What comes to mind for you when you hear the words "Drama Therapy"? Many people might imagine performing a play in front of an audience, which could be an exciting idea for the more extroverted among us, but not at all appealing for someone less enthusiastic about public speaking. While some Drama Therapists do create and perform plays with a group as part of their work, there are lots of other ways to incorporate theater techniques, such as improvisation, roleplay, and storytelling, into therapy sessions with individuals of all ages and abilities. Drama Therapy can also be integrated with other forms of therapy a client may already be utilizing, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-focused therapy, or play therapy.
The North American Drama Therapy Association defines drama therapy as "the intentional use of theater techniques to achieve symptom relief, emotional growth, and mind-body integration." Drama therapy is an experiential form of therapy, which means participants learn by doing, rather than simply sitting and talking about feelings and problems. This full-body approach can make drama therapy extra effective for helping clients to feel more grounded and to access feelings that are difficult to put into words. Drama Therapy theory draws from many other academic disciplines, including theater, psychology, anthropology, and the study of play.
Drama therapy can be used to explore real-life issues, or can help participants to access feelings and think about problems through an imagined character or scenario. How can this kind of "make-believe" help clients in their regular lives? Drama Therapist Renée Emunah explains that "under the guise of play and pretend, we can--for once--act in new ways. The bit of distance from real life afforded by drama enables us to gain perspective on our real-life roles and patterns and actions, and to experiment actively with alternatives." Drama Therapy moves us out of our comfort zone, and allows us to look at our problems from another point of view. We get the opportunity to try out new ways of interacting with other people, and can come up with more creative solutions to problems. The safe remove of "make-believe" can also let us indirectly address experiences or feelings that might be too overwhelming to talk about right away in traditional talk therapy.
So who are Drama Therapists, and what kind of training do they have? Many Drama Therapists enter the profession because they have observed that theater and the creative arts are inherently healing activities. Making or performing art is a powerful form of self-expression, and by learning a new art form, people can develop a sense of mastery, create friendships, boost empathy, and strengthen self-esteem. Training in Drama Therapy is a Master's-level credential that requires all the requisite coursework of a counselor, as well as specialized education in multiple forms of drama therapy, professional theater, and completion of a supervised internship. Like other mental health professionals, Drama Therapists are board certified and adhere to a code of ethics.
Drama Therapy has been adapted to meet the needs of people of many different ages, cultural backgrounds, and needs. Drama Therapists can be found working in any setting that might have a need for integrative mental health treatment, including inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities, schools, shelters, early intervention programs, wellness centers, and in private practice. If you'd like to learn more about Drama Therapy, reach out to our team therapist, Katie Lear, to learn more, or check out the North American Drama Therapy Association’s website at www.nadta.org.