On August 18th and 19th 2015 a dance-therapy mini-workshop took place in Amman and in Irbid, Jordan, addressing the personnel of ICU local partner centres for the project 100 Feet To Walk Towards Peace, financed by the Italian Cooperation.
The project aims at enhancing the response of the Jordanian healthcare system towards individuals with physical disabilities, especially those with lower-limb amputations.
ICU organized a small two-days training for the physiotherapists and psychologists working with patients with disabilities in the centres of Our Lady of Peace (Amman) and JOHUD-Princess Basma Center (Irbid). The mini-workshops were led by Chiara Semeraro, a dance-therapist qualified in the Fux method, from Milan, Italy, and saw the participation of 9 staff member and several patients.
Dance-therapy is a rehabilitative technique consisting in the psychotherapeutic use of body movements and dance to strengthen the mental, emotional and motor functions of the patients. It is employed in different clinical contexts for psychotherapeutic and physiotherapeutic purposes. Due to the lack of knowledge of such technique in Jordan, the main objective of the workshop was to present to the trainees new rehabilitative methodologies for both amputees and individuals with psycho-physical disabilities.
The workshop was conducted primarily through the direct test of the physiotherapy techniques on different groups. Throughout the two days, three dance-therapy sessions were held: the first with the health workers participating to the training, the second with a mixed group of disabled and able-bodied children, and the last on an integrated group of disabled children, health workers and parents, in which the physiotherapists and the psychologists had the possibility to implement the techniques learnt, under the supervision of the trainer. At the end of the training activities space was given for further understanding, questions and impressions for the workers and the parents of the children.
The trained health workers showed enthusiasm and active participation, expressing their desire to further study this technique in order to use it on patients with disabilities. Moreover, despite the initial difficulties to overcome the physiotherapeutic schemes traditionally employed, all the participants welcomed the innovation with sincere interest and seriousness.
