An Introduction to Drama Therapy

"[Theatre] requires kids to tap into and understand emotions both positive and negative." - Anonymous

(Photo from the North American Drama Therapy Association http://www.nadta.org/)

Drama therapy is complex field in which trained therapists use drama techniques to provide care for people working through a range of conditions and circumstances. While every Drama therapy session looks different, the essence of the practice is about using drama to heal and give people a chance to explore their inner selves through movement and dramatic expression. In practice, Drama therapy can look a lot like Applied Theatre, a type of performance rooted in Boal’s theatre of the Oppressed and other philosophies of theatre for change. However, Drama therapy is grounded in research and is largely focused on the individual, rather than politics or social movements, as Applied Theatre tends to be.

The Roots: Psychodrama

In their 2012 book, Theatre for Social Change, researchers Landy and Montgomery investigate the historical roots of Drama therapy as well as the modern practice. Their research attributes the roots of Drama therapy to Psychodrama, a practice developed in the 1920s by a physician names J. L. Moreno and his wife (172). As Landy and Montgomery explain, a psychodrama begins with a group of people. First, they all “warm-up to their feelings” through different exercises. Through these warm-up, a “protagonist” emerges and chooses a particular personal conflict on which to focus the Psychodrama. With the guidance of a “director,” the protagonist chooses antagonists as well as another person to represent themselves, “to express their inner feelings not otherwise available.” The director then helps everyone set the scene and facilitates an exploration of the conflict at hand, which often results in “a catharsis of abreaction (purging of emotion) or integration (balance of feeling and thought).” (184)

Thus, psychodrama is participatory and can explore dilemmas in a similar way as Applied Theatre or Theatre of the Oppressed. However, Psychodrama, Applied Theatre, and Drama therapy are all distinct practices. While they all intersect, Drama Therapists stand out because they are specifically trained in psychology and clinical therapy. Thus, they are uniquely equipped to navigate human experiences including trauma, interpersonal conflict, etc. They do this through what Landy and Montgomery describe as the “metaphorical distance of theatre” (191). This means that they craft emotional safety by allowing clients to explore themselves through the portrayal of fictional characters.

Drama Therapy with Children and Youth

Though Drama therapy can be used across a wide range of groups and communities, it can be especially powerful when used with young people, as children and adolescents tend to be more open to personal exploration than many adults are. According to the North American Drama Therapy Association’s Fact Sheet on Drama Therapy with Children and Adolescents,

“Drama therapy provides a developmentally appropriate means of processing events with children and adolescents for whom verbal methods alone may be insufficient. It taps into their natural propensity toward action and utilizes it to engage children in play as a means of safely exploring issues and painful feelings.” (1)

One of the most prominent organizations currently bringing Drama therapy to children and youth is New York based, ENACT. This nonprofit brings licensed Drama Therapists to over 50 schools in New York City and offers workshops with students and faculty, parent and family sessions, after school clubs and programming, professional development, and more. According to ENACT’s website, the organization customizes their curriculum to each school in order to address the needs of that community. Additionally, research conducted by Dr. Rob Horowitz of Columbia University shows that the ENACT model works.

“At MS 363 in the Bronx, classroom teachers reported that nearly 90% of students were able to control their actions and reactions by year-end, compared with only 36% at the beginning of the school year. 90% of ENACT students ended the school year with at least 90% attendance. Teachers reported a 44% improvement in classroom behavior among ENACT students.” (ENACT website)

Research clearly shows that Drama therapy is an effective method by which to support both children and adults. Though the average teacher is not trained in Drama therapy techniques, there are opportunities to get Drama therapy into your school. I have listed a few other examples of Drama therapy programs below to help facilitate further research on the subject.

Works Cited

• “Impact .” ENACT, ENACT, enact.org/about-us/impact/.

• Landy, Robert J., and David T. Montgomery. Theatre for Change. Palgrave MacMillan, 2012.

• 2011; Dr. Rob Horowitz, Lead Researcher, Columbia University; Sponsored by the Ford Foundation; Peer reviewed by the American Evaluator’s Association

Additional Resources

• http://enact.org/

• http://www.nadta.org/

• http://www.dramatherapyinstitutela.com/

• http://www.rosiestrain.co.uk/dramatherapy-education-southwest

• http://wellcommons.com/groups/bert-nash-community-mental-health-center/2014/mar/27/classroom-uses-drama-therapy-to-help-stu/

• http://www.cany.org/