Holding and adolescent angst

The Moving and Movement Identities of Adolescents

“…perceptions of what is a beautiful body affecting body image, creating fluctuations in self -esteem and heightening the potential for self-consciousness. In movement terms they can be manifested as shyness where the adolescent tri es to hide their new shape, with rounded shoulders, dropped head or stooped appearance (Joseph 2011) . In externalized movement, o ften there seems to be a lack of integration, or a separateness of parts , with adolescents often seeming uncoordinated or clumsy.…”

“…Case study: Working with adolescents in dance movement psychotherapy This example is taken from a project completed by Joseph (2011) that explored the use of movement in creating opportunities for the development of self and identity. The project involved a group of seven adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 16 years.…”

“…The therapist kept records of each session in the form of reflective notes and responded to the work through her own movement that was video-recorded. Using principles from artistic inquiry (Wadsworth-Hervey 2000), the last type of data was synthesized in a final movement piece that contributed to the creative evaluation of this work (Joseph 2011 a. ).…”