How To Find A Dance Therapist in San Francisco

So you have made the decision to find a therapist in San Francisco and have decided that talk therapy is not for you. Or you have done talk therapy and find yourself talking in circles and not really progressing or healing and it is time to try something different. Finding a therapist is tough enough in SF—where there are  SO many options—but finding the right one for you can be challenging, especially when you are looking for a dance therapist.  To help you get started, here are a list of questions to help narrow down your list of therapists.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Dance Therapist in San Francisco

 I understand how it might feel daunting to assess someone other than a talk therapist.  How do you know if this person is a good fit for you and can help you with what you wish to work on?  Here are some questions to ask a potential dance therapist that will help you assess her/him/them. 

1)    Are you a board-certified dance therapist?

 This is a great question to ask because it lets you know if the person you are working with has formal training as a dance therapist.  Board certified dance therapists go through a 2-3 year graduate school program approved by the American Dance Therapy Association (adta.org) and have many hours of supervision afterwards that teaches them to observe and analyze movement for psychological themes AND how to work with movement to help heal mental illness. 

2)    What license do you have to practice therapy or counseling?

In addition to making sure the person you are working with is a board-certified dance therapist, it is important to make sure that the person you are looking to get therapy from is a licensed mental health professional.  You want to entrust your mental health care to qualified professionals that are licensed to practice in your state. 

3)    How do you approach therapy and what can I expect from therapy with you?

This question gives you an idea as to how your therapist works and sets up clear expectations for therapy with that person.  You should have a greater sense of this therapist’s style and beliefs about therapy after asking this question.

4)     How much experience do you have treating people with the kind of symptoms I am describing or with my particular life experience?

Again, this question will speak to how qualified this particular therapist may be to help you.  If you have anxiety and the person you are speaking with specializes in something different, they might not be the person for you.  Also, if it is especially important that a therapist understand your cultural background, ethnicity, or any other aspect about you, make sure they have experience treating people similar to you OR come from that particular background themselves.

Lastly, I hope this helps you find the right dance therapist in San Francisco If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call me, Lisa Manca, at (415) 212-8780 for a free 15 minute phone consultation about dance therapy. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with trauma, anxiety, or depression, you can read more about how I can help here.