Education
Susan earned her BA in dance and psychology at Denison University after which she studied dance and dance therapy at Harvard University. Later, she received her MA in Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy at Columbia College in Chicago. After graduation she taught and supervised students in their internships towards their degree in dance movement therapy. In 1989 Susan produced a video on dance movement therapy that was used to convince the U.S. Congress to include dance therapy in the Older Americans Act. Following her Master’s degree, she obtained post-graduate training at the Family Institute at Northwestern University in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model.
Work Experience
Susan Cahill is a clinical professional counselor licensed in Illinois and Washington State, a board-certified dance movement therapist and is certified in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model. She has supervised and taught psychotherapists for over 25 years on incorporating embodied practices focusing on IFS and Authentic Movement into their clinical work in person, through Skype in trainings and at conferences. Developing her teaching practice in the Discipline of Authentic Movement has been her focus alongside her clinical work for decades. In 2015, her article “A Tapestry of a Clinician: Blending Authentic Movement and the Internal Family Systems Model” was included in the British Journal of Dance & Somatics Practices.
The Discipline of Authentic Movement
Susan’s passion for deepening into the Discipline of Authentic Movement as her main spiritual practice led her to study formally with Janet Adler since 2004. Janet began to work with her one to one, in dyad work and group retreats, and then as her supervisor. In 2013 she was invited to assist Janet in her 5-year international internship program. This program transformed into Circles of Four (COF), a post graduate training for teachers of the Discipline of Authentic Movement. Since the inception of COF, Susan has been a primary and supervision teacher. She also holds retreats for students interested in COF, as well as others who are interested in healing and transformation.