Hello, everyone. I hope you all have been doing well. It has been nearly two years since I moved to Down Under. My professional and personal journey and its development seems to be the one I had never imagined when I was living in a London apartment. I have met soulful practitioners on and offline, started to create a body-focused community, and am still looking for a long-term friendship. When people ask me if I like Adelaide, I am not able to confidently say yes, to be honest. Partially I have lived in the mega cities all my life and Adelaide seems to be quiet to me. I also know that I cannot have everything at the same time. In my mid-40s, I need to choose what is important to me. I find real happiness when my family members sing a happy birthday song together and share the food. This is something I cannot get if I live anywhere else except in Adelaide. What is important for you at this moment? Advocating Dance Movement Therapy August was a busy month for me as I conducted a few taster sessions to advocate dance movement therapy. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has its own history and development since the 1940s. It is a licensed profession, and we all are in need of training, registration and clinical supervision. Most people have never heard of this profession. In fact, there are only 60 plus qualified dance movement therapists in Australia whereas there are more than 500 DMTs in the U.K. Since it is so unknown and unrecognised (for example, the NDIS (Australia’s Government Scheme of Disability) has not included DMT in their therapeutic category), I know that advocacy of DMT is so essential that our profession does not die. I also noticed that some counsellors, psychotherapists and other creative arts therapists would like to incorporate bodily interventions into their practice too. This is something dance movement therapists can offer their skills to other professionals. The main medium of DMT’s intervention is our body and movement. Common perceptions of DMT are such as ‘It is like a dance class’ or ‘It is to improve flexibility and mobility.’ It may look like a usual dance class as sometimes dance movement therapists guide movement and compose a sequence of movement. But they are done together with the clients. It might improve clients’ mobility as a result of constant bodily intervention. However, the focus is heavily weighed on building a therapeutic relationship through movement and the body. In DMT, therapists hold a safe and non-judgemental environment for clients to creatively explore the body. The space remains confidential and contained. The process may happen at the client's own pace. Clients are not hurried. Clients are not expected to impress others. They are encouraged to do their own movements that exist in themselves. They are encouraged to express themselves however they like. It is a space to be acknowledged, seen and heard. If you may be interested in my dance movement therapy taster session for your team, community or organisation, please get in touch with me. Somatic Body Mapping Recently I created a small video about my Somatic Body Mapping workshop. I would like to offer a Spring Somatic Body Mapping workshop on 14th and 15th October 2022. It is a personal journey where you explore through bodily sensations, movement and creativity. You can register yourself at here. Payment by instalment is welcome too. Upcoming Events Move & Connect 29th September from 7pm to 8pm at the Room 7, Mitcham Community Centre. Practitioners’ Learning Circle 25th September from 3pm till 4:30pm (AEST). I hope you all continue to stay safe and healthy. It would be nice to hear from you too. #dancemovementtherapy #dancetherapyadelaide #SA #somaticbodymapping #BodyMapping #mentalhealth