Practical Approaches to Dramatherapy is derived from the authors' experiences of working with dramatherapy in a range of different situations. It focuses on the flexibility of the applications of dramatherapeutic principles. The book provides a comprehensive account of the history, theory and practice of drama and its therapeutic use. The authors explain the shape of a session, how dramatherapy works, and how it can be interpreted via myth, symbol and psychological theory. Work with individuals and groups is described, as are sessions with masks, improvisation, and use of scripts. The reader is encouraged to incorporate dramatherapy approaches into a variety of existing ways of working: for example, in socials skills groups, assertiveness training and anger management. Highlighting the potential scope of dramatherapy and providing practical examples and advice, Practical Approaches to Dramatherapy extends the boundaries of dramatherapy practice.

This third edition of Current Approaches in Drama Therapy offers a revised and updated comprehensive compilation of the primary drama therapy methods and models that are being utilized and taught in the United States and Canada. Two new approaches have been added, Insight Improvisation by Joel Gluck, and the Miss Kendra Program by David Read Johnson, Nisha Sajnani, Christine Mayor, and Cat Davis, as well as an established but not previously recognized approach in the field, Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance, by Susana Pendzik. The book begins with an updated chapter on the development of the profession of drama therapy in North America, followed by a chapter on the current state of the field written by the editors and Jason Butler. Section II includes the 13 drama therapy approaches, and Section III includes the three related disciplines of Psychodrama and Sociodrama, Playback Theatre, and Theatre of the Oppressed that have been particularly influential to drama therapists. This highly informative and indispensable volume is structured for drama therapy training programs. It will continue to be useful as a basic text of drama therapy for both students and seasoned practitioners, including mental health professionals (such as counselors, clinical social workers, psychologists, creative arts therapists, occupational therapists), theater and drama teachers, school counselors, and organizational development consultants.

Drama as Therapydescribes and defines dramatherapy, providing in one volume a definition of the core processes at work in dramatherapy, a clear description of how to structure sessions, a thorough review of techniques and a wide range of examples from clinical practice. At the heart of the book is a definition of the nine core processes which define how and why dramatherapy can offer the opportunity for change. Also included are step-by-step breakdowns of the ways of working with a broad range of clients. Dramatherapy's approach to role, play, mask, ritual, performance and script are all described. The book includes extensive historical material from the 1920s to the present day, covering work in the US, the UK, Russia and the Netherlands. It challenges previous accounts of dramatherapy's history with details of Evreinov's Theatrotherapy, Iljine's work in Russia and interviews with innovators in the field, including Peter Slade, Sue Jennings and Marion Lindquvist.

Dramatherapy with Children, Young People and Schools is the first book to specifically evaluate the unique value of dramatherapy in the educational environment. A variety of highly experienced dramatherapists, educational psychologists and childhood experts discuss the benefits to the children and young people, and also in relation to the involvement of teachers, the multi-disciplinary team and families. This professional book offers a panoramic view to explain how through dramatherapy children and young people develop their communication skills, sociability and their actual desire to learn. Detailed case studies demonstrate individual successes in youngsters experiencing a range of emotional difficulties and psychological needs. These studies include: conquering a fear of maths; violent behaviour transformed into educational achievement; safe expression of feelings for a sexually abused child; and where children are diagnosed with mental health disorders such as ADHD and ODD, where the benefits of dramatherapy with children and families are carefully described and evaluated, suggesting that this therapeutic discipline can achieve positive outcomes. The practical advice and inspirational results included here promote a future direction of integration and collaboration of school staff, multi-disciplinary teams and families. Education and equality are high on the agenda, and the function of dramatherapy is not just as a treatment, but as an economically viable and valuable preventive therapy.

Written by the directors of the world's major training programmes in dramatherapy, this book presents their approach to and theory of brief dramatherapy, which is offered in treatment settings for acute or chronic in-patient populations and out-patient or community health settings with a maintenance, rehabilitation or personal development purpose.

Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 1 introduces the reader to the basic issues of dramatherapy and offers a highly authoritative guide to the clinical practitioner or teacher who wishes to use role-play and enactment in the context of therapeutic work. With its companion volume Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 2, it provides an invaluable resource for all those whose work can benefit from the use of dramatherapy including counsellors, nurses and occupational therapists.

How is dramatherapy practised? What does research reveal about how dramatherapy offers therapeutic change? This book examines the many ways clients and therapists explore the therapeutic possibilities of drama. Whilst the first volume combined theory, practice and research in the field, this second volume concentrates on clinical material from a range of contexts, with thorough description and analysis of therapeutic work. Bringing together international contributors, chapters explore work with various client groups in an array of contexts, including: work with clients with learning disabilities, dementia, HIV and cancer work with children, adults, older adults, families and women's groups contexts including the justice system, education, family therapy and neurorehabilitation. Drama as Therapy Volume 2: Clinical Work and Research into Practice is not only a welcome companion to the first volume, but also is an important stand alone work which will be of great interest to all those studying, practicing or with an interest in dramatherapy.

Dramatherapy uses the healing aspects of drama and theatre as part of the therapeutic process and is increasingly required to supply evidence of its effectiveness. This book aims to provide an evidence base for practice with destructive clients, and raise the profile of dramatherapy as a distinct therapeutic intervention in this field. Dramatherapy and Destructiveness discusses working with those suffering from conduct disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and personality disorders. Divided into three parts, topics of discussion include: theory and research underpinning the understanding of working with destructiveness in-depth case studies of dramatherapy with a wide range of clients analysis and evaluation of the evidence base for dramatherapy with these clients guidelines for best practice Dramatherapy and Destructiveness covers a wide range of client groups, settings, methods and therapeutic approaches. As well as being an invaluable resource for dramatherapists, this book will be of interest to other therapists, health professionals, social workers, teachers and artists.

Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 2 provides both clinician and theatre artist with a basic overview of recent developments in dramatherapy. The international contributors, all practising dramatherapists or psychotherapists, offer a wide variety of perspectives from contrasting theoretical backgrounds, showing how it is possible to integrate a dramatherapeutic approach into many different ways of working towards mental health.

Using extensive examples from practice with a range of client groups, Dramatherapy and Autism confronts the assumption that people with autism are not able to function within the metaphorical realms of the imagination and creativity. It demonstrates that not only are people who function along the spectrum capable of engaging in creative exploration, but that through encountering these processes in the clinical context of dramatherapy, changes can be made that are life enhancing. Bringing in cutting-edge research and practice on dramatherapy, Dramatherapy and Autism aims to contribute to developing the theory and practice of creative arts therapies interventions with clients with autism. The book is part of the Dramatherapy: approaches, relationships, critical ideas series, in which leading practitioners and researchers in the field develop the knowledge base of this unique discipline, whilst contextualising and acknowledging its relationship with other arts and therapeutic practices. Dramatherapy and Autism will be of interest to a broad spectrum of readers, such as dramatherapists in practice and training, arts practitioners and academic researchers engaged in multidisciplinary enquiry.