Cara Hazel

MS in Dance/Movement Therapy [Pratt Institute], BA in Psychology & Applied Dance [University of Tampa]

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

Contemplative Practices II

Cara Hazel (she/her/hers) is a Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist originally born and raised in New Jersey, with years of living in New York City prior to moving out to Colorado. Cara attended the University of Tampa for her BA in Psychology & Applied Dance, and Pratt Institute for her MS in Dance/Movement Therapy. Cara’s clinical background includes working as a creative arts therapist at Jacobi Hospital’s family advocacy program, an adult inpatient substance use rehab/detox facility in Brooklyn New York, and at Mount Sinai Hospital’s adult inpatient psychiatry unit for about four years. In these roles, she conducted group and individual therapy sessions, utilizing dance and movement therapy to support individuals in their recovery and psychiatric treatment. Her approach as a body-oriented clinician emphasizes the profound connection between mind and body, informed by a humanistic framework and insights from embodied neuroscience. During graduate school, Cara interviewed Dr. Daniel Siegel to explore the intersection of his theory of interpersonal neurobiology with the foundational principles of dance/movement therapy. This research has significantly influenced Cara’s clinical practice, providing a theoretical basis for their therapeutic interventions. Cara is passionate about dance/movement therapy, and about the process or journey one takes to find their own place and framework as a clinician.

• Embodied Concepts of Neuroscience and Trauma: An Exploration of Interpersonal Neurobiology and Dance/Movement Therapy