Therapeutic theatre and well-being

Review of arts-based therapies for Canadian youth with lived experience of mental illness

“…Participation in an art therapy group provided opportunities to express difficult emotions within a collectively creative setting, as well as establishing hope and reducing fears of future traumatic feelings and stigmatisation (Johns & Karterud, 2004;Snow, D'Amico, & Tanguay, 2003). Research with adults in psychiatric hospitals found higher ratings for music therapy compared with other artsbased therapies, while all arts-based therapies combined were preferred to other therapeutic methods (Heany, 1992).…”

Drama Therapy and Eating Disorders: A Historical Perspective and an Overview of a Bolognese Project for Adolescents

“…In his view, the process of rehearsal and performance is intense and deeply communal, and provides a real opportunity for growth. 13,14 A key point in drama therapy is the concept of aesthetic distance, a state of balance wherein the patient is able to experience a confluence of thought and feeling. 15 Aesthetic distance prevents overabundance of emotions (underdistance) and excess of rationality (overdistance).…”

The Body Politic: The relevance of an intersectional framework for therapeutic performance research in drama therapy

“…It was also therapeutic in that, like much performance in drama therapy, it empowered us to call these roles into question, to challenge stereotypes, and to be witnessed and affirmed by our audiences (Bailey, 2009;Emunah & Johnson, 1983;Snow, D'Amico, & Tanguay, 2003). However, there was more at play in The Body Politic than has been accounted for in our current articulation of therapeutic theatre that may be answered, in part, through alternate theoretical frameworks.…”