I often get asked “what is Dramatherapy? or “are you going to make me act or do role play?” The answer is that i do utilise these skills but only if you are happy to explore these methods. Dramatherapy is about finding a creative medium that works for you.
Drama has been recognised for its therapeutic benefits since the post 50’s and has been used in many different settings from schools to prisons, mental health settings and the elderly. In the past 15 years Dramatherapy has been recognised by the NHS as a therapy in its own right and thus recognition of the benefits of this form of therapy has increased.
“Clients who are referred to a Dramatherapist do not need to have previous experience or skill in acting, theatre or drama. Dramatherapists are trained to enable clients to find the most suitable medium for them to engage in group or individual therapy to address and resolve, or make troubling issues more bearable.
Dramatherapy is a form of psychological therapy in which all of the performance arts are utilised within the therapeutic relationship. Dramatherapists are both artists and clinicians and draw on their trainings in theatre/drama and therapy to create methods to engage clients in effecting psychological, emotional and social changes. The therapy gives equal validity to body and mind within the dramatic context; stories, myths, playtexts, puppetry, masks and improvisation are examples of the range of artistic interventions a Dramatherapist may employ. These will enable the client to explore difficult and painful life experiences through an indirect approach.” http://badth.org.uk/dtherapy