Since the mid-20th Century, society has increasingly recognized the fundamental link between regular physical activity and overall health.
But while sports, exercise and movement are regularly focused on as vital to longevity and keeping illness at bay, the equally important benefits of physicality in supporting mental health receive far less attention. And, despite growing public support for mental health care and talk therapy, the incorporation of daily activity and integrating somatic movement into the therapeutic sphere often remains overlooked.
One local woman hoping to change that narrative is Kyla Gilmore, clinical director and board-certified dance and movement therapist at Oak Park’s Mosaic Counseling & Wellness.
“Evidence and research point to the benefits of movement as being helpful for overall mental health, physical health and well-being,” she says. “Many people are coming to understand how essential it is to include the body as a site of intervention and a site of self-expression.”
Gilmore, an Oak Park resident, says through her work she shares how blending fitness, movement and music alongside mental health treatment can not only help maintain positive health, but allow for a creative mind-body connection to securely explore one’s emotions.
“We all learn and experience the world in different ways, and the creative arts are very affirming to different modalities of self-understanding and knowing, as well as self-expression,” she says. “With movement and creative arts therapy, we can attune with what is a natural way for someone to express themselves and create this therapeutic container and mirror that can allow them to feel validated as to who they are and how they choose to be in the world.”
Through a trauma-informed lens, Gilmore says, movement therapy brings the field of psychology toward an even more holistic perspective.
“Really important trauma-informed practice is to be attuned to the client’s readiness and then collaborate together when we try new things — making sure that they are saying ‘yes’ with their words and ‘yes’ with their body,” she said.
Gilmore says integrating diverse movement modalities into therapy, such as dance art, music or talking-and-walking, provides accessible and universal benefits for people across all ages and backgrounds, including those who are neurodiverse.
“Children are experiential, which is why play therapy is a great way to work with children,” she said. “It’s also a good fit for adults who are more inclined to creative processes and are looking for more non-verbal exploration and expression to be integrated with talk therapy.”
Movement therapy looks different for everyone, and Gilmore says it could be part of a full session, incorporated as a small part of talk therapy or encouraged to explore on one’s own.
“It might look like bringing out some equipment — scarves, drums, different balls and more active visible movement,” she said. “Certainly, with the beautiful weather coming, we do have access to walk-and-talk therapy, which can allow much bigger gross movement in a session.”
Gilmore, who focuses strongly on dance therapy, was inspired to work in the field while discovering how transformational dancing was on a personal level while pursuing the hard sciences during undergrad.
“When I was able to cope with the stress of college and express things within my own self through movement that I couldn’t yet touch with words, I found dance to be one of those outlets that’s carried me through my entire life,” she said.
Gilmore says those hesitant to try movement therapy should research options to find an approach that feels comfortable.
“My hope is that we all remember that we have a body,” she says. “However, our body moves, that’s the right way for us to honor our body. Find a practice that allows you to connect and express your embodied needs as a human being.”