Amy is a fully trained Dramatherapist who works across London and Essex.

Experience: I have delivered dramatherapy:

within a youth and adolescents voluntary sector organisation;
within a school setting (children and parents);
within a community setting for adults with addictions and substance dependency;
within an NHS setting for older adults with dementia and cognitive loss; and
with clients who have experienced trauma, trafficking, bereavement, family separation, homelessness, PTSD

I also have experience:

as a school mentoring coordinator (mentoring, training, managing and supervising over 150 mentors);
in the interfaith and intercultural sector; and
as a youth worker (statutory and charity sectors).

I am interested in attachment and working with families to strengthen bonds and relationships. This includes families who have suffered a bereavement, families with depression or anxiety, reunited families (e.g. following incarceration or migration), family breakdown, family assessment centres, contact centres, children in care, adopted families

Style: Trained in the ritual theatre style of dramatherapy and with a personal interest in puppetry and Boal’s Forum Theatre. I use a range of therapeutic approaches, adapted to meet each client’s needs, with a specific interest in how a deeper understanding of “who am I” can help align our thoughts, feelings, actions and sense of purpose.

I can work with groups and individual clients.

Qualifications:

MA Dramatherapy, University of Roehampton (September 2016 – July 2018);
BA Drama, Applied Theatre and Education, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (September 2004 – July 2007);
Youth Work (2008);
Counselling Skills for Working with Children, CPCAB (2014 – 2015);
Education and Training Level 5 Diploma -QCF (2014 – 2016).

What is dramatherapy?
Drama has been used by communities since ancient Greece (if not before) to explore the unconscious, express feelings and share stories. Children learn through play and make-believe; it is a rehearsal to help them to prepare for adult experiences. As adults, drama can still open new possibilities in our lives.

Talking Therapy has been developed by many people since the 1880’s, some with a focus on our past, some on our behavioural patterns, some on how we are feeling now. The therapist supports the patient to talk about their lives and thoughts.

Dramatherapy is therapy using drama and the creative arts as the tools to explore the themes brought by the client.

“Dramatherapy represents the marriage of drama and therapy, but it is not a simple addition of the two disciplines. Rather the combination produces a third, distinct way of helping people, using appropriate elements of each area to encourage growth and development.”(Paula Crimmens)

Dramatherapy is involvement in drama with a healing intention. Dramatherapy facilitates change through drama processes.” (Phil Jones)

Drama therapy is action oriented… change is not only envisaged but literally practised” (Ren’ee Emunah)

One of the fundamental concepts in dramatherapy is creativity: the capacity to find new solutions to old problems.’(Herman Smitskamp)
Dramatherapy is holistic – concerned with the whole of you – your experiences, your likes and dislikes, your connections to others, your hopes and aspirations, your thoughts, feelings, instincts, senses.

Individual or Group?
A client can have either group dramatherapy, usually with others seeking therapy for a similar theme, or individual dramatherapy. Group sessions usually last 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on the group size. Individual sessions are usually 50 minutes.

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