Tai Chi—Dance Movement Therapy Integration: A Cross-Cultural Approach to Mind- Body Psychotherapy

Abstract

From a holistic health perspective, this paper investigates the practice of combining Tai Chi with Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and its benefits as an integrative therapy— Tai Chi-DMT Integrated Movement Therapy—in cross-cultural therapeutic applications. The study first analyzes the philosophical foundations and cultural background of Tai Chi and DMT, pointing out their complementary nature in promoting mental, physical, and spiritual health. Tai Chi originates from traditional Chinese philosophy, which emphasizes achieving harmony and balance between body, mind, and spirit through smooth movements and meditation. In contrast, dance movement therapy is rooted in Western psychological theories that value individualism and personal expression, as well as the importance of body movement in promoting mental health. This thesis argues that by combining Tai Chi with DMT, a comprehensive therapeutic framework can be constructed that is both adaptable to various cultural backgrounds and able to bridge Eastern and Western therapeutic traditions. This paper explores a practical approach to solving health problems by analyzing the philosophy of Tai Chi and dance movement therapy and its application in the therapeutic process. I introduced Tai Chi-DMT Integrated Movement Therapy, which combines Tai Chi's serialized meditation reflection with DMT's emphasis on emotional expression and personal growth, aiming to provide a cross-cultural treatment plan. This study adopted the Expressive Therapy Continuum (ETC) framework, a multidimensional therapy model that focuses on promoting creative expression and supports individual therapy processes. ETC framework ranges from basic sensory experience to complex symbolic expression and cognitive understanding. Through this systematic approach, this treatment model aims to meet diverse treatment goals and pave ways for the global application of cross-cultural body psychotherapy. The conclusion highlights the importance of adopting a cross-cultural and whole person approach to health, noting that its value transcends traditional monocultural or monotherapeutic models. By combining Eastern philosophies of meditation and movement with Western individualistic and psychotherapeutic approaches, this approach exploits the shared body language of humans, deepens the understanding of therapeutic philosophies of different cultures, promotes communication of new methods of health and treatment among people from different backgrounds, and thereby enhances diversity and inclusion in the global health field. Therefore, this Tai Chi-DMT integrated therapy can be considered an important complementary and innovative tool in the field of global public health.