“Why Drama Therapy?”

“Oh wow, Drama Therapy? That’s so cool! But why DRAMA Therapy?”

“Oh wow, drama therapy? That’s so cool! But why DRAMA Therapy?” 

This is the most common reaction when someone finds out what I do for a living. “Why Drama Therapy?” Well the answer for me is simple: I wouldn’t be the person I am today without having the arts in my life. More specifically, theatre and music. 

I have been performing since I was five years old. School plays, after school programs, community theatre, internationally acclaimed training programs, college shows, choir concerts, musical productions, high school chorus competitions, back-up singing with a touring band, cabaret-style shows, and the list goes on. I can say that without a doubt, each and every one of these experiences has shaped me into who I am today and has given me so much knowledge about life, relationships, pain, suffering, and most importantly, healing. Before I even discovered Drama Therapy I didn’t realize the abundance of growth and healing that I was experiencing.

Before I even discovered Drama Therapy I didn’t realize the abundance of growth and healing that I was experiencing. 

For the longest time, I thought that I wanted to be a Broadway performer. I didn’t care if I was a lead or had the smallest role in the chorus, I just knew that I wanted to be on that kind of stage on a regular basis. As I spent several years after undergrad playing the role of “struggling New York actor,” and continued to audition while working several part-time jobs, and as I continued to say yes to several small but meaningful opportunities that came my way, I slowly started to realize that my goal was shifting. I kept feeling incomplete with the kind of work that I was seeing. I still loved performing, but it felt like something was missing from the process for me. I wanted more, I wanted to find an even deeper meaning. I wanted the work to have more of an impact. It was then when I started to feel lost. How could I have spent most of my life moving towards something that doesn’t even feel right anymore?

I consulted with my most loving and supportive confidants: my mother and father. About 10 years ago, we were sitting in my Greenwich Village apartment and as I was attempting to make sense of what I was feeling out loud with the two of them, my mom (who is a clinical psychologist) looked at me and said, “honey, you do know that there is such a thing as using theatre as a therapy modality right? It’s called Drama Therapy.” I couldn’t believe it. Of course, I thought, they have music therapy and art therapy, why wouldn’t they have drama therapy? So we began searching the internet to find as much as possible about how to become a Drama Therapist. I quickly found that there were only two (at the time) accredited programs in the United States and one in Canada. I felt inspired about all that I was seeing online about each of the programs. The classes and the overall scope of work that was being done was lighting a new fire within me that I didn’t know that I had. I dove right in. 

After a full year of prepping by taking some psychology courses so that I could be as prepared as possible for that portion of the work (and so I could make sure that I actually enjoyed learning about psychology!) I was finally ready to apply to graduate school. Auditions and interviews happened and I ultimately ended up moving to San Francisco to attend the Drama Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. It was in school where all of my feelings about the healing elements of the arts were not only making more sense to me, but I was given a language and processes to actually use them therapeutically. I was finally feeling fully present in who I was and who I wanted to be.

I was finally feeling fully present in who I was and who I wanted to be.

Even though it took me about five years between undergraduate school and graduate school to find this field, I know that it was still the theatre that helped me get there. It was the theatre that helped to build my confidence and to process what my needs were. It was the theatre that led me to believe in myself, even when others might not believe in me. It was ALL of the arts that still to this day helps me to see other people’s perspectives and recognizes that we all play several roles throughout our lives. These roles are sometimes relatable to others and are sometimes confusing or even threatening. But if we can find a way to sit in someone else’s shoes, just for a minute, then we may be able to see them for who they truly are and gain more empathy and understanding. We can lead with love and not hate. We can be up-standers instead of bystanders and we can simply want better for the world.

“Why Drama Therapy?” Because it saves lives.

Photo of me performing The Field by Jeremy Cone at a theatre in New York City.

A Reminder to Parents and Guardians

It’s okay to be concerned right now. It’s okay to be concerned about your child falling behind academically as well as their safety. Just remember this, our expectations of where a child should be academically were designed by US, and they are unrealistic for many. Our physical AND mental health and safety is priority right now, which is what my focus will be once schools open. If we don’t make this the focus, then students will have an even more difficult time focusing on their academic futures.

#maslowshierarchyofneeds

This is for Mixed People, Everywhere

Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage By Dr. Maria P.P. Root

I always need to revisit these words...after constantly explaining my ethnic and racial background to people...constantly clarifying (defending) who I am...or answering the not-so-subtle question, “where are your parents from?” But this Bill of Rights always puts everything into check for me and I think it’s time to re-share it with others.

For the mixed folks, the multiracial folks, the biracial folks, and everyone in between - I see you and I hope that others can see you too. You are where YOU need to be in your journey. Don’t let anyone else tell you differently.

I took a mental health day from work this week and I felt guilty the entire time.

Here’s why it’s important for me to change the way I value my work and my health.

Over the last few months, I’ve kept going back and forth about when I would allow myself to “finally” use one of my personal days. There just never seemed to be the “right” time. I always felt like I would be needed at work and I couldn’t justify taking one day.

It was the week before my partner’s birthday and we had decided to go upstate for the long weekend in order to get some fresh air and much needed space from the city. “This is the perfect opportunity to use one of my days at work,” I said. It should be simple enough. But then when I had to write emails to my staff and my boss confirming that I was in fact “taking the day off on Monday”, a pit in my stomach appeared and it didn’t want to go away the entire time. The guilt continued to fester through the weekend, during my much needed break.

“Why is this so hard for me? Why can’t I give myself just ONE day?” The answer to these questions are complicated. No, I don’t have an overbearing boss who doesn’t think that I’m deserving of a day off. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. But it’s what I’ve learned over time about what it means to be a hard working individual that has taught me to think that my choice to take time off is “wrong.” Somewhere along the way I’ve learned that everyone else’s self-care and well being is more important than my own. I’m always the first to cheer someone on when they’ve decided to take time for themselves, but I’ve never truly thought that I deserved it too.

With all that is going on in the world right now, I’ve become more and more aware that I need to nip these feelings in the bud. My work has shifted as we are working remotely and therefore my boundaries are blurry, which makes self care VERY hard. This weekend was a wake up call for me really. Why work so hard to not be able to truly enjoy my time off when I have it? I have to make a mindset shift. I’m not going to wait for someone to give me the permission to take care of myself. I have to be the one to do it.

I write about this because I know how many people are struggling with a similar experience. Use your time! Pay attention to your needs because if you don’t, your work and relationships will suffer. I hope that you all can feel empowered to set your own boundaries and to take care of yourselves, especially now during this pandemic. If we don’t allow ourselves to reset, then burn out happens and we won’t be able to work at our full capacity anyway. It won’t be easy, but coming to this realization is the first step!

I know that I am not alone in these feelings, so I say “here’s to all of you hard workers out there. I see you and I feel you.”

Join Us for Our Next Virtual Support Group

I am so proud of this space that we've created.

Each week has been very different. We've laughed, we've cried, we've listened to music, we've listened to stories, we've written poetry, we've meditated, we've breathed together, we've sat in our feelings, and most importantly, we've supported each other. This is a judgement-free space where all are welcome. Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, April 30th at 7pm. 

To sign up, please fill out this form. Zoom links will be shared to participants on Thursday morning.

See you soon!

What Does Your Inner Child Need?

What does your inner child need right now? Mine needs comfort, stability, friendship, and validation. ️

It’s helpful for me to think back to when I was a child and how I may have felt being a child’s age during this pandemic. Our children have a lot of questions and we don’t have a lot of answers for them, and that’s been hard! But being open and honest with them is the most important. I know that all I would have wanted was for someone to talk to and for my feelings to be validated, knowing that it’s okay to be scared, angry or sad.

#innerchild #comfort #validation #longing #covid_19 #therapist #takecareofyourself #dramatherapist #empathy 

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

It’s okay to not be okay. Don’t feel that you have to be more productive than you’ve ever been during this time. You don’t have to start a new project or a new business. You don’t have to be on Zoom every night just because people expect that you’re going to be free now no matter what. It’s okay if you’re simply not up for it. It’s okay if you need to take a step back and finally get a moment or two of stillness. Your mind, body and spirit needs to heal 

#sunday #itsokaynottobeokay #stayhome #therapist #creativeartstherapist #newyork #covid19 #quarantine #boundarysetting #zoom #selfcare #selfhealing #grief 

How Self Exploration Can Help Our Client-Therapist Relationships

Everyone Has a Story

As creative arts therapists, we have the ability to guide our clients towards understanding more fully their life experiences and how they have been affected by them. However, what many of us don’t realize is how much our own biases and assumptions present themselves within the therapeutic space. By acknowledging one’s differences while still being curious of others’ backgrounds and experiences, one can hopefully become more aware of their own blind spots and can in turn better support their clients. You may be reading this and thinking of your own experiences of feeling “stuck” when working with a client. Maybe your client has different morals than you. Maybe they are from a different religious background. Or maybe they have experienced something similar to you but have had a different reaction to that experience than you did. Many times we have such strong reactions to our clients and we do not even notice it. It’s not merely what we say to a client, it can also be how we say it. What would it be like for clinicians if we were able to go back and break down our own experiences in order to connect with what is happening within the clinical space?  Before we can ask questions and offer support based on our clients’ stories, we must be willing to look inward at our own. There is no way that we can truly become more aware of our biases and assumptions without looking at our past experiences. There are several ways that one can go on their own self-exploration and we as Creative Arts Therapists have the tools to do so. 

As Creative Arts Therapists, we are experienced in inviting our clients to embark on many self-exploration exercises, but it can certainly be a challenge for us to invite ourselves to do them as well. You may have thought, “but why do I need to do this? I thought I was done with all of this ‘self-exploration’ once I finished my Master’s program!” The answer is that you will never be finished exploring yourself. It is a never-ending journey. You are constantly changing as a person, especially as you continue to have new experiences and engage with different people throughout your life. Being willing to do this work is the best gift that you can give yourself.  Even though this is geared specifically towards Creative Arts Therapists, these ideas can be applicable to people within any profession. Additionally, it can allow people to build bridges towards others, which is a critical need in both personal and professional relationships. It normalizes and humanizes the need for acknowledging one’s own journey without dismissing someone else’s. 

Now It’s Your Turn! The #SelfExplorationChallenge

Here are examples of self-exploration activities. Use them as a framework. Feel free to add to them and incorporate into your personal writing, drawing, meditation, supervision groups, etc. 

1. Personal Interviewing: What were your experiences as a child? What is one of the oldest memories that you can remember? Who were the supports in your life? How did they support you? When was the first time that you felt different than other people? Did your supports talk openly about this? What did they do or say to help you through these feelings? 

2. How people view you vs. How you want to be viewed: What is one thing that people can say about you by just looking at you (e.g., you wear glasses)? How have you been supportive to others? How have you not been supportive to others? What is one self-description that people can’t see by just looking at you (e.g., mental illness, physical illness, trauma, etc.) How has this affected you?

   1. Example 1: Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side of the paper write the title “When People Look at Me They See...” and write or draw all the things that people would say to describe you. This can refer to your personality, appearance, profession, etc. On the other side of the paper you can write the title “But if they really knew me…” and then write or draw everything that you feel people do not necessarily see or know about you but you want them to know. 

   2. Example 2: In a group supervision setting, you can use the above questions within a sociometric exercise, such as the stepping-in circle. This allows the participants to share and identify some things about their identities while also paying attention to the outliers in the group. In what ways are they similar to each other and in what ways are they different? How does it feel to be the outlier? Did you learn something new about yourself or someone else in the group? 

3. Write a letter to your younger self: A letter can be written to your younger self at different ages in order to focus on specific times in your life. For instance, writing to your younger 6 year old self will be much different than writing to your 16 year old self. This can help you address some of the above questions, but it can also help you see your growth and strengths while still acknowledging your hardships. Based on where you are today, give yourself advice, guidance and gratitude. 

I challenge all of us to not be afraid to look to our past in order to help guide ourselves into the future and to better serve our clients, colleagues, family and friends! Feel free to share your self-exploration ideas with us all by sharing on social media with the hashtag #selfexplorationchallenge.