An Introduction To Dramatherapy

`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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

Robert Landy has assembled a collection of essays which encompasses his experience as a dramatherapist. The concept of 'double life' can be seen to be a central theme running through the work - encapsulating the dramatherapist's need to balance the issues of theory, practice and personal growth. The range of essays includes both theory and practice. Landy tackles issues of training and research, examines concepts - such as that of role - in dramatherapy and presents case studies, such as the ambitious 'The Double Life - A Case of Bipolar Disorder'. Uniting entirely new material with some of Landy's most respected work, this collection will be of enduring importance to dramatherapists, teachers and students of dramatherapy, and all those with an interest in creative arts expression.

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.