Renée Kurz, LPC, BC-DMT

Licensed Professional Counselor & Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist

Renée is a licensed professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist. She received her master’s in dance/movement therapy and counseling from Drexel University, and her bachelor’s in dance performance from Missouri State University. She has experience offering individual and group therapy with adults, teens, and children in a variety of settings: schools, inpatient, outpatient, and residential programs. Renée loves to work with children and teens, having earned a certificate in youth mental health addressing anxiety, depression, and behavioral concerns in children as young as 4. She also specializes in working with women with a history of trauma, substance abuse, and other co-occurring issues. Renée is also passionate about supporting women and couples who are suffering from grief and trauma due to a pregnancy loss or perinatal death, currently in training through the Seleni Institute to become certified in perinatal mental health.

Grounded in theory and traditional counseling models, Renée utilizes an improvisational and creative process that emphasizes the body-mind-spirit connection. Her work is informed by early childhood relational theories of attachment and bonding, as well as neuroscience and neurodevelopmental approaches to offer a holistic conceptualization of her client’s unique stories and needs. She finds that strong collaboration with caregivers in sessions with children is key to long-term success. From a trauma-informed lens, she nurtures a safe and collaborative space through an attuned, compassionate presence. Her use of movement and body-based interventions are always an invitation and proposed with sound, clinical intuition tailored to the needs and goals of the individual with whom she is working. Renée integrates movement, music, sensory props, play, and prayer as it suits and is desired by the client, promoting the development of a strong therapeutic alliance, growth-oriented self-awareness, and embodied hope.

Publications:

Finding Our Way – Fall ’23 Newsletter

My Mentor in Resilience – Samaritan Center Blog

Back to Team Page