`The book is well researched and provides a solid overview′ - Therapy Today `Dorothy Langley′s book offers a valuable overview of dramatherapy in all its applications. It provides evidence of many years′ work as a teacher and practitioner. It is both clear and readable, and will serve as a useful introduction to this unique therapeutic approach for people in other healing professions, particularly psychiatry, as well as for the general reader′ - Roger Grainger, Senior Practitioner on the Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy, and State Registered Arts Therapist, Drama An Introduction to Dramatherapy is a concise introduction to the background, theory and practice of a method of therapy which uses the dramatic process to help people during times of stress, emotional upheaval, illness or disability. Illustrated throughout with vivid examples from dramatherapy sessions, the book shows how drama can be used in an intentional and directional way to achieve constructive change with individuals or groups. In particular, the book highlights the power of drama as a therapeutic medium because of its foundations in metaphor, power which can be harnessed through the use of techniques such as role play, enactment, story-telling and the use of puppets and masks. An Introduction to Dramatherapy provides a welcome overview for readers who are new to the field and an excellent starting point for further study.

Beginning with a history of dramatherapy, Salvo Pitruzzella goes on to examine the issues of identity, and the mediation between the internal and external worlds.

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.

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 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.

Dramatherapy is being increasingly practised in a range of therapeutic settings and is of growing interest to theatre practitioners and teachers. The Handbook of Dramatherapy brings together five authors who have considerable experience of clinical, artistic and educational work to provide an easy-to-read introduction to the major models of dramatherapy. The authors explain the differences between dramatherapy and psychodrama, discuss its relationship with theatre art, look at assessment and evaluation techniques, and argue the need for more appropriate methods of research for this increasingly popular form of therapeutic treatment. The Handbook of Dramatherapy provides a comprehensive basis for theory and practice and will be an invaluable resource for all students of dramatherapy and theatre.

Supervision of Dramatherapy offers a thorough overview of dramatherapy supervision and the issues that can arise during the supervisory task. Phil Jones and Ditty Dokter bring together experts from the field to examine supervision in a range of contexts with different client groups, including dramatherapy with children, forensic work, and intercultural practice. Each chapter features: theoretical grounding the importance of action methods position in the professional lifecycle application in relation to setting and client groups. Using illustrative examples, Supervision of Dramatherapy provides practical guidance and theoretical grounding, appealing to supervisors and supervisees alike, as well as psychotherapists interested in the use of dramatic methods in the supervisory setting.

As an emerging psychotherapeutic discipline, drama therapy has been gaining global attention over the last decade for its demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of child and adolescent populations. However, despite this attention and despite the current turbulent state of the world and the increasing population of disturbed and at-risk children, the field of drama therapy has so far lacked a standard text. Weber and Haen’s book fills this need, providing a core text for graduate students and established professionals alike. Clinical Applications of Drama Therapy in Child and Adolescent Treatment is guided by theory, but firmly rooted in practice, providing a survey of the many different possibilities and techniques for incorporating drama therapy within child and adolescent therapy. More than merely a survey of the existing literature on drama therapy, this text represents a true expansion of the field: one which articulates the breadth of possibilities and applications for drama therapy in the larger context of psychotherapy.

Foreword from Roger Grainger and an afterword from Sue Jennings Roger is very well known in the UK, and Sue Jennings has worldwide renown (both are Brunner-Routledge authors) Salvo Pitruzzella is well-known in the field of dramatherapy in Europe.

Drama, Creativity and Intersubjectivity presents a new theoretical approach to dramatherapy. The book examines the key concepts of creativity and intersubjectivity in detail, through a comparison of their manifestations in children’s life and the major scientific studies and developing research in the fields. Linking these concepts, Salvo Pitruzzella argues that 'identity' as a construct is now outmoded, and needs to be replaced with a more relational model. His ideas impact on dramatherapy theory, updating its basic tenets, and providing insight into how it practically works, with a focus on imagination as a major tool to support change. Drama, Creativity and Intersubjectivity will appeal to dramatherapists in training and practice, as well as other professionals in the field of arts therapies, plus those with a general interest in Creative Arts Therapies.