In person | March 20-22, 2026
A Survivor-Centered, Polyvagal-informed approach to Dance/Movement Therapy
Our bodies are a sea change of movement, and this movement is a map that reflects our past and can guide emergent possibility. This 15-hour alternate route approved course provides a theoretical, neuro-physiological, contemplative introduction to the use of dance movement therapy with survivors of trauma, and as a practice of self compassion and self respect for therapists. The emphasis of this class is client-therapist co-regulation as both a self-care and a clinical skill that supports DMT’s ability to support clients through their own restorative process. Drawing from an embodied, contemplative human rights framework (Polyvagal-informed Dance/Movement Therapy©), empowerment and developing a reciprocal alliance are primary themes of this course. This equally experiential and theoretical class also provides participants with a practical and applicable introduction and overview to using DMT in work with survivors of trauma, as well as for therapists own resilience and well-being. The course teaches DMT practices to support safety and stability in the reciprocal therapeutic relationship. A contemporary phasic approach to working with complex trauma provides the foundation for course material.
Workshop Schedule:
Fri, March 20: 6pm – 9pm
Sat, March 21: 3pm – 7pm
Sun, March 22: 9am – 6pm (1 hour break)
Price: $385.00
Location: 92NY, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128
Room: Arnhold Dance Studio (ADS); Dimon Studio
For further information contact: Alexandra Zaslav dmtcoordinator92y@gmail.com
Please register early as there is a limit on the number of students.
Upon completion of the course, students who do the required assignments will be eligible to receive 15 hours of Alternate Route credit toward the R-DMT.
Instructor:
Dr. Amber Elizabeth L. Gray is a Dance/Movement Therapist, Somatic and Human Rights Psychotherapist, and long-time yoga and Continuum teacher. Her work traverses many interconnected heartlines: somatic and movement arts, international humanitarian work, sacred dance, planetary and human rights activism, and nature-based healing and wild wisdom. She facilitates with passion, humor, and a fierce commitment to embodied justice. Her forthcoming book, Polyvagal-Informed Restorative Movement Psychotherapy (W.W. Norton, 2026), expands upon her original framework, Polyvagal-Informed Dance Movement Therapy (PVDMT), integrating neurobiology, movement, and ancestral wisdom in service of trauma healing and social justice.