How Dramatherapy can help with Childhood Anxiety

As a dramatherapist I have worked with both children and adults with different issues including anxiety.  Anxiety is very common in children and I experienced this especially during my time working in schools.  Through creative processes dramatherapy allows children to explore their feelings and express difficult emotions at their own pace in a safe and non-confrontational way. 

I will always remember working with a group of three girls at a primary school in South London.  They were referred to me because it was believed and hoped that dramatherapy would help them to overcome their feelings of anxiety and shyness.  I therefore assessed their individual needs and what was causing them to feel inhibited, such as having to answer a question in class. 

I therefore used techniques that would enable them to work through their issues at their own pace.  Examples include improvisation games, role-play and ‘rehearsing’ how they would handle a difficult scenario such as a bullying.  The girls also enjoyed painting images which reflected certain life events or needs.  They would subsequently present these paintings to each other. 

Other techniques included enacting fairy or personal stories using themselves, puppets or an array of different toys to represent the characters.  They also utilized the opportunities to reflect and express their feelings verbally.  

The results were very positive and all three girls gained enough confidence to open up about what their issues were and to take on personal challenges faced such as giving presentations in front of their peers and putting their hand up in class. Their increased confidence also had a positive impact on their school work and self-esteem.  One of the girls who had English as a second language made a huge improvement in her math’s work as she simply gained the courage to ask for help. I could really relate to what these girls went through and was therefore able to deliver to them what had worked for me especially during my dramatherapy training and other professional training.

Anxiety is a normal part of life but with the right level of support and nurture from a young age, children can grow to become successful and achieve what they want to in life. 

Contact me by email or 07951 410 164 to find out more.