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Dramatherapy Jul06 Dfts.Qxd 30/05/2006 16:58 Page 1 langley_intro to dramatherapy_jul06_dfts.qxd 30/05/2006 16:58 Page 1 DramatherapyIntroduction to Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page i AN INTRODUCTION TO DRAMATHERAPY Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page ii CREATIVE THERAPIES IN PRACTICE The Creative Therapies in Practice series, edited by Paul Wilkins, introduces and explores a range of arts therapies, providing trainees and practitioners alike with a comprehensive overview of theory and practice. Drawing on case material to demonstrate the methods and techniques involved, the books are lively and informative introduc- tions to using the creative arts in therapeutic practice. Books in the series: Psychodrama Paul Wilkins Dance Movement Therapy Bonnie Meekums Music Therapy Rachel Darnley-Smith and Helen M. Patey Art Therapy David Edwards Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page iii AN INTRODUCTION TO DRAMATHERAPY Dorothy Langley SAGE Publications London ●●Thousand Oaks New Delhi Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page iv © Dorothy Langley 2006 First published 2006 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. SAGE Publications Ltd 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP SAGE Publications Inc. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B-42, Panchsheel Enclave Post Box 4109 New Delhi 110 017 British Library Cataloguing in Publication data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-10 0-7619-5976-9 ISBN-13 978-0-7619-5976-2 ISBN-10 0-7619-5977-7 (pbk) ISBN-13 978-0-7619-5977-9 (pbk) Library of Congress Control Number available Typeset by C&M Digitals (P) Ltd., Chennai, India Printed on paper from sustainable resources Printed in India by Gopsons Papers Ltd, Noida Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page v CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii Introduction ix 1 What is Dramatherapy? 1 2 Theory into Practice 19 3 Preparing for Dramatherapy 36 4 Beginning a Dramatherapy Session 59 5 Applying Dramatherapy 67 6 The Heart of Dramatherapy 84 7 Dramatherapy and ‘Mental Illness’ 103 8 Dramatherapy and Other Forms of Disorder of Mind 128 9 Other Client Groups and Dramatherapy 136 10 Conclusion 161 Suggested further reading 163 References 164 Index 169 Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page vi Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Iwould like to thank a number of people for their assistance: – Paul Wilkins, the series editor, for his help in producing this book and making valuable suggestions drawn from his broad knowledge of psychotherapy; – Leon Winston for reading several drafts of this work; – Georgette Zackey for keeping me to the task; – Anne Bannister, Di Gammage, Alida Gersie, Jessica Williams Saunders and Sarah Scoble for their helpful advice; – Members of Creative Connections, South West who have will- ingly shared their experiences – Paul Bateson, Mary Booker, Lynne Cook, Ian Hegginworth, Chris Hill, Sara Jarman, Hazel McMahan and Nik Pitcher. – The many clients, students and colleagues throughout my professional career from whom I have learned so much about the dynamics and process of dramatherapy. Above all I want to thank my husband, Gordon, for his tireless reading of so many drafts, his help with baffling technology and for his love and support throughout. Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page viii Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page ix INTRODUCTION T his book addresses five questions I am frequently asked: 1 What is dramatherapy? 2 What do dramatherapists do? 3 Who can benefit from dramatherapy? 4 Where do dramatherapists work? 5 How does one become a dramatherapist? It portrays the practice of dramatherapists and their clients as well as the dramatherapeutic process. Dramatherapists in the UK are professionals who are trained in both drama and therapy. They are regulated by the Health Professions Council (HPC) as Arts Therapists, jointly with Music, Art, and Dance Movement Therapists. From April 2003 ‘dramatherapist’ became a pro- tected title and it is now unlawful to call oneself a ‘dramatherapist’ unless registered with the HPC. As with other professional organisations, the British Association of Dramatherapists has some expectations and requirements of its practitioners, namely that: 1 Their training is approved and inspected by the Health Professions Council 2 Trained dramatherapists, as well as students, regularly review their practice with another experienced professional in a super- vision session 3 Dramatherapists engage in continued professional development after training to maintain levels of competence 4 They enter into personal therapy when it is required, in order not to confuse their own issues with those of their clients 5 They abide by a code of practice issued by the Association. Langley-3409-Prelims.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page x INTRODUCTION Personal therapy is important during training to deal with any personal issues that may cloud judgement as a therapist, and also to learn the therapy ‘from the inside’. Professional development after training allows one to continue learning informally and the code of practice ensures ethical behaviour. Throughout this book, vignettes describing examples of thera- peutic situations are described. Most of them are from my own experience, or occasionally from those of my colleagues. Names have been changed, situations amalgamated and fictionalised in order to preserve confidentiality. They are none-the-less typical of practice. x Langley-3409-Ch-01.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page 1 1 WHAT IS DRAMATHERAPY? ramatherapy is a method of therapy which uses the dramatic Dprocess to help people during times of stress, emotional upheaval or disability. The techniques of dramatherapy are described in detail in Chapter 2 but, broadly speaking and according to their applica- bility, they are the techniques of drama and theatre in all their many forms. These include role play, enaction (either using scripts or by improvisation), the use of puppets and masks, storytelling, the use of rituals and games and much, much more. In dramatherapy, the employment of drama and theatre as a medium for change during the course of illness, crisis or uncer- tainty, or to facilitate personal growth is intentional and is the essence of the approach. This intention differentiates it from other forms of dramatic activity. The therapeutic element is in the process of dramatic art, not the final enactment, so emphasis is on the expe- rience and not the standard of performance (Langley and Langley, 1983: 14). ‘Intention’ is the important word; change does not happen by chance. Theatre and drama can be randomly therapeutic because they raise awareness to issues, attitudes and one’s own emotions. There is value in this in other fields, such as education and social learning, but dramatherapy is a deliberate application in order to alter attitudes, change behaviour and help with confronting and dealing with psychological disorders or emotional or behavioural enlightenment. It can be used to help people come to terms with permanent disability as well as ameliorate temporary illness and Langley-3409-Ch-01.qxd 6/16/2006 12:27 PM Page 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO DRAMATHERAPY problems in times of crisis. Before considering who can benefit from dramatherapy it is necessary to have a clear definition of its purpose. The expectation for therapy or healing in its strictest sense is ‘to cure or comfort’. Expressed in broader and more realis- tic terms, it is now accepted that therapy is concerned with change. It can mean healing in the sense of relief or cure, a change of per- spective or behaviour, adaptation to disability, coming to terms with reality, or simply personal growth. Dramatherapy has the potential to effect change in a wide spectrum of conditions and problems if applied and conducted appropriately. Dramatherapy is directed towards an individual or group of people and usually focuses on a particular issue. In order to do this, the dramatherapist needs to form a special relationship with the client based on mutual trust. It is the awareness of the intent by client and therapist that affirms the difference between dramatherapy and drama. The important elements of dramatherapy then are that it is an intentional and directional use of drama with the expressed purpose of effecting constructive change. One of the advantages of dramatherapy is that there is no right or wrong way of doing it, apart from the confines of confidentiality and boundaries common to all psychotherapies. If the client interprets the instruction or medium in a way that is not intended, it does not matter unless the dramatherapy session is directed towards special learning, such as social skills. Their understanding may be more important to them personally than the dramatherapist’s original idea. The important issues, for the client and/or the group will become obvious and can be tackled, either at the time or in a later session. As with all psycho- therapy, dramatherapy is only effective when there is a trusting relationship between the therapist and the individual client or group. Not all clients come with an agenda of disorder or disturbance. Many people today seek a clearer understanding of themselves and their personal issues. Most of us feel the need to examine situations or feelings at some time.
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