If you have been feeling like your life is stuck in a rut or are yearning to change your job and follow your dreams, dramatherapy could be the ticket to change your life.
Before you discard the idea on the basis of poor performing skills, dramatherapy is not just about acting and it involves a wide spectrum of play using drama and theatre as the therapeutic process.
The British Association of Dramatherapists defines this therapy as a method of working and playing, that uses action methods to facilitate creativity, imagination, learning and growth.
Dramatherapist Daniel Mercieca, who graduated in this profession from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, said in an interview with The Times that people of all ages, in a variety of settings, could benefit from this form of therapy.
It can be used in schools, residential centres, drug rehabilitation units, prisons and mental health centres among many others.
Mr Mercieca, who is registered to practise with the Health Professions Council in the UK that regulates art therapy, has been roped in by the newly set up clinic, In Process, to give two programmes of 14 sessions each on dramatherapy.
In Process, in Birkirkara, is a clinic which provides a series of professional services with the aim of enhancing the psychological well-being of individuals, couples and families.
The first programme on dramatherapy is aimed at those who wish to look deeper into their lives, deepen their relationships and explore issues related to their own esteem in a creative and fun way.
"This is ideal for those who wish to look into how their life stories have been told, retold and conditioned over the years. People will have the chance to allow themselves to create an 'as if' world which they can escape to. Oscar Wilde said: 'Man is least himself when he talks in his own person; give him a mask and he will tell the truth'. This is what we aim to do," Mr Mercieca said.
He explained that this is normally done by working on a theme and stories by using metaphors to reach the goal. "This course is a journey into being playful. Whoever comes should bring the child within them along. Of course, we can always find the child you would have locked away years ago," he added.
The second programme is directed towards people who are already working in the caring profession such as social workers, nurses, teachers and occupational therapists, among others. "These professions tend to be very demanding with people taking on the issues and problems of others upon themselves, often risking burnout," he said. Support and continuous training for people in these professions was crucial to allow them to offload the tension and stress triggered by the emotions of others.
"Therapy can be a frightening word because the first thing that comes to mind is sickness. The stigma in Malta is especially high but this is changing slowly," he said.
For Mr Mercieca dramatherapy has been a soul-searching experience sparked off when he first entered the theatre world as a young student. "I have always been fascinated by what drives people to act in a certain way. For me theatre has never been just about entertainment but an expression of cultures and different mentalities; it can be very effective outside the confined spaces of the stage," he said.
Mr Mercieca said that whoever expressed interest in the course would have to first undergo an assessment session to gauge the person's interest and expectations from dramatherapy.
The course starts next month. Anyone interested is asked to call 2147 0147 or 9982 2378.
www.inprocessmalta.com