Authentic Movement for Practitioners

'This book is simultaneously a retrospective showcasing academic writings from an incredibly full and varied career working in and with Authentic Movement, a practical handbook and guide for those training and using Authentic Movement to support their own and others' processes, and a glimpse of the ways in which Authentic Movement has, can and should be applied to work with different groups and in different contexts.'

Professor Jennifer Leigh, Reader in Creative Practices for Social Justice, School of Social Sciences, University of Kent, Honorary Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool

'Informative and articulate in its reflections on the body-mind-spirit connection, this book illustrates how Authentic Movement can nurture personal growth and well-being, explore interoception, alleviate anxiety, and cultivate an ecological self in harmony with nature.'

Tina Stromsted, PhD; LMFT, BC-DMT, RSME/T, Jungian Analyst, Co-Founder Authentic Movement Institute

'Helen Payne’s new book on The Discipline of Authentic Movement takes us on a long journey from the days when she first studied the basic form with Janet Adler, the founder of the work, and on through her own multi-faceted process over twenty-five years. After her thorough description of the form of Authentic Movement, including individual, group, transpersonal and universal elements, Payne takes new directions with the form, adapting it creatively to ever more varied territory.

Payne’s chapter on the use of Authentic Movement in the natural environment is a gift, as she highlights in depth how by moving and witnessing in the outdoors a unique relationship may be fostered between the human self and the more-than-human-world, stimulating and sensitizing our ecological selves.

I want to mention the attitude of serious scholarship in Payne’s work. Her scope is impressive, as we know for example from her research studies which adapt Authentic Movement in tackling issues in the field of mental health, as well as on the edge of the medical field, where symptoms find no diagnosis. With all her rich experience, she goes on to build a variety of training programs for students. The book is dense with ideas, explorations, and a thorough bibliography. Dance therapists and professionals from many additional fields of study have much to discover in the pages of Payne’s new book.'

Eileen Shulman, teacher of Authentic Movement for 15 years in the Graduate Dance-Movement Therapy Program, David Yellin Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel.

'In this comprehensive volume, Professor Payne presents a compendium of all the books currently in print on Authentic Movement, with dedicated explanations of the varied components that Authentic Movement practice offers to its practitioners. Vignettes of actual Authentic Movement sessions render the writing alive and incisively describe how psychotherapeutic adaptations of this practice are shown to ameliorate various psychological disorders, repressed emotional states, chronic illnesses, provide insights for understanding medically unexplained symptomatology, or foster inner growth and self-reflection.

Professor Payne ties together Authentic Movement with dance and movement practices from the UK and US, different methods of movement analysis, traditional and contemporary psychoanalytic concepts, Jungian approaches, systems theory, neurobiological connections, phenomenology and philosophy, humanistic psychology, ecopsychology, eco-psychotherapy, relational integrative psychotherapy, ritual and transpersonal experiences. New to the study of Authentic Movement is the relevance of research to which Professor Payne has contributed on a wide range of topics with her Movement Psychology Research Group.

The value of this work also lies in Professor Payne’s weaving historical underpinnings of the different swathes of body and movement theory with current understanding of the role the body plays in emotional regulation and mental functioning. A wealth of knowledge awaits both novices and seasoned practitioners in Authentic Movement.'

Patrizia Pallaro, Editor, “Authentic Movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodorow”, Licensed Psychotherapist, Moving the Self Psychotherapy Center, Annapolis, Maryland

'This book offers a remarkably profound understanding of Authentic Movement in its fundamental and significant essence and traits. The underlying passion conveyed by the most knowledgeable and fervid author throughout the text creates a unique foundation that the reader can sense. A profound and discerning comprehension of embodied consciousness will emerge for the reader, distinctive of Authentic Movement practice and principles.

The author effectively clarifies how various professionals and experts refer to Authentic Movement from distinct viewpoints, encompassing diverse approaches that help grasp the intricacies and diversity surrounding this unique work's conception and its multiple applications in various contexts.

The reader will be guided through various aspects of Authentic Movement, from its history to the explanations of the practice, including training, its role in supervision, psychotherapy, and the very special additions of the author's research. For example, its adaptation in supporting medically undiagnosed symptoms, and in supporting the concept and experience of the ecological self.

The book is for students in dance movement therapy training and psychotherapy programs and in general for psychotherapists, creative arts therapists, body-somatic therapists. Also, it will be useful for verbally based psychotherapists and psychologists who are interested in embodiment. It will broaden professional learning, inviting personal development, prompting questions and inquiries. It has led my own practice and research towards new boundaries and edges.'

Rosa Maria Govoni, BSc., MA., BC-DMT., Vice-President, Director Continuing Advance Education, Co-Director Institute Expressive Psychotherapy, Art Therapy Italiana

'This volume by Professor Helen Payne provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of the theory, research, and practice of Authentic Movement. As a distinctive discipline of embodiment, Authentic Movement offers significant contributions to professionals in education, psychotherapy, healthcare, and the performing arts, as well as to those they serve. Building on the foundational work of Dr. Janet Adler, Professor Payne thoughtfully extends the practice into broader clinical applications and toward the development of the ecological self, thereby advancing its mission to integrate body, mind, and spirit. Importantly, the wisdom inherent in Authentic Movement speaks profoundly to the needs of humanity today, offering both grounding and a guide in times of complexity and change. This book stands as a vital resource, combining scholarly rigor with deep insight, and will inspire and benefit all who engage with the practice.'

Dr. Tony Yu Zhou, Founder, Inspirees Institute, China