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News & Updates

Liesbet (Elizabeth) Manders, PhD

Visiting Instructor

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling concentration

elizabeth.manders@naropa.edu

EDUCATION:

PhD in Creative Arts Therapies from Drexel University, MA in Dance/movement therapy with a minor in counseling from Antioch University New England, BA in General Studies in the Humanities from the University of Chicago

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling, MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling: Dance/Movement Theories & Practice)

COURSES TAUGHT:

Assessment CNSS 700

Liesbet Manders is a dance/movement therapist, instructor, and researcher. She studied dance/movement therapy at Antioch University in Keene NH and later completed her PhD in creative arts therapies at Drexel University in Philadelphia to learn the skills to do research for the field of dance/movement therapy. Her clinical work has focused on groups, family sessions, and individual work with children and teens on the autism spectrum. She taught and coordinated the dance/movement therapy MA program at SRH Heidelberg in Germany for 3 years. She continues to support research projects in collaboration with other dance/movement therapists. She recently moved to Boulder and is excited to join the team at Naropa.

PUBLICATIONS:

Most recent publications

  • Manders, E., Koch, S. C., & Fuchs, T. (2022). A Case for Playful Engagement: Synchrony and Interaction Quality During Mirroring in ASD. Conceptual Framework and Case Study. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 44(2), 143-167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-022-09359-0
  • Manders, E., Goodill, S., Koch, S. C., Giarelli, E., Polansky, M., Fisher, K., & Fuchs, T. (2021). The Mirroring Dance: Synchrony and Interaction Quality of Five Adolescents and Adults on the Autism Spectrum in Dance/Movement Therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(4674). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717389

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Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

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Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

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The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today. 

 

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.

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