The nature of drama therapy makes it ideal for people who are struggling to come to terms with the emotions or problems they're facing, as it addresses them in a more indirect way.

Drama therapy activities :

For the main activity drama therapists can use a range of different techniques and activities including the following:

Role-play

One of the most common activities used in drama therapy is role-play. This is when you act the part of a certain character in a certain situation. An example of this would be to act the part of a child or parent and to explore any emotions this brings to the surface.

Improvisation

To improvise in acting is to make up a scenario and dialogue on the spot. This technique may require you to work with others and makes you think on your feet.

Mime

Miming is essentially acting without the use of speech. This means that you will need to rely on your body language alone to portray a certain emotion or scenario. This can cause you to think in different ways and may tap into feelings you've not experienced before.

Speech

Using speech in drama therapy could involve speaking in ways you don't normally (for example if you have low self-confidence, your therapist may ask you to shout rather than whisper) or it may involve using language to describe the way a character is feeling.

Movement

Similarly to mime, movement therapy requires you to express emotions through your body rather than through speaking. You may find yourself dancing to do this, or indicating a state of mind through an action.

Acting out

In some cases your drama therapist may ask you to re-enact behaviours or situations that have caused you problems in the past. This can be a difficult task to undertake as it can cause you to remember and re-experience difficult emotions. The idea behind doing this is to help you learn how you can do things differently in the future or simply understand why what happened affected you the way it did.

Use of props and masks

Sometimes using props and masks during a drama therapy activity can help you to take on different roles. These can be especially important when working with young children to help them identify with the character they are portraying or simply to help them express emotions.

What can drama therapies help with ?

Drama therapy and psychodrama do not require any previous acting experience, making it accessible to a wide variety of people. Ranging from young children to the elderly, this form of therapy can be helpful for many issues including the following :

Addiction

Those with an addiction may find drama therapy a useful tool as it offers a safe environment to express emotion. It can be hard for some to do this in a normal counselling session, so drama therapies can provide an alternative.
In drama therapies people dealing with addiction can explore a drug-free future and practice new skills, such as saying no when offered drugs/alcohol. They can also act out more negative behaviours in order to consider their harmful impact in a more tangible way. Exploring issues in this way can offer enough distance so that their addiction and related issues do not overwhelm.

Anxiety

Having an anxiety disorder can make some everyday tasks difficult. Through drama therapies, these tasks can be 'rehearsed' and explored in a safe environment. An example of this would be someone with agoraphobia pretending to be in a large crowd of people. During this scene the actor can analyse the way they feel and learn new coping mechanisms without feeling any real danger.
Socialising with other people in group drama therapy sessions is also a great way to build confidence and improve social skills.

Depression

The communicative and social nature of drama therapies can be especially helpful for those with depression. Talking to and interacting with others can help to ease symptoms of depression, while acting out certain scenarios can help to develop coping mechanisms.
Some people with depression find it hard to feel emotion and may feel 'numb'. Drama therapies can help individuals to name their feelings and express them in a safe environment through drama.

Eating disorders

The very nature of an eating disorder makes the relationship between the sufferer and their body a particularly fraught one. As drama therapy focuses a lot on the body and movement, this is one way to try and improve this relationship. Having a better awareness of the body in particular can help those with a distorted view see themselves in a more realistic and positive light.
Eating disorders are normally symptomatic of deeper issues which are being dealt with unhealthily. Drama therapies can help sufferers to explore these issues in a safe way that is not too overwhelming. These types of therapies can also offer a new way of coping with negative feelings, rather than the sufferer relying on the disorder.

Low self-confidence

Drama therapies utilise the art of pretend and can almost act like a practice ground for those with low self-confidence. Providing a safe and secure environment, drama therapy allows individuals to act out the way they would like to be (in this case more confident) helping them to learn skills they can put into practice in real life.
On top of this, drama therapy can help those with low self-confidence to explore any underlying reasons for their lack of confidence. This way they can address any issues in a safe environment.

Relationship difficulties

Those who have difficulty communicating or trusting may well benefit from drama therapy. As drama therapy tends to be a group-based therapy, it requires teamwork and communication. This alone can help to develop such skills, while any underlying issues can be explored in a safe and therapeutic environment.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that involves a variety of symptoms including hallucinations, disordered thinking and paranoia. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends creative therapies such as art, music and drama therapies as a form of treatment. These kinds of therapies help to harness the creative side of those with schizophrenia and can offer a form of release and expression.Self-harming
Self-harming is usually a physical act that is used as a way of dealing with distressing emotions. Drama therapies can help the individual face these problems in a healthier way through acting. As this therapy tends to take an indirect approach, those who self-harm feel safe and not overwhelmed.
Alternatives to self-harm can be explored through drama therapy, giving participants useful skills to take out of the workspace.

Traumatic experiences

Experiences of abuse, bullying or other forms of trauma can all be explored within a drama therapy session. The drama therapist may ask you to improvise similar scenarios to help you understand why the trauma affected you the way it did. This kind of work is often cathartic and helps to build self-confidence.