Therapeutic Services
As NZQA qualified and recognised Drama therapist and well known counsellor/ facilitator we have the skills and experience to offer the following programs:
Individual sessions.
People who have difficulties talking about their issues. Not everyone fits the CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) mould. Drama therapy offers people another way of facing their issues, and deal with their traumatic experiences. Drama therapy is proved to be useful for people (Children, Adolescents, Elderly) with depression and other mental illnesses.
Professionals in high stress jobs. ( Post traumatic stress, burn-out, depression)
People suffering Dementia/Alzheimers. We recently produced a paper with the positive effects, Drama therapy has on people suffering Alzheimers/Dementia. It improves concentration, memory, activity, etc.
People with ASD diagnosis. Rather than the conventional counselling techniques where people need a certain level of verbal communication skills and the ability to recognise and apply techniques, drama therapy is considered a suitable for people on the Autism spectrum.(Professor Tony Attwood:’ drama therapy can be extremely beneficial for those with Asperger’s syndrome’). WINZ can help with funding.
People with a disability. Having an ID diagnosis or a physical disability can cause major additional stresses in a person’s life causing grief, isolation, low self–esteem, self-harm, etc. Drama therapy is a recognised therapy, which is accessible for people with a disability. In many cases WINZ is able to assist with these costs.
Group sessions
Family therapy sessions. Working with a system-based approach we can make positive changes, using drama therapeutic processes. Often it is the whole family that suffers when one person is going through a traumatic event.
Specially developed packages
People suffering Dementia/Alzheimers. We developed a 10 week program for people with Dementia/Alzheimers. This program is the only one currently available in New Zealand, which is proven to make considerable changes for people with Dementia/Alzheimers. It is an Internationally recognised program, Robert Sarison, Irene Swindells Alzheimer's Residential Care Program, California;'and I can tell you that drama therapy is an integral part of our approach to working with the clients, and has vastly improved their quality of life' 'We find that imaginative play paradoxically helps orient the client because to utilize imagination requires the individual to generate neuronal activity in the brain stimulating both implicit and explicit memory systems. We see drama therapy as a treatment for improving the neuro-plasticity of the brain. Drama Therapy helps clients to express the thoughts and feelings they have about their condition and experience in a representative, symbolic manner allowing for integration of existential themes.'
People with an ASD diagnosis. .(Professor Tony Attwood:’ drama therapy can be extremely beneficial for those with Asperger’s syndrome’, ‘a therapy that I think is extremely valuable in helping those with Asperger’s syndrome in so many areas of their daily lives’, ‘please use my name as a person who supports the use of drama therapy for those with Asperger’s syndrome’) Through our specially designed drama therapy program new skills are developed that will increase self-exploration, self-esteem, social-interaction and expression, etc. In Europe Asia and the US this therapy form is widely available for people with an ASD-diagnosis; we would like this to be the same in NZ.
In the future we would also like to offer our 'regain'-programme, we are currently applying for funding to roll out this exciting new therapy form for the elderly in NZ.