What is drama therapy?
Drama therapy uses action to facilitate creativity, imagination, learning, insight and growth. Like other creative arts therapies, including art and music therapy, which uses the form of art to springboard for deeper and more meaningful emotional exploration work.
Drama therapy was borne out of the notion that some painful life experiences are too difficult to express through normal verbal dialogue. Drama therapists support individuals to engage in drama activities such as stories, play texts and improvisation to explore and address difficult and painful life experiences or make troubling issues more bearable through an indirect approach.
You do not need to have previous experience or skill in acting, theatre or drama, to effectively engage in drama therapy.
It can often be a very cathartic way of working through painful emotions and past traumas. It can be used to support individuals with a variety of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, addiction, interpersonal difficulties and more.
How does drama therapy work?
Drama therapy is a process of working and playing, using action as an experiential approach to promote change.
The session will be led by an experienced drama therapist, who will guide individuals through a variety of purposeful activities. These activities can include storytelling, role-playing, puppetry, games, improvisation and script use.
Participants will usually be able to act out desired behaviours, roles and relationships, allowing them to perform the way in which they wish to see in their lives.
Drama therapy is usually carried out in a group setting, and can also be useful for couples, families and other groups.
Benefits of drama therapy can include:
- Positive behavioural changes
- Improved interpersonal and social skills
- Healthy expression of feelings and emotions
- Gives clarity to experiences
- Expanded communication and understanding
- Instils confidence
Drama therapy at Nightingale Hospital London
At Nightingale Hospital, here in London, drama therapy is offered in a group setting as part of our inpatient programme.
Drama therapy has supported many individuals suffering from mental health conditions by being an outlet for their feelings and emotions.
Interested in working at Nightingale Hospital?
Are you an accredited drama therapist and interested in working at Nightingale Hospital?
Visit our careers page to see if we have any vacancies, or get in touch with our HR team to submit an expression of interest.
