Dance/movement therapy for children and adolescents with cancer

PURPOSE: Dance/movement therapy is introduced as a holistic approach to chi ldren's health issues, incorporating an array of medical, psychological, so cial, and spiritual issues. OVERVIEW: Dance/movement therapy, with its unique emphasis on nonverbal com munication in assessment and treatment, is presented as an innocative thera peutic approach to address the comprehensive needs of children and adolesce nts with cancer. Dance/movement therapy assessment and intervention strateg ies are discussed in the contest of cognitive, emotional! and social develo pmental processes, as well as models of stress and psychological adjustment in pediatric canter. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The inclusion of dance/movement therapy as part of t he interdisciplinary team addressing the psychosocial needs of children and adolescents with cancer facilitates greater integration of factors related to coping. By its very nature, this modality offers constructs that promot e holistic approaches to cancer care.