Authentic Movement for Practitioners: A Culmination of Theory, Research, and Practice

This book acts as a guide to understanding authentic movement (AM) in various

forms and in differing contexts, covering over three decades of practice across

different theoretical and practical topics.

Featuring a selected collection of the author’s major works, this book illustrates

her theoretical, practical and research contributions to the field. It illustrates

a developmental journey of the author’s thinking and practice. A multitude of

applications of authentic movement are explored in relation to topics such as

clinical supervision, body memory, relational integrative psychotherapy, reducing

anxiety and many more. The book describes authentic movement in each of these

contexts through making connections to theory, research and practice in every

chapter. While initial works identify the ways in which the author explores the

discipline in relation to clinical supervision and the development of the bodymind

spirit, more recent work involves psycho-neurology, body memory and applications

to psychotherapy practice.

Both research-informed and practical, this book will be an informative read for

any dance movement or body psychotherapists employing the discipline of AM

into their practice together with others interested in embodied self-exploration,

eco-psychotherapy and spiritual practices.

Professor Helen Payne, PhD., Hon. Fellow & Reg. DMP (ADMP, UK); Reg. UKCP; holds a Chair in Psychotherapy, leads the Movement Psychology Research Group, and teaches and supervises international doctoral students in Education and Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She has practiced, and trained others in, authentic movement since 2001 and has a clinical supervision and psychotherapy practice.