Drama Therapy Principles & Techniques for Play Therapists

Teresa Dias, MA, LMHC, RPT,

Eliana Gil, Ph.D., RPT-S

Course Description:

This skill-building master class will demonstrate the natural interplay between drama and play therapies. The presenters will teach a number of basic drama therapy techniques including warm-up and mirroring (good for coregulation), embodying and expressing affect (for mind body connection), and movement (to oxygenate and engage the physical self). In addition, we will discuss the use of dramatic role-play when initiated by a child and/or therapist, and how that activity bolsters relational connectedness in play therapy. Finally, we will highlight how to use enlivened storytelling to capture a child's imagination and facilitate enhanced investment and participation. There will be an active experiential component in this 4-hour master class, and play therapists will have ample opportunity to practice new skills and develop feelings of competency regarding integrating drama therapy strategies with play therapy approaches.

No previous acting or drama therapy experience is required.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Name 2 drama therapy principles that resonate with play therapy
  • List 2 drama therapy techniques that could be used at the outset of play therapy sessions to regulate children
  • List 2 reasons mirroring can be helpful in play therapy sessions
  • Identify 2 variables that can make therapeutic story-telling more attractive to play therapy clients
  • Name 2 helpful variables in drama therapy that can bolster the play therapy-client relationship

References:

Jones, P. (2007). Drama as therapy: Theory, practice, and research, Vol. 1., NY: Taylor and Francis

Jones, P. (2010). Drama as therapy: Clinical work and research into practice, Vol. 2, NY: Routledge

Weber, A. M. & Haen, C. (Eds.), (2005). Drama therapy in child and adolescent therapy. NY: Brunner-Routledge

Feniger-Schaal, R., & Orkibi, H. (2020). Integrative systematic review of drama therapy intervention research. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14(1), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000257

Pendzik, S. (2006). On dramatic reality and its therapeutic function in drama therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 33(4), 271–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2006.03.001

Haen, C. (2020). The roles of metaphor and imagination in child trauma treatment. Journal of Infant, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy

Haen, C. (2019). Creative arts-based approaches to adolescent group therapy: The state of the art. In C. Haen & N. Boyd Webb (Eds.), Creative arts-based group therapy with adolescents: Theory and practice.

Grievance Policy

STI seeks to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please submit a written grievance to: Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, Director of Starbright Training Institute. Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com   Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com

Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems. 

There is no known commercial support nor conflict of interest for this program.