Sometimes words just aren’t enough to express the extent of our feelings. We need metaphor, images, creative writing or expressive movement to gain greater awareness of ourselves and connect on a deeper level. We all have times of adjustment in our lives that may feel stressful and difficult to deal with. Using an experiential approach such as drama therapy can be a powerful way to integrate mind, body and spirit.
We tend to live a lot of the time in the logical, left brain, leaving the emotion-filled creative right brain in the shadow of our childhood. Sometimes we get stuck in limited roles and forget that there are many parts to who we are as individuals. This may leave us feeling empty, incomplete or unseen. A specialization within the Creative Arts Therapies (also referred to as Expressive Arts Therapy), Drama Therapy allows for a safe and supportive space to improvise and rehearse the roles and experiences we want to integrate more into our lives in order to feel whole, creating a new narrative for our lives.
What is Drama Therapy?
“Drama therapy is the intentional use of drama and/or theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals. Drama therapy is active and experiential. This approach can provide the context for participants to tell their stories, set goals and solve problems, express feelings, or achieve catharsis. Through drama, the depth and breadth of inner experience can be actively explored and interpersonal relationship skills can be enhanced. Participants can expand their repertoire of dramatic roles to find that their own life roles have been strengthened.” – North American Drama Therapy Association
Drama therapy uses both verbal and non-verbal approaches such as art, improvisation, music, photography, poetry, script writing, and/or movement, making it uniquely useful in figuring out how to verbally communicate feelings that may be hard to identify. It may help individuals see a new path, by experiencing it in a playful way. Evidence shows that feelings get stuck in the body, resulting in physical, emotional and spiritual distress. Using a mind/body approach allows these feelings an opportunity to release what is being held.
Upcoming Creative Arts Therapy Group:
Surviving COVID-19: A Mom’s Monologue Group
This group will support moms in sharing the challenges and victories they have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone in survival mode, there has been little time for moms to slow down and process their experiences. This group will utilize shared stories and prompts to generate a series of monologues in a safe and supportive environment to process the last year.
Cost: $270
Length of group: 6 weeks
April 10th – May 15th
Saturdays, 1pm-2:30pm
Where: Online (California residents only)
Registration closes April 7th. Space is limited.
Please note that this is a support group and not a psychotherapy group.
Are you ready to engage your creativity and begin the healing process? Email me or call my Burbank office for a free 15 minute consultation.
