Research and Writing
Bringing into words the power of the body, movement and creative arts to facilitate individual and social change
Dr. Allison Singer, the Founder and Clinical Director of MAPTHY, is also a respected academic and researcher. She is renowned for her expertise, innovative thinking, and commitment to advancing the fields of Creative Arts Psychotherapy and Dance Anthropology and their interrelationships. Her notable chapters in influential books and publications and her range of conference presentations reflect the depth of her understanding and the high value of her insights in helping to develop these fields.
Noteworthy publications
‘Building Relations: A methodological consideration of dance and well-being in psychosocial work with war-affected refugee children and their families’
This book examines dance and movement from different perspectives to understand the concept of wellbeing. Allison’s chapter discusses integration of Dance Ethnography and Dance Movement Psychotherapy as methodology applied to examine interrelationships between notions of creativity, culture, and human development as tools to facilitate integration and resettlement in psychosocial work with war-affected refugee children.
Oxford University Press, 2017
‘Voices within Intercultural Arts Therapy Research and Practice – An Ethnographic Approach’
This book is the first overarching study on intercultural practice and research models in arts therapies. Allison’s chapter juxtaposes voices from the field with the ethnographer’s voice, exploring meanings generated and challenging existing hegemonies; reflecting on key questions concerning manipulation of symbols of identity and frames of meaning within war.
Routledge, 2016
‘Dancing Ourselves – The Personal Narratives of Dance: A Source for Healing’
The proceedings from this conference focus on Dance and Narrative; Dance as Tangible/Intangible Cultural Heritage. Allison’s article uses anthropological frames to consider movement and dance as forms of narrativization within therapeutic contexts. Narrativization is considered as a process where new relationships
to past, present and future can be found within discourses that negotiates individual and collective identity.
ICTM Institute on Ethnochoreology, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, Croatia, 2015
‘Forced Displacement, Identity, Embodiment and Change’
This book presents a selection of dance ethnographies whose fieldwork studies varied dance and movement systems from around the globe. Allison’s chapter is innovative in its examination of the uses of embodiment as kinaesthetic and symbolic processes to facilitate individual, social and cultural change in the context of forced displacement and resettlement following war.
Palgrave, 2014
‘Interactions Between Movement and Dance, Visual Images, Etno and Physical Environments in Psychosocial Work with War-Affected Refugee and Internally Displaced Children and Adults (Serbia 2001-2002)’
This book focuses on the relationships between dance and human rights. Allison’s chapter suggests a fluidity of interaction between dance, movement, visual imagery, folk art, and physical environment helps war-affected refugee people engage and reassess their collective history and social, cultural, and environmental relationships enabling processes of rehabilitation, resettlement, integration. This challenges concepts of arts as discrete entities.
Scarecrow Press, 2008
‘Hidden Treasures, Hidden Voices: An ethnographic study into the use of movement and creativity in psychosocial work with war affected refugee children in Serbia’
This book offers insights into the theory and practice of Dance Movement Therapy (DMP) from experts in the field. Allison’s chapter considers why and how movement and creativity contribute to international development work with war-affected refugee children; and roles of DMP within this. It questions definitions of ‘child’ and ‘refugee’ in the construction of individual collective identity.
Routledge, 2006
Noteworthy research
One Education, 2020
This report was important in supporting and consolidating three years' of therapeutic work by One Education’s Emotional and Trauma Support team with a young person at risk. It outlined the use of a multi-systemic, multi-modal therapeutic arts approach to intervention and examined why this approach had succeeded where other medical, social care and educational approaches had not.
European Association of Dance Therapy, 2015
This report examined commonalities and differences between Dance Movement Therapy training programmes across Europe. This was to allow the European Association of Dance Movement Therapy to identify standards that the association could offer as a template going forwards in order to ensure high professional standards and parity across Europe.
De Montfort University, 2007
This PhD argues there are underlying relationships between notions of creativity, culture, and human development that can be harnessed within psychosocial work with war-affected refugee children and families to facilitate processes of integration and resettlement. This was innovative piece of research in its application of Dance Ethnography within a post-conflict zone; and in its integration of Dance Ethnography and Dance Movement Psychotherapy as methodology.
Research testimonials
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“Dr Allison Singer is a professional Dance Movement Psychotherapist who also has invaluable experience from her specialised research into working with children and displaced people from war torn countries and diverse environments. Her qualitative research methods integrate the practical and theoretical to create a holistic approach towards well-being for the mind and body.”
Linda
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“Allison’s research shares her deeply felt experience of the displaced people in Serbia, to explore how such communities survive and thrive. Her multi-modal therapeutic approach brings a richness to her research that is refreshing and innovative, and ultimately supportive of her subject’s journey.”
Susan
