This 1968 film, Looking for Me, of Janet Adler’s dance/movement therapy work has been celebrated for capturing a series of ongoing sessions between Janet and two autistic girls, ages two and five. As Janet mirrors their gestures, the children gradually develop trust in her, shifting out of their profound isolation. With time, the girls allow themselves to be touched by Janet, building toward a sense of reciprocity and intimacy. The viewer cannot help but be moved by this heartfelt and compelling film.

Twenty years after Looking for Me, Janet Adler produced the first filmed sessions featuring Authentic Movement, an embodied awareness practice with roots in dance, somatic healing practices, and mysticism. In this film, Janet allows us to join her as witness to the spontaneous movement experiences of eight professional women as they explore the relationship between moving and witnessing. Learning how to see and be seen clearly in the presence of one another, the process of compassionate witnessing invites consciousness, enhancing the integration of body and spirit.

Awards for Looking for Me

• CINE Golden Eagle Assn. honoree
• American Psychological Assn. honoree
• American Psychiatric Assn. honoree
• Council for Exceptional Children honoree
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Assn. honoree
• National Coalition of Arts Therapy Associations honoree
• Landers Associates Award
• Rio De Janeiro Film Festival Award

Awards for Still Looking

• Dance on Camera Film Festival Award
• International Film & Television Festival of New York honoree

This video was formerly included in the Expressive Media Arts Therapies Films Collection distributed by Expressive Media Inc.