Judith Ehrman-Shapiro

Judith is a dance-movement therapist, transpersonal psychologist, yoga teacher, and qigong instructor whose work reflects an embodied, creative, and holistic approach to wellness. Her practice is grounded in more than 40 years of exploring dance within the wider context of health and culture. She earned her bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of New Mexico and her master’s degree in dance-movement therapy from NYU before traveling to Australia for a cultural exchange with the Pitjantjatjara Elders (the Anangu). There, she took part in inma, the song and dance ceremonies that honor the Dreamtime.

Over the years, Judith has studied a range of dance performance techniques, taiji forms, folk dancing, yoga, and qigong. In 1999, she co-founded the Kiva Dance Collective with Patricia Buchanan. For 20 years, the collective shared life experiences through choreography and performance. During that period, Judith also taught as an adjunct at NVCC for 19 years, creating original curriculum in Movement for Early Childhood, Kinesiology for Dancers, and Creative Arts Therapy.

Judith received her yoga teacher certification in 2015 and her qigong teacher certification in 2024. In 2020, she completed her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology at CIIS, with original research on grief trajectories after homicide. She is currently pursuing a professional certification to become an End-of-Life Doula.