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.