CENTRE FOR DRAMATHERAPY AND TRANSPERSONAL DREAMWORK
KONSTANTZA MANIATOPOULOU MA PGDip Dip
Psychologist - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Dramatherapist (Sesame) RCSSD - University of London
Clinical Supervisor (CAST) - RCSSD - University of London
Trained in Transpersonal Dreamwork - CCPE, London
and in CRM - Trauma Treatment - L.Psych. Lisa Schwarz M.ED, London
Dramatherapy
Dramatherapy belongs to the Creative Arts Therapies (CATs), along with Music Therapy, Art Psychotherapy and Dance Movement Therapy. CATs is a branch of psychological therapies that utilise the art-form in the process of personal development and psychological healing.
Dramatherapy involves several creative activities, such as movement, personal & projected play, storytelling & story-making. Through play and the art-form, the client is introduced to an alternative language; one that can ease the discovery and expression of thoughts & emotions that would have been unaccessible or very difficult to express through a traditional talking approach.
Dramatherapy is appropriate for any client that prefers doing over speaking, either because of their personal preference or a physical or mental difficulty/impairment. It is usually tailored to the needs of each client, or group of clients.
Dramatherapy is a registered approach of Creative Arts Therapies in the UK by The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). In Greece there are two professional associations promoting and protecting the professions of Dramatherapists and Play-Therapists, EDPE and PEEDP.
Since the rise of dramatherapy in the 1960s, several approaches have been developed. The Sesame Approach for Drama & Movement Therapy is the one I have been trained in and apply in this centre.
Sesame Dramatherapy
The Sesame Approach was created in 1964 by Marian R Lindkvist (Billy) who combined the work and theories of Peter Slade (Play & Drama), Carl Jung (Analytical Psychology) and Rudolph Laban (Movement).
This is as a non-confrontatial therapeutic approach, based on the knowledge that more than often, the resolution of challenges find its way through oblique ways, like the use of a metaphor or by listening our inner voice. Our inner voice is mainly non-verbal, full of symbols and imagery, that are easily channeled through movement, sound, physical touch, drama, the enactment of stories and improvisation. The client that is using the Sesame Approach can connect on their own time and rhythm with what rises from inside their psyche in a safe and on the same time joyful and environment.
Up to date, Sesame has been applied in schools, hospitals, mental health centres, palliative care units and geriatric care centres around the world.