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.

Using extensive examples from practice with a range of client groups, Dramatherapy and Autism confronts the assumption that people with autism are not able to function within the metaphorical realms of the imagination and creativity. It demonstrates that not only are people who function along the spectrum capable of engaging in creative exploration, but that through encountering these processes in the clinical context of dramatherapy, changes can be made that are life enhancing. Bringing in cutting-edge research and practice on dramatherapy, Dramatherapy and Autism aims to contribute to developing the theory and practice of creative arts therapies interventions with clients with autism. The book is part of the Dramatherapy: approaches, relationships, critical ideas series, in which leading practitioners and researchers in the field develop the knowledge base of this unique discipline, whilst contextualising and acknowledging its relationship with other arts and therapeutic practices. Dramatherapy and Autism will be of interest to a broad spectrum of readers, such as dramatherapists in practice and training, arts practitioners and academic researchers engaged in multidisciplinary enquiry.

Dramatherapy is increasingly being used in schools and educational establishments as a way of supporting young people’s emotional needs. This book examines the space between drama education and Dramatherapy exploring the questions: Does a therapist teach? When does the role of the drama teacher border on that of therapist? How do these two professions see and understand each other and the roles they play? In Drama Education and Dramatherapy, Clive Holmwood draws on his experience as a Dramatherapist and examines the history of drama education and Dramatherapy, exploring the social, political, therapeutic and artistic influences that have impacted these two professions over the last century. He also discusses how these fields are intrinsically linked and examines the liminal qualities betwixt and between them. The book considers two specific case studies, from the therapist's and teacher's perspectives discussing what happens in the drama class and therapy space including how the dramatic form is understood, explored and expressed both educationally and therapeutically. The ‘them and us’ mentality, which often exists in two different professions that share a common origin is also explored. The book contemplates how teachers and Dramatherapists can work collaboratively in the future, bringing down barriers that exist between them and beginning a working dialogue that will ultimately and holistically support the children and young people they all work with. This book will be of interest to those involved in using drama in an educational or therapeutic context, including: drama teachers, arts therapists, teachers of arts therapy and researchers within wider arts, applied arts and educational faculties within colleges and universities.

At a time when expectations and assumptions about the delivery of services to children and adolescents are being reconfigured - for example, around the rights of children and adolescents as young citizens - adults are seeking to ensure that they deliver services in creative and empowering ways, ensuring that the opinions of young people are actively solicited and encouraged. Action methods - communication methods using the body as well as speech - provide non-threatening ways of communicating which can be understood by children of all ages and from many cultures. This book places action methods in a theoretical, technical and political framework and documents examples of good practice. Discussion of the application of action methods to work with young people focuses on differing issues and populations, for example children and adolescents who face life-threatening illnesses, or those involved in peer counselling in schools. Contributions from several different countries emphasise the wide potential of action methods for use with young people. This book provides a comprehensive and wide-ranging resource for those interested in exploring and understanding why action methods are particularly useful when working with young people.

Covering working with children from infancy to secondary school, this book is an essential resource for both trainees and practising therapists who wish to work in schools.

Aimed at professionals working with children with special needs, this title covers the spectrum of students attending special need schools, including those with attention deficit disorder, autism and Asperger's syndrome. Crimmens places methods of using therapeutic storymaking, within the context of drama therapy.

Drama plays a crucial role in healthy human development and dramatherapy can be particularly effective in helping troubled children or adolescents. In this book, twelve contributors, writing from a range of international and theoretical perspectives, show how the dramatic element in people's lives plays its part in patterns of healthy and unhealthy development. They describe practical ways of using dramatherapy with both groups and individuals and demonstrate that dramatherapy is a strategy that works, helping to bring about change and creativity. Dramatherapy with Children and Adolescents will be invaluable to all professionals who work with children, including social workers, probation officers, nurses and teachers, as well as dramatherapists and play therapists.