Dance/Movement is our first language, a natural human need for expression, and the foundation for harmonizing emotion, social connection, cognition, and physicality on the path to therapy and holistic development.
Connecting Body – Mind - Emotion – Spirit
Connecting Body – Mind - Emotion – Spirit
About Us
Vietnam Dance/Movement Therapy (VDMT) was founded in 2015 and officially became a Social Enterprise in 2024. As the pioneering organization developing Dance/Movement Therapy in Vietnam, VDMT nurtures Body Wisdom to promote mental health, emotional wellbeing, and human connection in an ever-changing world.
VDMT pioneers the development of Dance/Movement Therapy in Vietnam, blending international professional expertise with Vietnamese context and culture. Through an interdisciplinary approach, VDMT combines Dance/Movement Therapy with creative arts, improvisational music, and somatic practices to create holistic, deeply resonant therapeutic experiences. From hospitals, schools, and businesses to community development projects, VDMT has accumulated rich hands-on experience across many different settings. At the same time, VDMT continually expands its international collaborations with experts, universities, mental health organizations, and artists from many countries, helping bring Body Wisdom closer to the Vietnamese community.
Mission
VDMT was founded to nurture Body Wisdom through Dance/Movement Therapy, so that Vietnamese people can be healthier, more connected, and better able to adapt in an ever-changing world.
We are committed to continually building mental and emotional health solutions grounded in scientific evidence and Vietnamese cultural identity, in order to reach and create sustainable impact for individuals, organizations, and communities.
Everyone carries Body Wisdom within them - the capacity to sense, connect, create, adapt, and self-heal through the body itself.
In the age of AI, what makes us human is not the speed of our thinking, but the depth of our presence. Body Wisdom is the foundation that helps us stay healthy, connected, and adaptive in an ever-changing world.
VDMT’s Philosophy
At Vietnam Dance/Movement Therapy (VDMT), we walk alongside you on a journey to discover, nurture, and apply Body Wisdom through four steps:
AWARENESS: LOOKING INWARD
Recognizing bodily sensations, movement patterns, and emotional states.
Developing presence and self-awareness.
EXPRESSION: EXPRESSING WHAT CANNOT YET BE SPOKEN
Using movement as a language of expression.
Unlocking emotion, lived experience, and authentic creativity.
CONNECTION: CONNECTING THROUGH MOVEMENT
Cultivating kinesthetic empathy.
Strengthening connection with oneself, others, and community.
Recognizing bodily sensations, movement patterns, and emotional states.
Developing presence and self-awareness.
INTEGRATION: LIVING WITH BODY WISDOM
Transforming embodied experience into an inner resource.
Strengthening the capacity for regulation, adaptation, and holistic quality of life.
The Journey of Nurturing Body Wisdom
Founder
Bùi Tuyết Minh
After completing her Master's degree in Dance/Movement Therapy at Sarah Lawrence College (New York) on a Fulbright scholarship, Minh Bui chose to return to Vietnam to lay the first foundations for Dance/Movement Therapy. Since 2015, she has led Vietnam Dance/Movement Therapy (VDMT), helping develop the field through clinical practice, training, research, and community projects.
Minh works alongside children, adolescents, adults, families, and groups with specific needs across hospitals, schools, businesses, and communities. She believes that everyone carries Body Wisdom within - a resource that helps people connect with themselves, regulate emotion, build resilience, and adapt to life's changes.
As a mother of two young children, Minh understands that mental health is nurtured through simple things: presence, connection, and mindful movement in daily life. She believes that lasting change always begins with movement, and with the ability to be fully present with oneself (BODY MIND SPIRIT).
Awards & Professional Recognition
2026
International Speaker
Ember Mental Health Foundation, London, UK (October)
Internal Panel ADTA conference - California, USA (November)
2025
UK Ember Creative Award
Internal Panel ADTA conference - California, USA (November)
2020
Co-speaker
"Asian Diversity: COVID-19, Bias, and the Dance/Movement Therapy Practice of Asian and Asian American People" - ADTA Online Conference
2016
International Speaker
Asia Representative - ADTA Conference, Washington D.C.
2015
Co-speaker
“Death, Dying & Dementia...” - ADTA Conference, San Francisco
2013
Fulbright Scholarship
Dance/Movement Therapy - USA
Professional Advisors
Cathy Appel MSW, MS, MFA
Former Director, Master's Program in Dance/Movement Therapy, Sarah Lawrence College
Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Dance Therapy
Mary Ann Brehm, PhD
Chair, Mettler Studios
PhD in Dance/Movement, University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA (1988)
Editor of "Barbara Mettler Teaching Dance"
Author of "Foundations of Barbara Mettler's Approach to Dance: Principles and Teaching Guidelines" (2021)
E. Connor Kelly MA, BC-DMT, LPC, DTAA (Prof DMT)
Former President, Asia-Pacific Dance/Movement Therapy Association
Faculty Member, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Senior Practitioner, Authentic Movement Australasia
Guest Instructors
Mrs. Trần Huỳnh Triều An
PhD Candidate in Psychology, University of Auckland
Master of Science in Psychology (First Class Honours), University of Auckland
20+ years of experience in contemporary art, performance, and Dance/Movement Therapy
Professional member, Dance Therapy Association of Australasia (DTAA)
Mr. Bryan Charles Wilson
Master of Music, Multi-Style String Instrument Performance, New Jersey City University
15+ years of experience in music performance, composition, and international arts education
Founder, Bryan Wilson Cello Studio
Author of three books: Advanced String Jams, Beginner String Jams, and Cello Chords
Operations Advisors
Mrs. Linh Nguyễn
Master of International Business, La Trobe University
10+ years of experience in HR and Operations
Head of HR and Operations, Board of Members
Mrs. Huyền Trần
Bachelor of Finance, University of Commerce (Thương Mại University)
20+ years of experience in accounting and finance
Finance Advisor
Master of Accounting & Financial Management, La Trobe University
Former Head of Operations, Vietnam Business Coalition for Women's Empowerment
5+ years of experience in social projects and sustainable development programs
Strategic Relations Advisor