Dramatherapist recalls 'precious moment' of laughter with autistic man

Dramatherapy has many benefits for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although sessions tend to be client-led, they are highly structured which supports people with ASD. The intensive interaction side of dramatherapy is very beneficial for those with ASD and offers a non-verbal method of communication which helps build relationships and express feelings and emotions.

Myriam Rey, an HCPC registered dramatherapist, spoke to carehome.co.uk about her experience working with older adults with ASD.

Where do you work and who do you mostly work with?

I am a freelance dramatherapist working for Roundabout, a registered charity that provides a dramatherapy service across London.

I work in care homes, schools and nurseries. Currently I am working with older adults with autism and children with emotional and behavioural difficulties at a nursery.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in dramatherapy? Is this something you’ve always wanted to do?

I have always had a strong passion for theatre since childhood. I would facilitate drama workshops in my school for younger students. I then became a professional theatre practitioner and worked with different theatre companies, devising forum-theatre shows that would deal with topics such as racism, sexism and homophobia, as well as puppetry and interactive shows directed towards children and families on environmental issues.

I gradually discovered how theatre techniques such as role-play, imaginary work and mask-play could facilitate personal growth and offer a space for transformation. I decided to start my training as a dramatherapist after volunteering at dramatherapy group sessions in Lebanon with the company Catharsis, working with male and female inmates.

That experience truly triggered my wish to become a dramatherapist. I did an MA in Drama and Movement Therapy (SESAME) at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Since then it has been such a rewarding journey working as a dramatherapist and I am grateful for all the precious learning I received from other students and friends when I was training, from other colleagues and supervisors at Roundabout, and especially from the clients I had the chance to work with for the past three years.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I arrive at my first place of work such as a care home. I take the time to meet with the staff members and have a short handover with them to share any relevant information about the client before starting the session. I then set up the room to prepare it for the therapy session. The session is usually an hour long. At the end of it, when the client has left the room, I have some time to take notes and do another final handover with the staff members.

After a lunch break I arrive at my second place of work, the nursery, and follow the same time-structure-preparation.

How does dramatherapy benefit older adults with autism?

Dramatherapy benefits older adults with autism as it gives them a space to explore communication and different means of exploring feelings through the creative medium. It aims at developing self-expression and a sense of connection with others and it offers a space for independence and choice.

What sort of a role do family members and care home staff play in supporting the therapy you provide?

Staff support is very important; dramatherapists meet with them before and after the sessions to make sure that we are all working to ensure the best support for the client and to ensure that they are ready on time for sessions. Staff members generally refer clients and dramatherapists ask for as much background information as is available.

If dramatherapists are able to, we like to meet family and explain what we do.

What makes you smile at work?

I recall a precious moment that happened some months ago after a year working with an older adult with autism who has difficulty interacting with others and rarely uses speech to communicate. As we were interacting together, following each other’s movement, I saw the corners of his eyes narrowing, a smile appearing. His face lit up as he started to laugh and communicate his laugh to me.

What are the most challenging aspects of being a dramatherapist?

Going from one workplace to another and not having much time to spend with other staff members or other professionals there, the work can sometimes be a bit isolating.

As dramatherapy is not always well-known to the general public and seems to be considered a relatively new approach in many places, we need to explain and describe our work regularly. Giving an accessible and ‘good enough’ definition in a few words can sometimes be a bit challenging.

What qualities and skills do you think you need for the job?

You need emotional strength and an ability to work with people creatively and with warmth and empathy.

You need to have a high level of sensitivity in non-verbal work as exchanges with clients at non-verbal level is very important.

Could you explain what the Sesame approach is and how you use it to help the people you work with?

I am trained in the Sesame approach that incorporates the philosophies and theories of certain key psychologists and practitioners, namely Carl Jung, Rudolph Laban, Peter Slade and Billy Lindkvist. The approach is often referred to as ‘oblique’: it works primarily through allegory, symbolic image and dramatic distance and a playful spirit of exploration.

It offers the tools and the space for individuals to express their needs, hopes and fears creatively, while finding their own ways to explore them.

What is the main advice you would offer to someone looking to pursue a career in dramatherapy?

I would use this quote from Rainer Maria Rilke that I have recently discovered during one of my professional training day and seem to be in resonance with my journey as a dramatherapist and could be a good advice to come back to at any point on the journey of being a dramatherapist, when starting to pursue a career or when already in practice:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”