Dramatherapy With Children, Young People and Schools ─ Enabling Creativity, Sociability, Communication and Learning

Dramatherapy with Children, Young People and Schools is the first book to specifically evaluate the unique value of dramatherapy in the educational environment. A variety of highly experienced dramatherapists, educational psychologists and childhood experts discuss the benefits to the children and young people, and also in relation to the involvement of teachers, the multi-disciplinary team and families. This professional book offers a panoramic view to explain how through dramatherapy children and young people develop their communication skills, sociability and their actual desire to learn.

Detailed case studies demonstrate individual successes in youngsters experiencing a range of emotional difficulties and psychological needs. These studies include: conquering a fear of maths; violent behaviour transformed into educational achievement; safe expression of feelings for a sexually abused child; and where children are diagnosed with mental health disorders such as ADHD and ODD, where the benefits of dramatherapy with children and families are carefully described and evaluated, suggesting that this therapeutic discipline can achieve positive outcomes.

The practical advice and inspirational results included here promote a future direction of integration and collaboration of school staff, multi-disciplinary teams and families. Education and equality are high on the agenda, and the function of dramatherapy is not just as a treatment, but as an economically viable and valuable preventive therapy.

Lauraine Leigh is a dramatherapist and teacher who has worked over 18 years with a range of children in the NHS and in mainstream and special schools and units, with behavioural difficulties, special needs and mental health diagnoses, promoting close communication with and support of parents and teachers around the child.
Irvine Gersch is Professor of Educational and Child Psychology at the University of East London (UEL). He is a chartered educational psychologist and chartered scientist. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, The Royal Society of Arts and the Higher Education Academy. He is the Programme Director for the Professional Doctorate in Applied Educational and Child Psychology at UEL and a Director of Global Mediation.
Ann Dix is a freelance dramatherapist and supervisor. Prior to this she was manager of a multi agency support team in Leeds, working with schools, children and families. Ann was a drama teacher before qualifying as a dramatherapist in 1993.

Deborah Haythorne is the co-founder and co-director of Roundabout, the largest dramatherapy charity in the UK. Deborah qualified as a dramatherapist in 1985 and completed her research on dramatherapy with children with autistic spectrum disorder in 1996.

Part I: Introduction. Leigh, Dix, Haythorne, Dokter, The Role and Relevance of Dramatherapy in Schools Today. Jones, Childhood Today and the Implications for Dramatherapy in Schools. Holmwood, Stavrou, Dramatherapy and Drama Teaching in School: A New Perspective Towards a Working Relationship. Meldrum, Supporting Children in Primary Schools through Dramatherapy and the Creative Therapies. Part II: Case Studies. Dix, Whizzing and Whirring: Dramatherapy and ADHD. Shine, Fear, Math, Brief Dramatherapy and Neuroscience. Domikles, Violence and Laughter: How Dramatherapy Can Go Beyond Behaviour Management for Boys at Risk of Exclusion. Dix, All the Better to See You With: Healing Metaphors in a Case of Sexual Abuse. Carr, Romeo and Juliet and Dramatic Distancing: Chaos and Anger Contained for Inner City Adolescents in Multicultural Schools. Dooman, Looking for Meaning with Bereaved Families: Bring Back My Daddy and Other Stories. Court, Higley, Lousada, Education, the Playground Project and Elements of Psychodrama. Coleman, Kelly, Beginning, Middle, End, Beginning. Dramatherapy with Children who have Life Limiting Conditions and with their Siblings. Part III: Collaborative Partnerships in Schools and Beyond. Roger, Learning Disabilities and Finding, Keeping and Protecting the Therapeutic Space. Kelly, Bruck, Staff Sharing: An Integrative Approach to Peer Supervision. Mercieca, "I’m Not So Sure, Miss." The Concept of Uncertainty and Dramatherapy Practice within an Educational Setting. Trustman, Self-harm and Safeguarding Issues in the School and Classroom – A Partnership Approach. Brown, Dramatherapy and Clinical Psychology: Play and Reality for Autistic and Psychotic Children. Haythorne, The Charity Roundabout: One Model of Providing Dramatherapy in Schools. Part IV: Evidence and Outcomes. Haythorne, Crockford, Godfrey, Roundabout and the Development of Psychlops KIDS Evaluation. Greene, An Educational Psychology Service Evaluation of a Dramatherapy Intervention for Children with Additional Needs in Primary School. Andersen-Warren, Review of Dramatherapy and The British Association of Dramatherapists Research. Part V: Future Possibilities. Gersch, Educational Psychology, Listening to Children and Dramatherapy. Meldrum , A Model of Emotional Support in Primary Schools. Leigh, Holding the Family in the Heart of School. Haigh, Future Potential. Gersch, Conclusions. Haythorne, Some Useful Addresses and Websites.