Benefits of Drama Therapy | Steps to Recovery

Could You Benefit From This Holistic Health Treatment?

What Is Drama Therapy?

Drama therapy (a type of Mentalization Based Therapy or MBT) is an experiential form of creative and expressive therapy that uses drama and theatre techniques. It is designed to help individuals develop problem-solving skills, express themselves, gain confidence, feel less isolated, relate to others, better understand their experiences, explore other perspectives, develop healthy coping mechanisms, use imagination to practice reacting, set goals, and more.

Drama Therapy: How It Works

Only RGTs (Registered Drama Therapists) can administer drama therapy sessions. These sessions can take place in either an individual or group setting, depending on the client’s preferences and needs. Participants do not need any experience in drama or therapy to join.

Drama therapy sessions will usually consist of three parts: a warm-up, enactment, and sharing. However, there are many more techniques that fall into these three parts. Below are some of the strategies that RGTs use when conducting drama therapy sessions:

Drama exercises
Puppetry
Enactments
Role playing
Improvisation
Storytelling
Mirroring
Theatre games

How do these exercises actually work? While these techniques may seem playful and somewhat silly, they can really help us understand our own feelings and the feelings of others. For example, role playing is a common activity in group drama therapy. The RGT will ask one of the participants to act out a situation or conflict that they have been involved in, but from the opposing point of view. So if someone had an argument with their mother, they would play their mother in the role-playing scenario and another participant would play them. Each person will act out a different type of role to help participants take a look at all possible perspectives.

Who Drama Therapy Could Help

It is a common misconception that drama therapy is limited to children and actors. However, anyone in the general population could benefit from attending drama therapy. No matter who someone is, they have the opportunity to heal from telling their stories to an impartial audience.

Drama therapy may be especially helpful for…

Abuse survivors
At-risk youth
Dysfunctional families
People with developmental disabilities
Senior citizens
Homeless individuals
People with AIDS
People with behavioral health issues
Prison inmates
People recovering from addiction

This type of therapy is typically offered in intervention programs, group homes, inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, rehab facilities, wellness centers, hospitals, and more.

Drama Therapy & Substance Abuse Disorders

When it comes to addiction, drama therapy can help individuals develop new coping skills and use these techniques in place of certain substances. While drama therapy will not be effective for everyone who suffers from a substance abuse disorder, it is very likely to provide some sort of benefit. After all, this active type of therapy can do nothing but good things for your health.

To learn more about drama therapy and Addiction Treatment, contact our team of substance abuse treatment representatives and mental health specialists by giving us a call at 267.719.8528.