Embodied Narratives of Depression:A Middle-aged Widow Going through Dance-based Therapy

• Main Authors: Hong Yin-Hui, 洪瑩慧
• Other Authors: Wu Chin-yu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00012745166625291000

碩士 === 臺北巿立體育學院 === 舞蹈碩士班 === 95 === The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of a grieving middle-aged widow going through a dance-based therapy which elicited the stories of depression via embodied experiences. This study used the methods of narrative inquiry, an increasingly common design of qualitative research. The change process of the research participant was examined via narratives of bodily experiences during the dance-based therapy. The results of the study revealed two dimensions of life experiences of a middle-aged widow: horizontal roles and relationships, and in-depth behavioral and emotional experiences. With the narratives of bodily experiences, the participant was allowed to examine how she had responded to as well as being impacted by the two dimensions of life experiences, which led to the reconciliation of self and the real world. It was concluded that the narrative-form dance-based therapy used in the study may provide a safe transition to allow middle-aged widows to listen to their bodily experiences, which may be of benefit in helping them go through grief. This is particularly significant to widows in the Chinese societies, given that bodily experiences are normally condamned by the mainstream value system.