Dance therapy will be from noon to 12:45 p.m. Aug. 22 and 29 and Sept. 5 in the Arcade’s Rotunda. All sessions are free. Attendees must register at eventbrite.com.

“My sessions here are going to be a little more surface level. We’re not going to go quite so deep,” Lampe said. “The goal is connection to self. Connection to others and hopefully find some presence in your body.”

I took her first class last week where we started by introducing ourselves, saying how we were feeling and demonstrating a gesture to describe that feeling. After introductions, we went into a warmup where we took inventory of how our bodies were feeling. We moved everything from our toes to our necks. If there was something sore or tight, Lampe said it’s important to acknowledge it and be aware of it.

We used brightly colored scarfs to start moving. Lampe said she likes to use props with new groups to focus movement on something besides yourself because everyone has different comfortabilities with movement.

“I’m never going to force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do,” Lampe said. “It’s all about just opening the door, creating a safe enough space and then if they choose to step in then hopefully they gain something for themselves.”

Lampe goes into the sessions at the Arcade without any expectations. She said she uses a structure from Marian Chace, a pioneer in dance movement therapy, to design her sessions, but what she does depends on the people in the group. If the energy level is low, she might use yarn balls for attendees to throw. If the energy level is high, they might walk around and explore.

At the end of each session, the group will sit, process and talk about their experience and how it relates to other areas of their lives. During the session I attended, people mentioned that it felt good to move.

“Moving your body period is helpful for your physical and mental health, even if that’s just taking a walk. That releases endorphins and can make you feel lighter and a little bit more clear headed,” Lampe said.

Dance therapy is not considered a workout, but it does have physical and mental benefits.

“A lot of times we store emotions in our body so to be able to connect what’s going on in our brain to where we’re holding it can help us process and release things,” Lampe said.

She encourages people to be open minded and bring their whole self to the sessions.

“It’s for anyone and everyone,” Lampe said. “You can walk around the whole time or just watch the whole time. Come to it as you are.”

Lampe is a licensed professional clinical counselor in the state of Ohio, as well as being a board certified dance/movement therapist and a certified movement analyst. She has spent the majority of her career working with kids and adolescents in an in-patient hospital setting. She currently is in private practice offering telehealth therapy. For more information about her services, visit empathicconnectionscounseling.com or email anson@empathicconnectionscounseling.com.

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Natalie Jones writes about wellness and dining in Dayton and Southwest Ohio region. If you would like your business to be considered for this feature, email natalie.jones@coxinc.com or find her on TikTok @natalie_reports and Instagram @natalie_reports937.