ABOUT ME
Émilie Durville
Certified Dance Movement Therapist
M.A. Dance & Movement Psychotherapy
Biography
Emilie is a certified Dance and Movement Therapist, graduating with distinction in 2023 from the University of Roehampton in London, UK with a Master’s in Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP). A former First Soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, she danced professionally for 16 years before transitioning to therapy. Her volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montreal and the LGBTQ Prisoner Correspondence Project deepened her conviction in the healing power of the arts, and inspired her to transform her passion into a tool for healing, supporting her community through movement and creativity.
Her therapeutic approach is humanistic, person-centred, trauma-informed, and feminist. She has clinical experience in psychiatric hospitals, special education schools, and community mental health settings. Emilie also advocates for creative arts therapies in Canada, serving on the Boards of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)’s Creative Arts Therapies Chapter, as well as the Regroupement Québécois des Thérapies par les Arts (RQTA).
Credentials and experience
Master’s of Dance & Movement Psychotherapy University of Roehampton, UK
Education
Certifications & Professional Memberships
Certified Dance Movement Psychotherapist – Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP)
Professional Member – Dance/Movement Therapy Association of Canada (DMTAC)
Professional Member & Board Member – Quebec Alliance of Creative Arts Therapists (QACAT)
Professional Member & Board Member – Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), Creative Arts Therapies Chapter
Work Experience
Collaboration with the National Centre Dance Therapy (NCDT) and their partners, Montréal, QC.
Special needs school and community services, Montréal, QC (Écoles de l’Étincelle, JKF, Tournesol)
Clinique Duluth, Montréal, QC
child psychiatry
National Health Service (NHS), Springfield Hospital, London, UK
acute and psychiatric intensive care unit (schizophrenia, PTSD, bipolar, depression, psychosis, feeding disorder, OCD)
Community Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services, London, UK
icandance, London, UK
community services for disabled children and young people
Conferences and panelist
Association des Médecins Psychiatres du Québec (AMPQ)
Université UQAM , département d'éducation et formation spécialisées.
My approach & practice
Rooted in a humanistic, trauma-informed, person-centered and feminist approach, I create a safe, trustworthy and inclusive space for exploration and healing. I meet people where they are with compassion and support them in finding safety, creativity and healing tools within themselves. Cultural humility is at the heart of my practice, continuously learning through ongoing education, workshops, and conferences, and I commit to recognizing and challenging power imbalances. I am actively engaged in the Canadian Dance Movement Therapy community, advocating for creative arts therapies and serving as a board member and spokesperson in my community.
I acknowledge that I live and practice on the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, known as Tiohtiá:ke/Mooniyang. I honor the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.