Using Movement as a Pathway to ADHD Self-Acceptance
Mordy Gottlieb is a therapist who brings both clinical insight and lived experience to his work with ADHDers who become stuck in shame. Diagnosed later in life, he doesn’t just talk about growth — he moves through it.
His go-to? Dance as therapy. For Mordy, dancing isn’t about performance, it’s about embodiment. It’s a strategy for reconnecting with himself, shedding judgment, and practicing self-acceptance from the inside out.
“If people want to shift their mindset, if they want to shift their bodies, if they want to start realizing that they don’t have to be perfect, what they need to start doing is starting to dance more, to put on music and learn to start moving.”
— Mordy Gottlieb, ADHDifference
This isn’t about becoming a better dancer. It’s about making space for your real self to move, feel, and be without editing.
Why It Works
ADHDers often experience intense internal criticism. We mask, we monitor, we rehearse how to “show up” the right way, even in our own bodies. Over time, that can lead to shame, anxiety, and disconnection.
Giving yourself permission to dance, to your own tune, breaks that pattern. Movement bypasses the analytical brain and taps into the emotional and somatic parts of us, places where authenticity, release, and presence live. Dancing, especially when it’s playful or vulnerable, invites us to reconnect with who we are.
When to Use It
This strategy is most helpful:
- When you’re caught in self-judgment or self-comparison
- When you’re feeling disconnected from your body or identity
- When you’re stuck in perfectionism and can’t “think” your way out
- When your emotions are too big for words
In short: any time your brain is stuck and needs a clear, kind voice to step in.
How to Use It
- Create a Safe Space
Find a private spot – a closed room, a car, your backyard. No mirrors. No audience. - Choose Music That Moves You
This could be upbeat, moody, rebellious, or calm. Let the rhythm guide your body. Or, you can dance to your own tune – it is more about the movement, not the music. - Start Small
Move your hands. Sway your shoulders. Bounce your feet. Let it be awkward. Let it be weird. Give yourself space to move without over-thinking. - Notice the Inner Voice
If your brain says “You look stupid”, good. That’s the moment. Keep moving anyway. That’s the rewiring. - Anchor the Shift
After you dance, take a breath. Notice how you feel. That feeling? That’s you, unfiltered.
The Science Behind It
Movement isn’t just physical, it’s psychological. A range of studies suggests that movement based approaches like dance or dance/movement therapy (DMT) can support emotional regulation, focus, and self expression, which are areas many people with ADHD find challenging. In one pilot study, dance/movement therapy used with children diagnosed with ADHD showed promising improvements in behavioural and emotional symptoms after regular sessions, pointing to movement as a therapeutic adjunct rather than just exercise.1
Researchers have also documented that dance movement interventions can enhance emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships in neurodivergent populations, including significant improvements in emotional control and social engagement following structured dance programs.2
Finally, general randomized controlled evidence shows that physical activity more broadly (which includes expressive movement like dance) positively impacts mental health, executive function, and behavioural symptoms in individuals with ADHD, reinforcing that movement anchoring strategies provide measurable cognitive and emotional benefits.3
💬 Final Thought
You don’t have to fight your inner critic with words. You can dance through it. Permission to Dance isn’t about skill — it’s about staying in motion even when the judgment shows up. It’s a practice of choosing yourself, in real time.
As Mordy reminds us, healing doesn’t always happen in stillness. Sometimes, it begins when the music starts and your body says, “I’m still here.”
🎧 Listen to the full episode with Mordy Gottlieb (S2E24) here 🎧
REFERENCES
- Renck, B., Grönlund, E., & Weibull, J. (2005). Dance/Movement Therapy as an Alternative Treatment for Young Boys Diagnosed as ADHD: A Pilot Study.
- Iswarya, S., & Neelakandan, R. (2024). Effectiveness of dance therapy in enhancing emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships among ADHD children.
- Seiffer, B., Hautzinger, M., Ulrich, R. & Wolf, S. (2021) The Efficacy of Physical Activity for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials