Dramatherapy for People with Learning Disabilities: A World of Difference (Arts Therapies)

Chesner's book explores dramatherapy as perhaps the most wide-ranging of all art forms, incorporating as it does elements of music, movement, design, story and performance, and addresses the value of action-based therapy methods with people with learning difficulties. An assessment of both theory - why is dramatherapy of such value with these particular clients? - and practice - what particular structures and methods are of use? - is facilitated by case-history examples of technique from both group and one-to-one situations, as the author considers the multidisciplinary potentials of dramatherapy and explores collaborations with speech therapy and music therapy. She also addresses the issues and dilemmas which arise in relation to the application of dramatherapy to this client group - therapy as education, training or psychotherapy?

Providing encouragement and food for thought for dramatherapists, this book will also be of interest to drama workers and teachers, who will gain an insight into the points of connection and difference between their own work and that of the dramatherapist. Professionals from other disciplines may see the potential for creative co-working projects.

Anna Chesner, MA is a UKCP registered psychodrama and group analytic psychotherapist and has been qualified as a supervisor for over twenty years. She has trained dramatherapists, integrative counsellors and psychotherapists and is course director of the London Centre for Psychodrama Group and Individual Psychotherapy Training in Creative Supervision. She has presented her work in creative supervision in the UK and internationally at the Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organisation conference, Jerusalem 2011. She has written extensively on supervision and action methods.