Trauma and chronic stress are physiological experiences before they are cognitive ones.

Even when we understand our history intellectually, the body may continue to react automatically — through tension, shutdown, hypervigilance, control patterns, or overwhelm.

Dance/Movement Therapy works directly with these embodied stress responses. Through guided movement and relational attunement, clients increase tolerance for activation, develop emotional regulation skills, and shift long-standing survival adaptations.

Rather than only talking about stress, DMT engages the system where stress is experienced.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help reprocess distressing memories. Many individuals find it helpful in reducing the intensity of specific events.

Dance/Movement Therapy approaches healing from a different foundation.

Because movement and nonverbal experience precede language developmentally, emotional and relational patterns often form at a level beneath cognition. DMT begins with the body as the primary pathway for change.

While EMDR focuses on reprocessing memories, Dance/Movement Therapy works directly with the embodied patterns those experiences created — shifting posture, breath, relational movement, and nervous system responses through lived experience.

For some individuals, DMT complements EMDR. For others, it offers a more relational and fully embodied alternative.

Dance/Movement Therapy is considered a form of somatic therapy because it works directly with the body and nervous system.

However, “somatic therapy” is a broad umbrella term that includes a range of approaches and training levels.

Dance/Movement Therapy is a distinct, graduate-level psychotherapy profession recognized by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapists receive specialized clinical training in movement analysis, developmental theory, relational attunement, and embodied assessment.

While many practitioners incorporate somatic techniques into their work, Dance/Movement Therapy uses movement as a primary framework for assessment and treatment — not simply as an added intervention.

Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapists (BC-DMT) complete a Master's Degree program plus additional hours of clinical training that integrates psychotherapy, movement analysis, developmental theory, and embodied relational practice.

Training includes:

• Clinical assessment and treatment planning
• Movement observation and analysis
• Nonverbal communication and relational attunement
• The physiological foundations of emotion
• Integration of verbal psychotherapy and embodied processing

Dance/Movement Therapy is a professional mental health discipline practiced within established ethical standards and scope of care.

No.

Dance/Movement Therapy is a clinical psychotherapy modality grounded in professional training and ethical standards.

It is not about performance or choreography.

Movement is used intentionally to access emotion, increase awareness, and support integration. You will never be evaluated on movement skill or technique.

No dance experience is required.

Yes.

Dance/Movement Therapy has long been recognized as an effective treatment approach for eating disorders because it directly addresses body image, control patterns, emotional regulation, and relational dynamics.

Eating disorders are not only cognitive — they are experienced physiologically through body perception, sensation, and regulation patterns.

With over 20 years of experience treating eating disorders across levels of care, Keli integrates body-based work with DBT- and ACT-informed psychotherapy to support sustainable recovery and reconnection with the body.

Yes.

Perimenopause often brings shifts in mood, anxiety levels, stress tolerance, and body awareness. These changes are both hormonal and nervous-system related.

Because stress and emotional experience are physiological, including the body in therapy can be especially supportive during this life transition.

Dance/Movement Therapy helps women:

• Increase nervous system capacity
• Reconnect with a changing body
• Process identity transitions
• Reduce stress reactivity
• Build flexibility rather than control

Yes — Dance/Movement Therapy is a complete form of psychotherapy.

Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapists are clinically trained in assessment, relational psychotherapy, and evidence-informed approaches, including DBT and ACT.

DMT is not an adjunct technique layered onto talk therapy. It is a primary therapeutic framework that integrates body-based and verbal processing within each session.

Some clients choose DMT as their primary therapy.

Others incorporate DMT as part of a collaborative care team alongside an existing therapist, psychiatrist, dietitian, or medical provider.

If you are currently working with another therapist, we can discuss whether collaborative care or transition to primary therapy is most supportive for you.

Yes.

Keli frequently collaborates with primary care physicians, OB/GYNs, psychiatrists, dietitians, functional medicine providers, physical therapists, and other mental health professionals to support integrated care.

Communication is always client-led and consent-based.

Wear comfortable clothing that allows ease of movement.

Sessions may include subtle shifts in posture, breath, or guided exploration — but there is no performance or choreography involved.

You will be asked to take off your shoes in the space.

Individual sessions are 50 minutes in length, consistent with standard psychotherapy sessions.

Movement and verbal processing are integrated within the structure of each session to support embodied exploration and reflection.

Be Rooted operates as a private-pay practice.

Dance/Movement Therapy is a graduate-level clinical profession recognized by the American Dance Therapy Association. Insurance reimbursement policies vary by provider and individual plan.

Some insurance companies may offer out-of-network reimbursement for master’s-level psychotherapy services. A superbill can be provided for clients seeking possible reimbursement, though reimbursement cannot be guaranteed.

HSA and FSA cards are accepted.