The CARE Method™

A structured, evidence-based framework for movement-based Parkinson’s support

The CARE Method™ is a practitioner framework developed by Natalie Muschamp, grounded in over a decade of practice, academic research, and programme delivery in Parkinson’s care. It provides a replicable, evidence-informed structure for movement professionals, healthcare providers, and educators working with people living with Parkinson’s and their caregivers.

I hold a BA in Performing Arts and an MA in Dance Studies (magna cum laude, University of Malta), and I trained in movement-based Parkinson’s care under David Leventhal at Dance for PD® in New York. My MA thesis — supervised by Professor Sarah Houston of the University of Roehampton — identified a significant gap in global regulation and best practice for dance and movement in Parkinson’s care, and became the academic foundation for the CARE Method™, the evidence-based framework I now use across all my programmes.

Before working with Parkinson’s, I built a career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and performing arts producer. I trained extensively in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance, and have performed in productions across Europe. I have choreographed and produced dance shows in Italy and Malta, and directed several television productions, including a daily movement programme broadcast during the COVID period and the documentary One Day We Will Dance Again. I continue to teach ballet, jazz, and freestyle jazz and remain an active practitioner. This foundation in professional dance is inseparable from everything I do; it is what gives my approach to therapeutic movement its depth and artistry.

My work in Parkinson’s care grew from a desire to use my passion for dance to genuinely support people. I was introduced early on to Dance for PD in New York, an experience that immediately compelled me to explore how movement could be applied specifically and responsibly within Parkinson’s care. 

This professional direction was deeply reinforced by a personal connection. My aunt’s partner was living with Parkinson’s disease and witnessing the realities of the condition for both the individual and the caregiver, which shaped my understanding of what living with Parkinson’s truly entails. After his passing, my aunt walked a pilgrimage alone from Amsterdam to Rome and later wrote a book about this journey. Seeing the impact of caregiving and loss made it clear to me that any work in Parkinson’s must include and acknowledge the role of the caregiver. 

What CARE stands for

• C — Creative: Movement as an expressive and adaptive medium, not just physical exercise. Creative engagement supports neuroplasticity, motivation, and emotional wellbeing.
• A — Adaptive: Tailored to the individual’s stage of Parkinson’s, symptom profile, and lived experience. No two sessions, and no two participants, are the same.
• R — Relational: Acknowledging the central role of the caregiver and the social dimension of care. The CARE Method™ explicitly includes caregivers as active participants, not observers.
• E — Evidence-based: Rooted in peer-reviewed research in movement science, neuroscience, and quality of life. Every element of the framework is drawn from the academic literature and tested in practice.

Background and development

The CARE Method™ emerged from Natalie’s MA in Dance Studies (magna cum laude, University of Malta, 2019), supervised by Professor Sarah Houston of the University of Roehampton. Her research identified a significant gap in global regulation and best practice for dance and movement-based Parkinson’s care: while the evidence for movement-based interventions is robust, no internationally recognised framework existed to ensure quality, consistency, or practitioner accountability in this field.

This gap, first identified in 2019, is what the CARE Method™ is designed to address. It draws directly on the dissertation research and on over a decade of frontline programme delivery, including the training of 54 healthcare professionals and the development of programmes adopted by 25+ care providers in Malta.

CARE Method™ Programmes

Moving Together

A structured group programme for people living with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. Moving Together uses the CARE Method™ framework to deliver sessions that are creative, adaptive, and explicitly inclusive of caregivers as participants. The programme addresses motor symptoms, balance, social connection, and caregiver wellbeing simultaneously.

CARE Method™ Practitioner Certification

A training pathway for movement professionals, healthcare workers, and educators who wish to deliver CARE Method™ programmes. Certified practitioners gain the knowledge, tools, session structures, and programme materials needed to deliver Moving Together and other CARE Method™ group formats in their own care setting.

ZPP Certification (Germany)

The Moving Together programme and the CARE Method™ Practitioner Certification are currently being submitted for certification under Germany’s ZPP prevention quality framework (§20 SGB V). ZPP certification is the nationally recognised quality standard for structured prevention programmes in Germany, enabling reimbursement through statutory health insurance providers (gesetzliche Krankenkassen).

Certification is targeted for completion in 2026.

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