The Power of Drama Therapy
Drama therapy offers a unique and powerful form of healing. By harnessing the expressive potential of drama and performance, this therapeutic approach invites individuals to explore their feelings, experiences, and relationships in a safe and creative environment. Whether through improvisation, role-playing, or storytelling, drama therapy offers a dynamic space for self-discovery, emotional expression, and personal growth.
We interviewed clinician Taylor Beckman, LCAT to learn the benefits of drama therapy, exploring how it fosters connection, builds resilience, and ultimately transforms lives.
1. What is drama therapy?
Drama therapy combines the creative elements of drama and performance with traditional therapeutic practices. Imagine using acting, storytelling, and role-playing to explore emotions and experiences in a safe space. Being in a theater production can be therapeutic and through evidence based research, the benefits of drama and embodiment goes beyond the scope of being on a stage. Some popular drama therapy techniques include psychodrama, embodiment and improvisation, projective techniques (storytelling, masks, puppets, found objects) and developmental transformations (DvT).
2. What are the therapeutic benefits of expressing emotions through drama?
“You’re so dramatic,” might be something we hear in the real world with negative connotations. In drama therapy, we encourage clients to lean into the embodied way that they experience emotions.
Think about the different spaces that you inhabit, whether that be your workplace or a family gathering. Do you show up to all your spaces in the exact same way? As people, we naturally inhabit different roles based on the environments we are in. The therapeutic space allows the client to use the roles they play in their lives to better understand the world around them. Through expanding one’s own role repertoire and by accepting the multitudes that make up a person, the rigidity of perception of one’s own self melts away.
3. How does drama therapy help clients who struggle with verbal communication of their feelings?
A core process of drama therapy stems from the use of embodiment as a form of healing - this means using one’s body to express or understand what they’re feeling. Tapping into the mind/body, especially when words do not come as easily, can be incredibly powerful. For example, in my work with folks with eating disorders, the impact of trauma can change the way a person sees themself. For some, the trauma creates a perception of not feeling safe in the body. By slowly reconnecting and rebuilding the relationship with one’s body, we can reframe past beliefs and better understand the signals the body is trying to convey.
4. How can drama therapy help clients process trauma?
The research surrounding drama as trauma-informed drama therapy and embodied practice can be found in a recently published book by Nisha Sajnani and David Read Johnson entitled Trauma Informed Drama Therapy.
A core concept of drama therapy stems from the practice of aesthetic distance. In drama therapy, there is a continuum or a tight rope that can be ridden while moving a story. The therapist’s job is to tow the line between fictional and nonfictional, from direct to indirect, and perhaps even inquire about difficult experiences. A client may not be ready to speak openly about the impact of their trauma, thus achieving this aesthetic distance can make the therapeutic process feel safer and be ultimately more effective.
5. What types of drama therapy techniques are most effective in helping clients explore and release suppressed emotions?
I have found the use of projective techniques to be helpful in exploring emotions or beliefs. For example, I might have a client create a puppet based on their inner child and then have them speak from the role of the child. By projecting one’s thoughts and beliefs “as if” they are the puppet, thoughts and feelings start to emerge.
People are more likely to remember a story or metaphor as opposed to facts. A person might recall their favorite childhood story and then we can use that story in session to explore beliefs and relationships either to oneself or to others. I might even invite a client to write a monologue from the perspective of a character from that story. Storytelling as a therapeutic tool can unearth emotions while also creating aesthetic distance to express particularly uncomfortable feelings.
6. What would you tell a potential client who is nervous about trying this type of therapy?
It’s okay to feel nervous. It makes sense that trying something new for the first time can leave you feeling a sense of apprehension. People might have some preconceived notions around “drama” but it does not mean that you will be engaging in public speaking (unless that is a goal you are trying to work towards).
7. Is it possible for someone who is not particularly creative or artistic to engage in this type of therapy?
100%. No prior theater experience is required to engage creatively in drama therapy. Drama therapy does not discriminate based on age, ability, population or any other identity marker. The adaptability of drama therapy can take different shapes for every individual, so it’s important to share creative interests when deciding what drama therapy modality you want to explore.
In conclusion, drama therapy offers a transformative approach to healing and self-discovery. This approach allows us to dive deep into our emotions in ways that can feel less daunting than traditional talk therapy. The therapeutic benefits may be great for those who struggle with verbal communication or are processing trauma. By engaging in role-play, storytelling, and embodied practices, individuals can gain new perspectives on their lives, reconnect with their bodies, and explore complex emotions in a safe environment.
Anyone, regardless of their creative background, can find a space for expression and growth through drama therapy.