Dramatherapy employs various techniques to explore aspects of life experience with the goal of affecting change. Jones (1996) sees Dramatherapy as a tool for healing parts of the human psyche that are not functioning as required. Therefore, the client is being facilitated in the process of transforming the dysfunctional quality of their life into a positive element.
The British Association for Dramatherapists give the following definition: ‘Dramatherapy has as its main focus the intentional use of healing aspects of drama and theatre as the therapeutic process. It is a method of working and playing that uses action methods to facilitate creativity, imagination, learning, insight and growth.’
In addition, Dramatherapy 'recognizes our need and natural ability to bring into consciousness and tell others, in words or in actions, what we think and how we feel in daily life ... to aid learning, insight and growth ... to expand one's self and social understanding.' (Genevieve Smyth, BADth Link Person Scotland)
Authors in the field describe Dramatherapy in various ways. There are many texts on the profession of Dramatherapy, however, in the text Dramatic Approaches to Brief Therapy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 1996) - edited by Alide Gersie - a number of Dramatherapists give some definition of their work. Some of these are listed below.
'The term dramatherapy relates to a number of treatment modalities, which use theatrical elements, improvisation and role play to treat people who experience mild or severe emotional and psychiatric difficulties.' (Alide Gersie p3)
'In all forms of dramatherapy a client's disruptive persistence in ways of being and responding that don't work is presented, explored and nurtured in the direction of betterment by means, of purposeful dramatic activity.' (Alide Gersie p4)
'The therapeutic goals of dramatherapy range from the working through of troubling experiences to learning through information provision, the sharing of concerns, support for the gaining of self-reliance, and the diminishment of social isolation ... Dramatherapy can thus be succinctly described as a learning environment with an explicit therapeutic purpose, in which personal insight is encouraged, where meaningful enactments are generated, and significant theatrical experiences are aimed for (Goldberg and Green 1986).' (Alide Gersie p4)
'Dramatherapy treatment follows a developmental course, in which each stage of work paves the way for another stage, spiraling a series of sessions toward deeper levels of psychological understanding, transformation and integration.' (Renee Emunah p29)
'Jennings (1983) describes three models of practice in dramatherapy: the Creative/Expressive, the Learning and the Therapeutic ... the first [stresses] the 'healing nature of active participation in the creative process through drama' ... [the] Learning model emphasizes the acquisition of skills via dramatization ... the Therapeutic model focuses on latent and unconscious issues ...' (Renee Emunah p40)
'In dramatherapy a special relationship between time and living can be created.' (Phil Jones p45)
'The role method was developed by Landy (1993) as a means to treat clients in dramatherapy. It is based on a theory of role which views the act of performance as one of role taking and role playing wherein the performer experiences a paradoxical state of living within two simultaneous realities, the fictional and non-fictional ... In dramatherapy, the therapist aims to help the client live within these paradoxes and discover a balanced system of interdependent roles.' (Robert Landy p56)