What Is Drama Therapy?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Drama Therapy?How It WorksBenefitsWhy It’s AppealingWhere It’s OfferedBecoming a Drama Therapist

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Drama Therapy?

How It Works

Benefits

Why It’s Appealing

Where It’s Offered

Becoming a Drama Therapist

Close

Expressive or creative therapies, such as drama therapy, are a unique way to deal with problems, express yourself, set goals, and gain confidence. Amongst theexpressive therapies, drama therapy offers a forum to try on new roles, learn new ways of relating, and express how you feel.

Drama therapy combines drama andpsychotherapymethods to offer new ways to express what you are thinking or feeling in order to cope more effectively with behavioral and emotional problems.

No previous experience or dramatic training is needed to participate. A registered drama therapist (RDT) facilitates this specialized type of therapy.

Depending on the therapeutic goals, drama therapy can take on many forms and include a range of techniques, including:

Here’s an example: If you’re having a significant conflict with a sibling, you may be asked to role-play a scene in which you pretend to be your sibling and speak from their perspective.

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Drama therapy has been found effective in the general population as well as among the following:

Drama therapy can be beneficial in many ways, including helping people to:

Drama therapy can feel like playing, as you rehearse new ways of being or acting. Other reasons why it’s appealing include:

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Drama therapy is just one form of expressive or creative therapy that can help draw on your creative abilities and personal expression. Other types of expressive therapy to consider include:

Where Is Drama Therapy Offered?

According to theNorth American Drama Therapy Association, registered drama therapists work in multiple mental health and community settings, including:

How to Become a Registered Drama Therapist

To become a registered drama therapist, you’ll need a master’s degree in psychology or a related field, as well as coursework in drama therapy. RDTs must also go through a supervised internship, have experience in theater, and be board-certified in drama therapy.

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Keep in Mind

If you’d like to explore drama therapy, ask your doctor or therapist to help connect you with a practitioner in your community. You’ll also want to check your health insurance benefits to determine if drama therapy sessions are covered or reimbursable under your plan, or if you need a referral.

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1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.North American Drama Therapy Association.What is drama therapy?Additional ReadingOrkibi H, Feniger-schaal R.Integrative systematic review of psychodrama psychotherapy research: Trends and methodological implications.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(2):e0212575. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0212575

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.North American Drama Therapy Association.What is drama therapy?Additional ReadingOrkibi H, Feniger-schaal R.Integrative systematic review of psychodrama psychotherapy research: Trends and methodological implications.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(2):e0212575. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0212575

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

North American Drama Therapy Association.What is drama therapy?

Orkibi H, Feniger-schaal R.Integrative systematic review of psychodrama psychotherapy research: Trends and methodological implications.PLoS ONE. 2019;14(2):e0212575. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0212575

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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