Parenting the Self with Self-Applied Touch: A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach to Self-Regulation

Interaction with the self as propelled by a need for regulation of arousal, or self-regulation, can be considered maladaptive if it causes secondary dysregulation. Adaptive self-regulation thus entails interaction with the self that results in individuals stabilizing within an optimal state of arousal in which they are capable of integration on emotional, physical, and cognitive levels. As dance/movement therapy primarily uses movement for promoting integration, this article proposes a movement-based approach to self-regulation that borrows regulatory movement of a caretaker’s attuned touch. Attuned touch is observed in parenting that fosters secure attachment and is one of the most influential regulatory movements on a child’s capacity for integration. The proposed intervention involves phases that include assessment, mindful containment, self-as-other attunement, and integration. As clients move through the phases of self-applied touch, they are adding to their repertoire of healthy self-regulating strategies by “parenting” themselves, promoting earned secure attachment and integration of experience. © 2016, American Dance Therapy Association.