ABSTRACT
There are some contributions on the gender discourse in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), but there is little empirical research. First of all, female overrepresentation in body psychotherapy is striking. Since no comparable studies exist so far for DMT, research results of related therapy forms are inspected. In a study of gender participation in Integrative Movement Therapy (Integrative Bewegungstherapie, IBT), 87% of all students were female and only 13% were male. 47% of the surveyed IBT therapists were mainly treating girls and women (Höfner, 2008; Koschier, 2009). Similar numbers revealed a review of empirical findings for Concentrative Movement Therapy (Konzentrative Bewegungstherapie, KBT) (Seidler, 2016). 90% of the teaching staff in the German work group for KBT were female (Seidler, 2016). In addition, significantly more female KBT therapists (85%) as well as female clients in the outpatient area (86%) were counted. In clinical setting, approximately 23% of the inpatients were male (Seidler, 2016). A clinical trial did not reveal any statistically significant gender-specific differences in the efficacy of KBT (Schreiber-Willnow and Seidler, 2002). It is mainly women who call on body-psychotherapeutic services, although there seems to be no gender-specific differences in efficacy. Is a self-attribution of gender stereotypes and socially constructed role images responsible for this? In general, gender differences should also be given greater attention in dance and movement therapy. Only the knowledge about their origin can lead to a gender-sensitive DMT, which counteracts gender differences. DMT can be an effective method for health promotion of both sexes, because it is not about the distinction between the male and the female body, but rather about the individuality of each subjective body.
