What is Dramatherapy?

Dramatherapy is an expressive form of psychotherapy which uses creative mediums in order to communicate and explore feelings and issues. 

Dramatherapy is not about performing and no previous experience or interest in performing arts or drama is necessary.

All the work is confidential as with any form of psychotherapy or counselling.

Dramatherapy is an evidenced based approach and one of the four recognised and accredited Creative Arts Psychotherapies (Drama, Dance & Movement, Art and Music). In the UK Dramatherapist’s are required to complete recognised professional training at MA level in order to work, as well as registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Only those who fulfil these criteria can use the title Dramatherapist.

Although Dramatherapy has been around since before the 1960’s, due to substantial research in the last two decades it is now seen readily in many settings including:

• Mainstream Schools
• Special Schools
• Mental Health Settings 
• NHS & Private Hospitals
• Prisons
• Voluntary Sector
• Adult Care Homes
• Child Care Homes 
• Young Carers Organisations
• Adoption and fostering agencies

Dramatherapy offers people of all ages and ability the opportunity to work creatively with their thoughts and feelings through play, stories, drawing,  poetry and text, painting, clay , music, role play, improvisation, mask work, movement, puppetry and sand tray work. Working within the metaphor can mean the person can explore the trauma without being re-traumatised.

Safe environment

The Dramatherapist creates a safe contained environment for the person to explore what they desire at their own pace. They work alongside that person to help them find an understanding, to build resilience and confidence through building the therapeutic relationship.

What are the differences between Drama and Education and Dramatherapy?

Dramatherapy is a psychological therapy. This means that the process of the therapy and the relationship between the client and the therapist are of prime importance. During their training, Dramatherapist’s gain an in-depth understanding of how to combine the art form with psychotherapy practice.

Referrals can come from Parents & Carers, Teachers, SENCOs, Teaching assistants, Doctors, Psychologists and other staff in children’s settings and reasons for referral cover a wide range of circumstances. 

They can include;

Emotional Issues such as trauma, abuse, loss or bereavement, attachment issues, bullying, changes in home life such as foster care and adoption.

Behavioural Issues such as violent behaviour towards others, anger issues, bullying, swearing, destruction of property, stealing, self-harm.

Learning Difficulties mild, moderate, severe, profound and complex including those on the Autistic Spectrum.

Speech & Communication Difficulties including non-verbal and children who suffer from Selective Mutism..

Social Issues such as the need to improve empathy, listening skills, ability in working with other children, interaction with others, expressing feelings.

Mental Health Issues such as depression, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders amongst others.

First steps.

The person who is referring will have a consultation on the phone with the therapist to discuss the child/young person. If the therapist feels this is a correct referral then a referral will be sent through email for the parent/carer to fill in. Once this has been done a second follow up call will be made where a more in-depth discussion with the parents/carers will be completed. Within this an assessment tool will be used if appropriate called RCADs which assesses Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Major depression, Obsessive Compulsive, SocPial Phobia and Panic Disorder. This assessment is used by CAMhs and so if the therapist feels the child needs to be seen by a Psychiatrist this assessment can be part of the referral. The therapist can refer to other professionals with the parent/carer permission and will work alongside other professionals such as CAMhs in supporting the young person. A Dramatherapist is not able to diagnose but can explain what they have observed in the child and wonder if they may have a certain difficulty that is needing extra support and communicate this to the relevant professionals. 

If for any reason Dramatherapy isn’t the right place for that young person, the therapist will support parents/carers to find alternative help. 

Introductory session

This first session is where the Dramatherapist meets the child / young person at the Orchard Centre. This sessions aim is for the child to meet the therapist, understand why they have been referred into the service and whether they feel this is right for them. Parents can be in the therapy room with their child or they can wait in the waiting room, this depends on how parents and how the child is feeling. The therapist will explain what Dramatherapy is, how she can help the young person, that the service is confidential except when there is a safeguarding matter and hopefully have some fun playing games or finding ways of getting to know that child. The Dramatherapist will use a number of different techniques to support the beginning of the relationship with the child. 

If the child/young person and parents/carer are happy to continue, then a second session will be organised. All paperwork which includes Data protection and Safeguarding procedures will be given.  Aims and Objectives will be set and agreed between parents and children. This might go into the second session and some children/young people like a little more time to decide on whether they want to begin the work. It is vital that the young person/child feels that they want to do the work and the therapist is right for them. 

The parent/carer/school/nhs/council will have agreed in advance how many sessions a child is able to have. If the therapist feels after the six-week assessment process that more sessions are needed, then the therapist will discuss this with the person/organisation that is paying. 

If a referral is made for example a child who has suffered domestic abuse for many years and they are struggling, a small amount of sessions will not be suffice as the young person will need to learn to trust the therapist first before they are able to work through the trauma, this can take different children/young people different times depending on their attachment style. However, the therapist will discuss this in the phone consultation.  

Second- sixth session- As the therapist is child led, the child/ young person will be able to choose what they want to do in their sessions. The therapist will offer direction and will ask the young person to complete assessments that support the work, but this is not forced upon a child/ young person. The therapist will always work at the pace of the child/young person. If an assessment such as the child RCADS is completed within the session, the therapist will always explain what the assessment is about and that is just helping the therapist to understand where there might be some difficulties so the therapist can support the child. If an assessment shows they have severe difficulties, the therapist won’t label the child with a diagnosis but speak to them saying that the assessment has shown that they struggle in a certain area and would they agree. 

If at any time there is a safeguarding issue or if the therapist feels that the child/ young person needs to be seen by a Psychiatrist or another CAMhs practitioner/professional then the therapist will refer . The parents/carer will be spoken to about this and permission granted, the only time permission is not needed if the child would be put at risk if the parents were linked to the safeguarding issue. 

Six-week review- This will be discussed with the child/young person before the review and agreed as to what the therapist can share. Children/young person can be involved in this review or if it’s deemed more helpful then a meeting can be set up with just the parent/carer. If social services/ teachers are involved they will also be asked to attend. 

The Dramatherapist is always open to parents/carer/ teachers/ doctors who are involved with the child to communicate. This helps as it supports the child/young person in all aspects of their life. Of course the parent/carer would have given permission for the therapist to be involved with the other professionals unless there is a safeguarding matter and then permission is not needed.