About Us
Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual, for the purpose of improving health and well-being. Dance/Movement Therapy is a holistic approach to healing, based on the empirically supported assertion that mind, body, and spirit are inseparable and interconnected; changes in the body reflect changes in the mind and vice versa. DMT as an embodied, movement-based approach is often difficult to describe, as it is necessary to actively engage in the process to get a true sense of what it is.
Dance/Movement Therapists work throughout California in a wide variety of settings: mental health, educational, skilled nursing facilities, day care, rehabilitation, medical, wellness/prevention, health promotion programs, forensic settings, and private practice. In addition, dance/movement therapy is used with people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds in individual, couples, family, and group therapy formats.
Board of Directors
President
Erin Howe (she/her)
MA, BC-DMT, CYT-200
Erin Howe is a dance/movement therapist from in San Diego, CA. Erin obtained her M.A. in dance/movement therapy and counseling from Columbia College Chicago, IL, and holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Dance from CSU San Marcos, San Diego, California. Erin serves on the National ADTA board as MAL for the Western region.
Vice-President
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Vice-President
Secretary
Maria Ninos (she/her)
Communications chair
Kali Skodack (she/her)
MA, BC-DMT, APCC, RYT-200
Kali Skodack (she/her) is a board certified dance/movement therapist in the Bay Area. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Kali decided she wanted to integrate her passions of dance and psychology into a single rewarding career and help bring the use of dance in therapy to others, which she found beneficial in her own healing practices. She received her Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. Kali is currently pursuing counseling licensure in the state of California.
Kali has had various experiences with several populations in academic and professional settings. These include work with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric patients (children, adolescents, and adults), elders with neurocognitive disease, forensic patients, children with autism, individuals with traumatic brain injuries, individuals with developmental disabilities, and inner-city adolescents. Currently, Kali works at the Department of State Hospitals-Napa where she works with forensic patients on a unit for individuals found incompetent to stand trial. She provides therapeutic, leisure, and trial competency groups integrating movement to assist patients in understanding concepts on a somatic level when words can be difficult due to illness and environment. Kali brings a commitment to social justice to her work as well as a passion for creativity and mind-body connection to the therapeutic process.
Treasurer
Erin Scott-Haines
MA, BC-DMT, LPCC (She/Her/Hers)
In 2008, Erin K. Scott-Haines graduated from Columbia College Chicago's dual master's degree program for Clinical Counseling and Dance/Movement Psychotherapy. Following licensure (LPCC) through the Board of Behavioral Sciences and Board Certification (BC-DMT) through the American Dance Therapy Association, Erin practiced in inpatient psychiatric, residential, and outpatient settings specializing in adolescent mental health and substance abuse. While opening private practice, Erin enjoyed serving as curriculum developer and faculty in the psychology department at Marymount California University where she wrote and taught Psychology of Health & Wellness, Drug Use & Abuse, Writing for the Social & Behavioral Sciences, General Psychology, Practicum, and The Art of Being Human courses. Erin now works on the Operations Team of Discovery Behavioral Health as Director of Clinical Supervision where she trains and supervises therapists mobilizes creative arts and University internship placements, cultivates leadership, and develops supervisors and curriculum for over 60 teen and adult mental health facilities across America. Erin is a Jungian inspired psychotherapist known for cultivating truth and healing through transparency, ritual, humor, authentic movement, and existential therapy.
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MDC Liaison
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Multicultural and Diversity Liaison aids in building relationships within the MDC, ADTA, and the community. MDC Liaison will work on engaging, supporting, and empowering historically underrepresented or systematically oppressed Chapter members to minimize feelings of isolation and marginalization. MDC Liaison aims to create intergroup solidarity and aid in the recruitment and retention of new members who identify as historically underrepresented or systematically oppressed and will provide mentorship opportunities in conjunction with Chapter leadership and/or the MDC when appropriate. Position includes attending the quarterly DMC Leaders’ meeting via videoconference and provide regular reports to the MDC Chair and MAL on multicultural and diversity issues and activities.
Please be prepared to submit a letter of recommendation from an active MDC member and to share your social justice background with a Statement of interest and CV of your social justice work.
Vice-President
Alicia Brewster
MA, BC-DMT
Alicia Brewster, MA, BC-DMT, is a board certified dance/movement therapist in the Bay Area. She graduated from Lesley Univeristy with a Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. Alicia graduated from UC Davis with two Bachelors in Science in Exercise Biology and Psychology with an emphasis in Biology.
Currently, she works at the Department of State Hospitals-Napa as the Program Assisting for Rehabilitation Therapy Services and the DMT supervisor for the internship and board certification process. Alicia is the founder and director of Bay Area Dancers, keeping her self-care through movement in the forefront of her ability to support others. Throughout these areas, the constant has been connecting with others through dance. website: bayareadancers.org
Programming Co-Chair
Karin Pleasant (Southern California)
R-DMT, LCSW
Karin is a licensed clinical social worker and registered dance/movement therapist who currently provides teletherapy to adults in California. During her career she has worked in residential inpatient, outpatient, and hospital clinic settings, utilizing dance/movement therapy and talk therapy, and connecting clients with community resources. In 2021. Karin launched Muse Creative Arts Therapy to re-incorporate dance/movement therapy back into practice in conjunction with writing, drumming, and/or sound meditation, while continuing her talk therapy practice with various agencies. Karin is a recreational aerialist and member of performance groups, participating as an organizer, choreographer, percussionist, and dancer. She also co-hosts a podcast, Moving into Wellness, to highlight the importance of mental health.
www.musecreativeartstheapy.com | IG/Facebook: @musecreativeartstherapy
Programming Co-Chair
Elizabeth Fluck (Southern California)
BC-DMT, LMFT, LPCC
Elizabeth Fluck is a Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapy in Los Angeles, CA. She received her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy from UCLA and an MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Somatic Psychology from Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She obtained a BA in dance with a psychology minor from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Her lifelong love of dance and human connection brought Elizabeth to the field of dance/movement therapy. Throughout her career, Elizabeth served people across the entire developmental lifespan including work in inpatient, residential, outpatient, home care and educational settings. In recent years, her pursuit of perpetual learning includes a new passion for arts activism in both social and environmental justice. Elizabeth currently provides clinical groups for individuals in treatment for eating disorders. Elizabeth is beginning a new journey as a program manager for an elder care agency.
Government Affairs Chair
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Government Affairs Chair
Student Representative
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Student Representative
Education Committee chair
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Education Committee Chair
Nominations Chair
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Nominations Chair assists with the elections/nominations process. This position is mostly only active during transitions between elections/nominations (approx. between May-August) unless any sudden changes occur during the year.