Valerie Blanc (She/Her)
PhD, LMHC, BC-DMT, CMA Clinical Director
Undergraduate Degree - University of New Hampshire
Masters Degree - Lesley University
Doctorate in Expressive Therapies - Lesley University
Specialty/Age Groups Treated - I specialize in working with young children (ages 3-10) and their families. I am trained in somatic therapies and dance/movement therapy and have worked primarily with anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, and developmental delays.
Languages: English, American Sign Language.
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On our first session together, I want to hear from you (and/or your child) and what will help you feel comfortable in our work together. We will talk about what therapy can look like and also talk specifically about how you and your family would like to be supported. We will also share the expectations and goals for our time in session and share any policies that support our therapeutic relationship. We will also check in regularly about how the process is going for you and any changes that you'd like to make.
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I am a licensed mental health counselor and dance/movement therapist. I work from a client-centered approach, and also somatic techniques and embodied approaches. I believe that the body is an important part of the therapeutic process and that movement is accessible from a small breath to a large movement expression. I am also trained in movement observation and analysis which can be a tool to support people's understanding of how they move in the world and in relationships. I've been trained in integrative somatic trauma therapy, and also have studied CBT, Focusing, positive psychology and mindfulness techniques. I am also a published qualitative researcher in pedagogical practices in dance/movement therapy and technology in expressive therapies- including telehealth.
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I love all types of music, and I especially love listening to live music. I am also the proud owner of a pug named Waffles.
I am a dance/movement therapist specializing in working with young children and their families, as well as providing clinical supervision. My clinical experience has focused on children, particularly in areas related to attachment patterns and sensory integration, especially within the deaf population. I have extensive experience in inpatient psychiatric settings with children and adolescents, along with community mental health support. For 13 years, I worked with the Boston Children’s Foundation, implementing the Rainbowdance and CBI programs for acute trauma response and resiliency building through expressive therapies. I served as a lead trainer in these programs, traveling to Taiwan, Mississippi, and New Jersey to respond to acute natural disasters.
Since 2011, I have been part of the Lesley University dance/movement therapy specialization faculty, becoming core faculty in 2018. As the Coordinator of the Dance/Movement Therapy specialization, I collaborated with a vibrant team of innovative educators. I taught in both the on-campus and hybrid low-residency distance learning programs and was involved in designing the low-residency curriculum. My teaching includes DMT Theories courses, Clinical Applications, Supervision, and Body Movement Observation courses. I have played a significant role in curricular redesign with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion within dance/movement therapy pedagogy at Lesley and nationally.
My research interests center on the pedagogical practices of dance/movement therapy and building pedagogical theory in the field. Recently, I explored the sense of embodied presence among hybrid low-residency students in their core courses, as well as the pedagogical practices of dance/movement therapy educators in ADTA-approved programs.
I was also part of the planning committee for the 2020 international Pathways to Practice: Conversations in Arts Therapies Education conference and have co-led departmental workshops that explore pedagogical themes in expressive therapies at Lesley. In collaboration with a music therapy colleague, I examined the histories of dance/movement therapy and music therapy through a duo-ethnographic and arts-based lens.
With national and local leadership in professional organizations, I have served on the American Dance Therapy Association’s Committee on Approval, working with educators across the United States to uphold educational standards for DMT education. I am also an active member of the ADTA Education Committee, participating in several task forces that address educational standards revision, critical examination of movement observation lenses in DMT, and the revision of the board certification application process.
I grew up in Massachusetts, where I currently live with my husband, two young adult children, and a pug. I am active in the arts community in Cambridge and dance with the Guardians of Isadora, performing the repertoire of Isadora Duncan.