Category: ARTS

         DANCE EDUCATOR         Professional Summary     Personable and proactive Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist focused on building positive rapport with a diverse range of clients and adept at facilitating both individual and group therapy sessions. A critical thinker and detail-oriented with superior interpersonal skills.       Core Qualifications          DSM-V knowledge  Group behavior and dynamics  Group therapy, Expressive Art Therapies, and Dance/Movement Therapy  Experience working with disabled persons.  Experience with developmental disabilities  Experienced working with adolescents, adults and geriatric population       Eclectic psychotherapy approach  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)  Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT)  Clinical documentation- Avatar    Developmental Designs trained  Compassionate, empathetic, open minded, team player            Professional Experience      Company Name     February 2012   to   Current     Dance Educator   City  ,   State      Plan and implement a dance curriculum for an arts-integrated urban charter secondary school for students in grades 7-12.  Teach daily lessons following the Rhode Island standards for education.  Present all class material and policies accurately and clearly for five classes each semester.  Use a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, discussions and demonstrations.  Meet with parents and guardians to discuss students' progress at least once per semester.  Enforce both classroom and administration policies and rules at all times.  Established positive relationships with students, parents, colleagues and administrators.  Kept accurate records of student performance, maintaining the confidentiality of student records and information at all times.  Assessed student progress weekly, monthly and quarterly.  Monitored students for destructive or unhealthy behavior and reported concerns to guidance counselors.  Worked cooperatively with special education teachers to modify curricula for special education students according to Individual Education Plans (IEPs).          Company Name     July 2012   to   Current     Dance/Movement Therapist - Clinical Mental Health Counselor   City  ,   State      Planned an implemented a healing arts program, meeting the patient's level of functioning, in collaboration with the psychiatric care team to support patients as outlined in their treatment plans.  Met with patients in group and 1:1 sessions utilizing Dance/ Movement therapy techniques to facilitate understanding and practice of coping skills;  help foster and enhance communication, build self-esteem, creativity, socialization and physical movement for psychiatric patients.  Provided evaluations to the care team on patient and family response to the program to enhance the quality of care.  Worked with children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics who are suffering symptoms including depression, anxiety, physical, psychiatric, neurological disorders, learning difficulties, dementia, autism, and behavioral problems.          Company Name     September 2014   to   November 2014     Dance/Movement Therapist   City  ,   State      Grant funded program.   Provided dance/movement therapy for children and  adolescents with developmental disabilities.  Helped build communication skills, social and interpersonal relationships in a supportive community.           Company Name     July 2013   to   November 2013     Mental Health Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Intern   City  ,   State       Worked with adults with severe mental illness; schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, physical/psychiatric/neurological disorders, learning difficulties, dementia, autism, and behavioral problems.  Assistance in providing direct care and support to patients as outlined in their treatment plans.  Observation and reporting of patient information, data collection, maintenance of a safe and therapeutic environment, and supervision of daily activities.  Delivering group therapy sessions with a variety of patients in groups  Planning a series of movement sessions around a particular patient or group's requirements; helping patients emotional difficulties through the medium of movement.            Company Name     August 2011   to   August 2012     Dance/Movement Therapist - Clinical Mental Health Counselor Intern   City  ,   State      Assistance in providing direct care and support to students as outlined by their treatment plans.  Worked with students ages 11- 18 years of age in a Charter school setting.  Developed treatment plans, interventions, including IEP's and RTI's as needed.  Conferred with parents and guardians, teachers and administrators to resolve clients' behavioral and academic problems.  Acted as a role model for clients by exhibiting positive behaviors.  Developed case files and treatment plans under the supervision of the clinical psychologist.  Met with students in group and 1:1 sessions utilizing Dance/ Movement therapy and counselor techniques to facilitate understanding and practice of coping skills;  help foster and enhance communication skills, build self-esteem, creativity, and interpersonal relationships.  Implemented therapeutic plans for each child and recorded child's progress in case file.  Observed and reported student information, data collection, maintenance of a safe and therapeutic environment, and supervision of daily activities.  Planned and implemented daily therapeutic activities including but not limited to; fitness, dance, art, and music therapy, teaching coping skills, relaxation techniques, and appropriate social skills.          Company Name     January 2004   to   January 2011     Sole Proprietor/ Artistic Director   City  ,   State      Complete operations of running a small business, including but not limited to; all financial procedures with particular attention to Federal, State, and local requirements.  Hired and managed staff, students, and independent agents.  Developed and implemented marketing plan for each new dance season.  Organized and planned community outreach events.  Planned and implemented weekly lessons, teaching movement skills, and choreography to children and adults of all dance abilities.  Planned, organized and directed performances, including but not limited to; deciding on a theme, ordering costumes, choosing music, renting a venue, having all appropriate documentation completed such as fire marshal approval, insurance, printing and sale of tickets, hiring technical staff.          Education      Lesley University     2014       Master of Arts  :   Expressive Therapies    City  ,   State       Dance/Movement Therapy with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling         Rhode Island College     2004       Bachelor of Arts  :   Dance Performance    City  ,   State              Professional Affiliations      American Dance Therapy Association   Andrea Rizzo Foundation   National Dance Education Organization (NDEO): Former State Affiliate and Conference Presenter   Dance Alliance of RI   Rhode Island Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (RIAHPERD): Presenter and Dance Educator of the Year-2008        Skills       Counseling Skills: Eclectic Theoretical Approach- Client Centered Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, DBT- Dialectical Behavior Therapy, CBT- Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness, and Expressive therapies.  Interpersonal Skills:  Empathetic, enthusiastic people person, compassionate, problem solving, great organizational skills, team player, creative and open minded.   Expressive Arts Therapy: Dance/Movement, Music, Drama, Art  Dance:  Creative Movement, Modern, Ballet, Jazz and Tap  Computer skills:  Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Publisher, Excel, Power Point, Google Docs and Avator.