What is drama therapy? The central idea of drama therapy is the deliberate use of drama or the therapy process to help achieve therapeutic goals. This approach allows the child to tell their stories freely, it helps those set goals and solve problems and not forgetting, express their feelings in a creative manner. Theorist such as Peter Slade and Brian Way has laid the ground work of drama therapy. They helped shift the idea that creative drama is only meant for the classroom and moved it into other settings. These imaginative people began their works way before therapy of any sort was known. They ideas and theories have come a long way in the 21st century.
Dealing with children is a very delicate task. The manner in which they are handled can either repair them or scar them forever. Although children seem to have similar face valued common trait, each child are not the same and they have to be handled differently. Being children, they have not yet experienced life therefore all of these emotions and feelings that they are going through are new to them and in most cases it becomes overwhelming that they do not know how to handle it all.
Years ago, children who have suffered from things like child abuse or even neglect had only one option available to them and that was a direction interaction with a counselor or psychologist. This direct approach where though to help ‘heal’ the child by talking and explaining to them what, why and how to feel differently. However, times have changed and there are a variety of ways that is proven to be increasingly effective in helping children. I personally believe that drama therapy is a way more effective way of molding and reconstructing a child.
Drama therapy does not have a direct relation to a child’s real life but rather it concentrates on play and improvisation to help the child. It does not expect a speedy break trough