Under the purview of the Medical Unit, a couple of drama therapy workshops were held in the month of December 2015 for counselors from the Ministry of Social Empowerment and Welfare. FPA Sri Lanka organized these workshops with the aim of enriching the professional counselor’s capabilities and skills. According to Mr Ravindra Ranasinha who conducted these workshops, ‘Drama therapy’ is an action-oriented psychotherapy. It encompasses art, improvisation, imaginative journeys and many other dramatic tools to initiate communication and strengthen trust between counselor and counselee.

In general, a Drama therapy session is always structured with a warm-up, main development phase and a subsequent wind-down. Participants are dramatically distanced from their issues with the use of theatrical methods, such as theater games, masks, mime, puppetry, movement, scripted scenes, performance, play and myth.

Drama is used in several ways during a session with a client;

• The issues can be expressed dramatically.
• Clients can gain insight into their issues and themselves through spontaneous action.
• Drama is effective in building relationships and creative involvement.
• Drama becomes holistic in enabling the client to enact diverse roles experiencing her full range of emotions.

Drama therapy tools can be adapted to any developmental stage at which the client is functioning. Painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, singing, playing, and often dramatic storytelling have no cultural barriers.

The use of a creative art such as drama—one that is social in nature, but also introspective in process, would help the ability to work cooperatively in groups; the development of a broad range of interests and abilities; social skills such as conflict resolution, self-control, the distinction between appropriate and inappropriate behavior; identification of changing personal and social roles; expression of feelings; respect for individual differences; decision-making and problem-solving skills; coping with peer pressure and setting personal boundaries; and friendship skills. These competencies could be achieved through the use of drama in group activities, and in individual and small group counseling session.  

Drama therapy provides counselors with unlimited possibilities for intervention with children, adolescents and adults and is one method that FPA Sri Lanka supports.

Information courtesy of Mr Ravindra Ranasinha.