Dance/Movement Therapy

Chicago Dance Therapy offers dance/movement therapy for individuals of all ages and abilities. Dance/movement therapy is a niche psychotherapy that serves as an alternative to traditional talk therapy. With movement as the catalyst for change and awareness, an individual feels free to express him/herself by simply using the body to be present to emotional and behavioral occurrences as they emerge in the therapeutic relationship. There is no dance experience or formal training involved or needed to participate in dance/movement therapy. Everyone has their own inherent rhythms and non-verbal forms of communication. If you have reached a plateau in your own therapy, are looking for a deeper way to connect to yourself, or needing a body-based approach to address issues too deep for words, then dance/movement therapy is for you. Populations served include, but are not limited to:

• ADHD
• Alzheimer's disease
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bullying
• Dementia
• Depression
• Developmental differences
• Grief/Loss
• Intellectual disability
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Mood disorders
• Parkinson's disease
• Self-awareness
• Self-esteem

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Counseling

Chicago Dance Therapy offers counseling and traditional talk therapy in conjunction with a body-based approach to psychotherapy. Our therapists are trained in different methodologies and psychological theories which are used within a mind-body connection model.

We offer individual, couples, and group counseling.

Chicago Dance Therapy is able to accept some private health insurance and offer sliding scale to clients in need. Please contact us at (847) 848-0697 to see if you qualify.

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Community Programs

Chicago Dance Therapy is proud to partner with day centers, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other community centers around Chicagoland in order to make dance/movement therapy accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. If you would like to start a program in your area, please contact us at (847) 848-0697 or email info@chicagodancetherapy.com.

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Community Groups

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Clinical Supervision and Internships

Chicago Dance Therapy offers clinical supervision to counselors (LPC and LCPC) and to dance/movement therapists (R-DMT and BC-DMT). We also take on interns from programs all around the country. For inquires and availability, please contact Erica Hornthal at erica@chicagodancetherapy.com.

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Erica Hornthal

MA, LCPC, BC-DMT

Founder/CEO

Erica Hornthal is a licensed professional clinical counselor and board certified dance/movement therapist. She received her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago and her BS in psychology from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Erica is the founder and president of Chicago Dance Therapy, Inc., a psychotherapy practice founded in 2011. As a psychotherapist in private practice, Erica specializes in working with adults and older adults. She has worked with and presented on individuals affected by movement and cognitive disorders.

While Erica has worked primarily with individuals who are diagnosed with dementia and movement disorders, she also sees many individuals who are looking for a more holistic approach to dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, and grief. Erica is passionate about finding ways to help individuals age well by emphasizing the mind-body connection to enable growth and healing.

Erica is passionate about spreading awareness about the field of dance/movement therapy and the mind body connection in general. She is a contributor to 30seconds.com as well as Thrive Global. You can also find her on local Chicago TV, radio, and in many national publications.

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Jennifer Bacani

MA, LCPC, R-DMT

Therapist

Jennifer received her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling from Columbia College Chicago in 2009 and her BA in Psychology from William Tyndale College in 2004. Jennifer completed a dance/movement therapy internship with Heartland Alliance’s psychosocial rehabilitation program, facilitating therapeutic groups for adults with a history of homelessness, substance use and mental illness. She then completed an internship at Children’s Home + Aid’s Rice Child and Family Center where she conducted both group and individual therapy sessions for children between the ages of 5 and 18, who were dealing with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Since graduating, Jennifer has worked with preschool aged children as a therapeutic movement specialist as well as conducted training sessions for preschool teachers about the use of dance in the classroom. She has also worked with older adults diagnosed with dementia.

Jennifer utilizes an existential humanistic approach in therapy. She engages with her clients of all ages and encourages creativity and self-expression with the intention of improving mindfulness as well as body awareness.

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Jessica Knochel

LCPC, BC-DMT, CYT

Therapist

Jessica Knochel is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist (BC-DMT) and Certified Yoga Instructor (CYT). She studied psychology and dance at the University of Colorado — Boulder. There she also obtained her 200-hour yoga teaching certification in 2008. Jessica pursued her masters degree in Cambridge, MA and graduated from the Expressive Therapy program at Lesley University. There she learned how to skillfully integrate her passion for movement and the creative arts with their abilities for optimizing brain and behavioral functioning.

Jessica provides an inclusive and holistic approach to therapy with women, teens and children struggling with anxiety, depression, neurological challenges and developmental delays, disordered eating, addiction, and other trauma-related issues. She incorporates evidence-based approaches in session including: dance/movement, expressive therapies, CBT, DBT, neurofeedback, yoga, mindfulness, family systems, solution-focused therapy, and client-centered counseling. Jessica has worked with public and day schools, in-patient and partial hospitalization rehabilitation centers. She currently sees clients with Chicago Dance Therapy who prefer experiential learning over standard talk therapy.

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Elise Larsen

MA. R-DMT

Therapist

Elise received her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling from Columbia College Chicago in 2014 and her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010. Elise completed a dance/movement therapy internship with Chicago Children's Center for Behavioral Health where she facilitated individual and group therapy for children and adolescents dealing with emotional and behavioral challenges in an inpatient psychiatric setting. She then completed an internship at Rush University Medical Center providing dance/movement therapy for emotional regulation, anxiety reduction, and coping for pediatric and adolescent medical patients in an individual, group, and family setting.

Elise has worked primarily with older adults with dementia and cognitive impairments and youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She believes in the power of dance/movement therapy to engage the body, mind, and spirit. Her approach to therapy focuses on creativity, socialization, and self-expression to enhance well-being.

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Movement as Medicine

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