to “change.” In fact, there is a connection between emotions and body action.

It's that time, a New Year. How do we establish new patterns? How do we move forward and make changes and adjustments in our lives that become integrated as a new way of being in the environment? These changes often don’t just come from a place in your mind where you cognitively make a decision to “change.” In fact, there is a connection between emotions and body action.