[Adta] DMT training business, our credentials, marketing

[Christine Hopkins]

Hi Donna!

Congratulations on your course offering on dancing with elders.!  It is 
so needed and I'm happy that more elders will be served in movement 
activities.

Two thoughts to share with you:  In your take-away handout, you may want 
to include some of the wonderful quotes that come from the Senate 
Hearings on the Older Americans Act.  Though this happened quite some 
years ago, I think it's still impressive that there were Senate Hearings 
on the creative arts therapies with elders.  I still have my official 
copy of the transcript of the hearings and typed up a couple of pages of 
quotes which I could send you hard copy if you wish.

Second, I encourage everyone who's giving in-services and trainings from 
their DMT knowledge-base to also educate your audiences (briefly of 
course) on the intensity and rigor of our credentials, including that in 
2000, after a five-year evaluation process, the National Board of 
Certified Counselors (NBCC) deemed the ADTR equivalent to Master's 
degree mental health counselors. 

For example, when I was on the thesis committee of a pre-dance therapy 
undergraduate at Antioch University Seattle last year, the professors on 
the committee were surprised and pleased to know how rigorous dance 
therapy credentials are.  And they had no idea about that until I 
briefly summarized the extensive requirements during a committee 
meeting.  Also, I include a copy of the one-page article from the NBCC 
national newsletter announcing our equivalency in my informational 
handout about dance therapy.

They say in the marketing business that marketing is not so much about 
selling as it is about sharing and spreading information.  Otherwise how 
would people know that our services are available to them?  From this 
point of view, marketing is a service to the public.

Donna, I'm wishing you terrific turnout and the momentum of continuing 
success from your presentation,
Christine Hopkins