Table 2.

Dance movement therapy for couples.

Referencesa	Study design	Objective	Sample	Intervention length	Intervention elements	Evaluation tools	Results/conclusions
Cunningham (2014)	Mixed-method case study; no control group	Reflecting on the positive impact DMT has on emotional stress factors with couples experiencing infertility	Two Counselors	No description	No description	(1) Quality of life (QoL) questionnaire; (2) qualitative questionnaire	DMT allows the couple to process their traumatic experience, re-imagine themselves, and move toward the actualization of a new unmet potential
DeBoer (2006)	Qualitative research	Exploring the experience of partner dance classes as an adjunct to couple counseling	Eight couples	1 h weekly	No description	Interviews before, during, and after the class series	The couples' movement reflects content in the marital relationship
Hawkes (2003)	Clinical report	Describing the use of partner dance as a “container” for the experience and feelings of participants in a group	No description	Weekend workshops, 12 h over 2 days	Facilitating awareness of and experimenting with posture, how participants move and sense their bodies, and how they relate to others through their bodies	No evaluation tools	Dancing with a partner particularly opens up issues concerning the other
Kierr (2011)	Theoretical model	Identifying techniques which are designed to develop healthy sexuality	—	—	Here-and-now exercises, guided imagery, assertiveness training, sensory integration activities	—	—
Kim et al. (2013)	Qualitative research method	To configure and apply the kinesthetic empathy program and to assess its effectiveness for married couples in conflict	Three couples	Four 2-h sessions	Body concept—focusing on breath awareness. Space concept—focusing on personal space awareness. Effort concept—focusing on care-giving daily movement. Relationship concept—focusing on sharing most memorable moment of martial life	(1) Focus group interview and (2) semi-structured and unstructured questionnaire	Expressive movement, synchronization, and mutual attunement through movement had a positive impact on the perceived relationships, an increase of kinesthetic empathy, and an improvement of the participants' ability to emotionally attune in relation to their partners
Lacson (2020)	Theoretical model and case example	Exploring the use of mirroring with couples to foster secure attachment by means of attunement on a bodily-based level	–	–	No description	–	Paying attention to the body may be the very action that interrupts a couple's destructive dance cycle, challenges old attachment patterns, and opens the gate to more secure ways of relating to and experiencing one another
Patterson et al. (2012)	Quantitative research	Identifying specific nonverbal behaviors associated with different affective states	Thirty partners	–	No description	(1) Self-report questionnaire, (2) saliva samples, (3) a video-recall procedure rating affect during two conversations	Body movement in couple interactions can be used to identify affective states which are relevant to the partners' communication
Pietrzak et al. (2017)	Qualitative research	Fostering emotional regulation, multifaceted empathy, and conflict resolution via emotional activation therapy	Two couples diagnosed with borderline personality disorder	20 h	Imitation of a personal choreography, movement synchronization, and collaboration in resolving incidents of nonsynchronization of movement	Pre- to post-test change scores	The couples reported greater relationship satisfaction, a more securely attached relationship, and increases in empathy in the relationship
Polo (2010)	Phenomeno-logical research methods	Gaining an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of relationship experienced by Argentine tango dancers	Three male tango “leaders” and three female “followers” of various experience levels (dance partners only)	Single 2-h session	Dancing tango socially	(1) The participants dancing tango were recorded; (2) they were interviewed separately using a customized video for each as a prompt discussion of the dance relationships	DMT could be used in tandem with tango by exploring effort and effort qualities that best support the role of the leader and the role of the follower
Wagner and Hurst (2018)	Theoretical model and case example	Development of a theoretical framework for DMT with romantic partners	One couple	–	Palm-to-Palm Work as the Dance of the Internal Family System (e.g., experiment with degrees of pressure, exploring leading and following)	–	Dance/movement therapists can recognize and process unresolved development dances that need re-patterning

^aIn all studies, the intervention was performed by the researchers.