top of page

ABOUT ME

websitephoto.jpg

Photo Credit: jjillianphotography

 

Welcome- I'm glad you're here.

My name is Alexa Palmer, founder and creator of Living Architecture.

I am a licensed creative arts therapist in the state of New York, Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, and Graduate Laban Certified Movement Analyst. I also currently supervise first and second year graduate dance/movement therapy students and new clinicians. Before my career as a clinician, I was a dancer, performer, choreographer, athlete and student. I always knew, both personally and anecdotally, the possibility of deeper healing and self integration through movement. 

Over the past 8 years, I have worked in inpatient and outpatient psychiatry with individuals ranging from 5 years of age to 93 years of age with a variety of different mental health concerns and strengths.

 

The first 4 years of my career I spent facilitating a variety of different group and individual therapy sessions to clients on inpatient units in the Bronx and in Brooklyn NY.  I later transitioned and continue to work in a Partial Hospitalization Program in the Bronx, a step down day program for people discharged from these inpatient units.

I have been consistently amazed at the key role movement, body awareness, and creativity, hold within the healing and goal achievement process- whatever that process may look like.

 

Through movement, we can find integration of all aspects of ourselves. I look forward to working with you.

~ Alexa

Credentials

Bard College B.A

2012

Dance Performance and Choreography 

French Language and Literature

Columbia College Chicago M.A

2014+2015

Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling

Graduate Laban Certified Movement Analyst

 

Licensed Creative Arts Therapist

Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist

For Inpatient/Outpatient Adult Psychiatry

Teaching Assistant-ship

Embodied Education Institute of Chicago

Laban Movement Analysis 2+3

under Supervision of Stacey Hurst

2021.2022-Present

Marketing Assistant

Embodied Education Institute of Chicago

2022- Present

     Professional Affiliations

Member

&

          Secretary for NYSADTA

2016

      New York State American Dance Therapy

 Association

President for NYSADTA

2019

      New York State American Dance Therapy

 Association

Member

American Dance Therapy Association

New York State Chapter

2014-present

Presentations

 

Presented thesis research at the National ADTA Conference

2014

 

Guest Lecturer in Research Methods Class

Columbia College Chicago

2014

 

Provided in-service to Stroke Education and Support Group

New York Presbyterian/New York Methodist

2017

 

Facilitated didactic to Chaplain residents on use of CAT as intervention

New York Presbyterian/New York Methodist

2018

 

Psychiatry Grand Rounds Lectures

NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital

North Central Bronx Hospital

Jacobi Medical Center 

2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

                         

Presented didactic to psychology extern students

North Central Bronx Hospital

2020.2021.2022

 

Publications

 

Published Article

American Journal of Dance Therapy 

The Lived Experience of  Dance/Movement Therapists Working with Patients with Eating Disorders

    DOI 10.1007/s10465-015-9198-5

 2015

Article Recognition:

Recipient of the Journalism Award by

 Marian Chace Foundation 

    2014

 

Published Blog 

“Living Laban” for the Embodied Education Institute of Chicago

2019

 

Published Chapter

From Ember to Fire:

Igniting Your Career

Creative Arts Therapy Careers

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2141-4574

2022

Workshops

“What is Dance/Movement Therapy”

Bard College 

2014

 “Breaking Down Key Terminology to Build Up  Practice: 

A Kinesthetic Exploration of Empathy”

(with Cecilia Fontanessi, RDMT, CMA, PhD)

Gibney Dance

2019

"A building can hold together only if its parts have definite proportions which provide a certain balance in the midst of the continual vibrations and movements taking place in the material of which it is constructed. The structure of a building must endure shocks from alien sources, for instance, by the passing traffic, or by the jumping of lively inhabitants."
             Quote continued "The Language of Movement" Rudolph Laban
bottom of page