Liesbet (Elizabeth) Manders

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

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

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.

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