The Midwest Drama Therapy Training Institute

The nature of this course is both didactic and experiential in nature. Students will acquire biopsychosocial knowledge of traumatic stress as well as recognize the value of drama therapy approaches to provide distance and titrate re-exposure to traumatic events through action methods and play. In addition, participants will gain a range of practical skills for the application of drama as a trauma-informed tool for individuals and communities impacted by adversity. A strengths-based lens will be applied to learning that shifts attention from pathology (what is wrong with you) to concepts of rupture (what has happened) and resilience and repair (what has made you stronger). This course will support participants in their capacity to practice a drama therapy that draws from a range of theoretical perspectives including Role Theory, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness-based psychotherapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.