Drama Therapy for Children in Manchester
What is Dramatherapy?
Dramatherapy is a form of Psychotherapy. Drama therapists are clinically trained therapists that draw on their knowledge of theatre and therapy to include drama, story-making, music, movement, and art to therapy to support clients with a range of difficulties. Dramatherapy can also involve non-verbal communication such as using movement or embodiment to explore a particular area.
Clients are able to explore a wide variety of different issues and needs from neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD, anxiety and depression, trauma and abuse through a cast of characters for example. This grants the client power over how much they identify explicitly with such characters*, allowing for a freedom in their journey of discovery, leading to psychological, emotional and social changes leading to psychological, emotional and social changes.
Drama therapists are registered and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) having undertaken a Masters level training with an approved course at a university. Many are trained supervisors and are often employed to offer supervision to community artists employed in arts in health and wellbeing roles.
How does dramatherapy work?
A drama therapist will first assess your needs and consider, with you, approaches that might best meet those needs. Drama therapy can take many forms depending on individual and group needs, skill and ability levels, interests, and therapeutic goals. Processes and techniques may include improvisations, theatre games, storytelling, and enactment.
Drama therapy uses play, embodiment, projection, role, story, metaphor, empathy, distancing, witnessing, performance, and improvisation to help people make meaningful change.
Who Can Benefit from Dramatherapy?
Our drama therapists trust the creative energy within every person, irrespective of notions of skill or experience in the arts, even if it has become hidden. Searching for it can be the key to healing and growth, whatever your issues are.
Dramatherapy is for everyone, of all ages. You do not have to be “good” at acting to benefit from dramatherapy!
Dramatherapy can help with many different difficulties including:
- Difficulties with social skills
- Trauma, PTSD and abuse
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Self-esteem
- ‘unhelpful’ patterns of behaviour
- Grief and loss
- Phobias
- Stress
- Social anxiety
- Frustration
- Conflict
- Confusion
- Relationships
How can I access dramatherapy?
To access drama therapy with The Retreat Clinics, please complete a self-referral form click here .