Drama Therapy Review - Volume 2, Issue 1, 2016

This article explores the effects of racial assumptions, biases and stereotyping in therapeutic practice and how drama therapeutic tools might foster resistance to racist socialization among therapists. A review of relevant literature reveals a pressing need for programs, supervision and curricula that specifically address the potentially detrimental and traumatic effects of ‘isms’ (e.g. racism, classism, sexism) and ‘phobias’ (e.g. homophobia, Islamophobia) in the therapeutic encounter. This article proposes three exercises that draw on the projective, embodied and relational foundations of drama therapy towards challenging bias and moving towards just practices.

This research sought to identify whether the glass escalator was occurring in the profession of drama therapy. A survey asking registered drama therapists (RDTs) to identify rates of advancement between career levels was completed by 34 per cent of those polled. Independent samples t-tests exploring gender differences in the career rate of advancement determined no glass escalator effect on attainment of supervisory and upper-level clinical positions; however, results are inconclusive for subsequent conditions. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses produced three gender-relevant categories. Qualitative and quantitative data are discussed with regard to implications for the profession and avenues for further research.

Drawing on survey research conducted in music therapy, the purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes, strengths and limitations in the field of drama therapy with regard to working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQI) and gender nonconforming (GNC) communities and to identify implications for training, research and the practice of drama therapy. A total of 136 respondents met the inclusion criteria. Results indicate that the majority of drama therapists hold an open and affirming attitude towards gender diversity and sexual orientation. Yet, discrepancies remain concerning the training received, overall level of preparedness, and participation in supervision specific to working with LGBTQI and GNC clients. Ongoing training and supervision is needed to bridge the gap between affirming attitudes and actions.

Stigma, a negative attribute projected onto an individual or group different from the ‘norm’, is a continuing problem for people with disabilities. Health care workers need to become aware of their own tendencies to stigmatize and challenge them during their education. This article presents a case study of an integrated classroom approach involving education about stigma, engagement in basic drama therapy sessions with people with disabilities, and reflection on experiences to achieve a positive attitude change.

Acculturation is a complicated and evolving process. International performing arts students in New York City face particular stressors during their acculturation to the United States. Through the use of Image Theatre, the author examined the acculturation experiences of five Taiwanese international students in the performing arts. Seven themes emerged: acculturation stress in educational setting; social isolation and feelings of otherness; the role of gossip; acceptance; the importance of reaching towards one’s dreams; alliance and reliance; and togetherness.

This article provides a case example of individual drama therapy in a psychiatric hospital in Germany. A case study on the use of the role method, and specifically the Hero’s Journey, with a middle-aged, female diagnosed with personality and anxiety disorder is presented. The participant endorsed the utility of this approach in helping her experience relief and a sense of control over her presenting symptoms. Further research into the efficacy of the role method in individual drama therapy is needed in order to promote the use of such treatment within the context of the local mental health system.

Cross-cultural counselling is imperative in the training of any therapist, yet there are no educational models based on drama therapy techniques. The author explores the need for an embodied multicultural self-assessment for drama therapy students and presents an approach that incorporates Robert Landy’s role theory and Pamela A. Hays’ ADDRESSING framework.

The Act of Killing (2012) has been both praised for its innovative approach to documentary film-making and criticized for its historical ‘inaccuracies’ and potential ethical problems. This article offers a new reading of the documentary through a drama therapy lens, highlighting the performativity of the perpetrators and history itself, the power of role reversals towards collective healing by bringing one closer to the horror of their actions, and the importance of disrupting traditional genocide narratives for the viewing audience. This analysis points to new directions in working directly with perpetrators of mass violence and trauma.

Therapists Creating a Cultural Tapestry: Using the Creative Therapies across Cultures, Stephanie L. Brooke and Charles E. Myers (eds) (2015) Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers Ltd, 328 pp., ISBN: 9780398081287, h/bk $62.95 ISBN: 9780398081294, e-book