Grounding the Connection Between Psyche and Soma: Creating a Reliable Observation Tool for Grounding Assessment in an Adult Population

Abstract

The concept of grounding is accepted and common among dance movement therapists and body psychotherapists. It expresses a stable physical and emotional presence – “supported by the ground.” The assumption is that embodied emotional knowledge is expressed through the manner of physical holding and in the emotional experience in the world. However, along with the clinical use of the term, an empirical tool for examining grounding is lacking. The goal of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of an observation tool for assessing the quality of grounding, the Grounding Assessment Tool (GAT), which was created for the present study on the basis of theory, research, and clinical knowledge in the field. Forty three adult participants (age, M = 28.2 years, SD = 8.54) were recruited for an experimental and controlled session, the session included guided movement for approximately 10 min. The movement was recorded on video. The quality of the movement was rated by two raters and was scored using the GAT. The study findings indicated that the GAT is a reliable and valid tool – with good internal consistency (α = 0.850) and high interrater and intrarater reliability (Kendall’s ’range from 0.789 to 0.973 and intraclass correlation coefficient range from 0.967 to 1.00, respectively). The exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors are involved in the assessment of grounding quality: fluid and rhythmic movement, emotional expression in movement, pattern of foot placement, and lack of stability and weightiness. The results of this study expand the theoretical understanding of the concept of grounding. They contribute to the understanding of the benefits of body focus, dance and movement in psychotherapy and to validating body psychotherapy and dance movement therapy (DMT). The existence of a reliable and valid tool is essential for assessment and diagnostic processes, for formulating therapeutic goals focused on the body, and for examining their effectiveness.

The correlation between physical and emotional stabilities: a cross-sectional observational preliminary study

“…The following four factors are considered for assessment: (1) fluid and rhythmic movement, (2) emotional expression in movement, (3) pattern of foot placement, and (4) lack of stability and weightiness. The GAT has been validated and demonstrated to have good internal consistency ( α = 0.850), high interrater reliability (Kendall’s range from 0.789 to 0.973), and an intraclass correlation coefficient ranging between 0.967 and 1.00 [ 15 ].…”

“…This was followed by an instruction to “look for new routes in the space”, followed by an instruction to “increase the pace of walking”, and finally to “slow down”; (2) Spontaneous free movement in the room (3 min): first, instruction was provided to “perform a movement that begins in your body” and “you can imagine inner music”, then to “let the movement move along the whole body”, and finally to “move with this movement in space and try to change the position in space”; and (3) Movement at different rhythms in a circle together with the rest of the group participants (4 min): the initial instruction here was to “walk in a circle and try to synchronize with the rhythm of the group”, then routine rhythmic non-lyrics music was played with the instruction to “synchronize with the music rhythm”, and finally an instruction of “each one will suggest a movement and others will synchronize with that movement”. The guidelines for movement are based on ways of examining grounding as described in the literature; these include various options for assessing the quality of the movement [ 15 ]. The entire movement sequence of the group was video recorded.…”

“…and M.P.) who watched each participant’s video and independently ranked the participant’s grounding quality on the GAT scale [ 15 ].…”

“…Therapists involved in dance/movement therapy (DMT) use a tool to assess physical and emotional stabilities by evaluating an individual’s “grounding quality” [ 15 ]. The psychotherapist Alexander Lowen (1910–2008), who first coined this term, claimed that the nature of human beings requires a solid connection to the ground/earth in terms of physicality, emotion, and energy [ 16 , 17 ].…”

Effectiveness of Body Psychotherapy. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Nowadays, an integrative body–mind–spirit model assumes, too, the interconnectedness of body and mind and include spirituality as an existential human domain ( 33 ). Such connections can be assessed and observed for, e.g., “grounding,” a mechanism commonly agreed in bodily psychotherapy and dance and movement therapy ( 34 ). It remains unclear whether such approaches address psychotherapy rather than aiming at multicomponent lifestyle modification programs ( 35 ).…”