Individuals in treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) or dual diagnosis benefit from an integrative approach to care, combining evidence and alternative holistic therapies. Drama therapy is a popular tool for addressing trauma and other underlying issues that impact clients and their mental health. According to the Early Childhood Education Journal, “Drama therapy incorporates play, imaginary engagement, embodiment, and perspective taking to promote interpersonal skills and affective functioning.” Drama therapy uses theatrical processes to help clients set and achieve therapeutic goals. Bright Mission Recovery offers clients access to a wide range of treatment modalities during rehabilitation, including drama therapy.
What Is Drama Therapy?
Drama therapy is a form of psychotherapy used to help clients process events, thoughts, beliefs, and situations in a healthy way. People of all ages benefit from drama therapy. However, it is most commonly used to treat children, older adults, and individuals who have experienced a trauma they may have difficulty verbalizing. Different forms of therapy use unique techniques for addressing factors impacting mental health or sobriety. According to the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, “In psychodrama, for example, patients are asked to reenact real scenes from their lives that involve emotionally intense personal issues, such as childhood traumas or critical life dilemmas.”
Drama therapy typically involves the following techniques and exercises:
- Role-playing
- Improvisation
- Storytelling
- Using masks to explore different aspects of personality
- Guided imagery
- Playing games to build trust and communication
- Movement, nonverbal communication, and physical expression
- Acting out specific scenes
- Role reversal
- Processing and reflecting on past events
Clients find new ways to heal by using innovative techniques to explore self-expression and underlying issues impacting mental health. Drama therapy allows individuals in treatment to look at their internal and external experiences from a different perspective.
How Do Therapy Sessions Help People Heal From Addiction?
Drama therapy makes it easier for people to look at themselves, others, and their circumstances from new perspectives. Being open to new experiences is highly rewarding and builds self-confidence.
Therapy sessions help people heal from SUD by doing the following:
- Encouraging collaboration between clients and clinicians
- Exploring personal or social issues affecting treatment and mental health
- Improving social and coping skills
- Processing trauma in a safe way
- Identifying underlying causes and triggers of anxiety or other symptoms
- Learning new forms of self-expression
Clients in treatment for SUD often have multiple underlying causes of their condition and may have co-occurring disorders. Drama therapy allows people to explore all aspects of their experiences. Therapy empowers clients and gives them the tools to process current or past events. Clients learn to better connect thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, making it easier for them to build a healthier foundation for the future.
What Happens During Drama Therapy?
Therapists utilize a wide range of techniques during drama therapy. Each session is tailored to the unique needs of the clients and their treatment goals. The therapeutic process allows clients to process experiences, learn new coping strategies, and effectively address underlying issues impacting mental health. Drama therapy may involve individual or group activities. The techniques foster creativity and personal growth.
Clients in treatment for substance abuse can expect to do the following during drama therapy:
- Engage in some form of role-play
- Reframe past experiences to process trauma
- Learn to set boundaries with peers and loved ones
- Use verbal and nonverbal cues to express emotions
- Rehearse healthy coping skills in highly secured scenarios
People participating in drama therapy often discover new depths of resilience and strength as they experience new points of view and ways of thinking.
Primary Benefits of Combining Evidence-Based and Holistic Therapies
The primary benefits of combining evidence-based and holistic therapies include:
- Comprehensive healing
- Personalized treatment
- Increased emotional and mental stability
- Enhanced coping skills
- Relapse prevention
- Increased engagement
Drama therapy is available to any client who participates in treatment at Bright Mission Recovery. The clinical team combines evidence-based and holistic therapies to improve their effectiveness. Clients use drama therapy to explore new aspects of treatment and address underlying issues impacting mental health.
Drama Therapy at Bright Mission Recovery
Bright Mission Recovery uses comprehensive assessments to determine if drama therapy is appropriate for clients based on their needs, comfort level, and treatment goals. Not everyone benefits from participating in drama therapy. Some people find role-playing uncomfortable or stressful. Clinicians work with clients to determine their comfort level and create an effective treatment plan. Drama therapy is ideal for creative individuals who love to explore various aspects of themselves.
Bright Mission Recovery gives clients a full breakdown of what drama therapy may entail and what to expect from each session before asking them to participate in sessions. The relaxing environment of drama therapy often makes it an ideal tool for individuals who enjoy building new skills and gaining insights into the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Some people recovering from substance use disorder have a history of chronic stress or trauma impacting their ability to heal. Trauma can sometimes be challenging to address using traditional talk therapy. Alternative therapies, including drama therapy, provide clients with an innovative way to explore self-expression, internal experiences, and past trauma. Clients often feel more free to share how they genuinely feel when engaging in creative forms of self-expression, including storytelling or role-playing. Bright Mission Recovery uses drama therapy to help clients heal from the effects of SUD and co-occurring conditions or underlying issues. To learn more about our programs or the positive impact of drama therapy, call our office today at (747) 444-3284.