WHAT IS DRAMA & MOVEMENT THERAPY
Drama and Movement based therapeutic practices are embodied modalities which are active and experiential.
This therapeutic coaching approach can provide the context for participants to:
- Tell their stories
- Set goals and solve problems
- Express feelings
- Achieve catharsis
Through dramatic activities such as:
- Role playing
- Enactments
- Movement and expressive Dance
- Drama games
- Storytelling
- Puppets
- Mask work…
The depth and breadth of inner experience can be actively explored and interpersonal relationship skills can be enhanced.
WHY WOULD I CHOOSE DRAMA & MOVEMENT THERAPY?
Drama and Movement therapy are embodied therapeutic practices which are active, engaged and experiential. Clients using this method will often find that it gives them the distance they need from the challenging or traumatic issue they are working through so they can approach it in a more non threatening way.
Common activities used in this modality are
- Role playing different individuals in your life or aspects/ archetypes you find in yourself.
- Enactments of situations you may be in in the future with the therapist playing the antagonist and giving you the opportunity to practice your skills.
- Movement and expressive Dance. Using a variety of different types of music the therapist may guide the client through somatic movements to music that may body and emotion, experience or feeling that could be difficult to articulate verbally.
- Drama games. These are wildly fun and improvisational activities played between the client and therapist. They help to free the mind up and make space for the inner wisdom to come in.
- Puppets and Mask work. These artistic tools maybe a valuable resource of expression for someone who may feel stuck or uncomfortable being seen. The mask is a powerful way to connect to the body and to feel protected. Puppets can be a wonderful expression of aspects of ourselves that we don’t feel comfortable enacting.
With activities like the ones I mentioned above the depth and breadth of inner experience can be actively explored and interpersonal relationship skills can be enhanced in a safe and often playful way.
When using Drama therapeutic techniques we may make use of archetypes, text, performance, or ritual to enrich the therapeutic and creative process.
The theoretical foundation of drama therapy lies in drama, theater, psychology, psychotherapy, anthropology, play, and interactive and creative processes.
This therapeutic coaching approach can provide the context for participants to:
- Tell their stories
- Set goals and solve problems
- Express feelings
- Achieve catharsis
IS THERE DRAMA & MOVEMENT THERAPY IN BOULDER?
Yes! I offer drama therapy at the Actors Academy for the Performing Arts in Boulder, CO.
Note: I only do drama and movement therapy with clients who are inclined to do this type of work. But do keep in mind you DON’T need to be a performer or an artist to experience the benefits of this type of therapeutic practice. To get the most out of this work, it should be in person, so I only offer drama and movement therapy in for folks in and around Boulder County.
