The Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles
All classes are held on Zoom. Instructors may offer a hybrid in-person option for local students, depending on enrollment.
Core Classes (3 Units)
Creative Arts Therapies
Dates: January 25, February 1, 8, 15 and 22, March 8 and 15
Teacher: Pam Dunne
Time: 9:30 to 3:30 (PST)
Cost: $899
Time: 9:30 to 3:30 pm ( PST)
Participants will explore the therapeutic uses of movement, art, music, poetry and drama in individual and group psychotherapy through experiential exercises and special assignments. Digital media, phototherapy, cinema therapy and video therapy will also be a part of the discovery. Participants will be invited to find different methods of integrating drama and creative arts therapies in their personal lives and with the clients they serve. Applications to various populations and treatment settings will be shown through personal case histories and videos.
14 Hour Classes (1 Unit)
Transformational Stories and Pivotal Moments
Dates: March 14, 21 and 28
Time: 9:15 am to 1:15 pm (PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $338
Facilitator: Pam Dunne, Ph.D, RDT,BCT, NT
Explore the use of story in Narradrama in a transformational lens through stories such as: unique outcome, identity change, healing relationship, possibility and power. Participants explore through experiential exercises explore ways to expand and develop transformational stories and move from problem- saturated stories to more preferred ones through a re-storying process. Participants will also explore pivotal moments which bring positive entry ways into personal stories for the client which show agency and hope.
7 Hour Classes (.5 Unit)
Drama Therapy with Adolescents
Date: January 12
Time: 10:30 am to 6:00 pm (PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $169
Facilitator: Cynthia Kelvin. PsyD, RDT
This course explores how drama therapy and other expressive arts therapy techniques can be utilized in the treatment of adolescents. Participants will be introduced to drama and expressive arts interventions for some common presenting issues among adolescents, such as anxiety, depression, exploration and formation of identity, and challenges associated with both peer and adult relationships. Relevant research findings, theoretical orientations, and case examples will be discussed.
Through experiential exercises using projective tools and embodied expressions, participants will explore practical and potential applications of drama and other expressive arts in assisting adolescent clients in developing emotion regulation skills, adaptive coping, and pro-social skills while cultivating a healthy self-image.
Deconstructing and Reimagining Depression Through Narradrama
Dates: January 11 and 18
Time: 10 am to 1:30 pm (PST)
Cost: $ 169
Arranged Time: (1 hour)
Instructor: Pam Paulson, M.A., LMFT., RDT- NT
Exploring deconstruction processes in navigating a transformed path in moving from the hold of depression to a new relationship to freedom, agency and hope. Workshop will utilize phototherapy techniques in combination with Narradrama.
Exploring Playback Theatre
Date: Jan 19 and 26
Time: 9 am to 12:30pm ( PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $169
Facilitator: Rachel Brousseau. LMFT, RDT/BCT, NT
Explore Playback Theatre and the unique collaboration that occurs between the teller, conductor, actors, and musician. Experience Playback Theatre’s embodied exercises and methods for warming up the audience for a teller to emerge. Discover the challenge of Playback from the point of view of the actors who play the story back and reflection processes for the audience witnessing the story. Whether in a classroom, hospital, conference, or in a theatre, tellers of stories witness the profound experience of being seen, heard, and honored.
Allies in Healing
Date: February 23
Time: 10:30 to 6:00pm ( PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $169
Facilitator: Kamran Afary. MA, MFT, RDT, NT
Participants will discover foundational concepts in Narrative therapy such as externalization, doubly
listening, landscape of action and identity and explore ways to integrate action techniques inspired by Narradrama. An in depth understanding of narrative questions and practice in developing questions
will equip the participants to expand the moment and move into embodiment. Narradrama and
resilience will also be explored in specific interventions. Applications will be made to educational,
clinical and community settings, and specifically with imprisoned persons and other groups
experiencing oppression.
Emerging from Trauma with Drama and the Creative Arts
Dates: February 16 and March 2
Time: 12:00 to 3:30 pm (PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $169
Instructor: Pam Paulson, M.A., LMFT., RDT- NT
Experiencing trauma leaves a lasting emotional response from an event that is experienced as harmful or threatening. This can create pervasive negative effects on a person’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. Survivors may internalize negative beliefs about themselves, feeling unworthy of love or success. Using drama and creative arts, participants in this workshop will explore interventions centered in action techniques, which have been helpful in working with groups and individuals who have experienced trauma . Participants will explore creative arts methods of helping those who have experienced trauma to cultivate self-compassion, reclaim agency over their life and uncover strengths and resiliency which can open the door to a more fulfilling life.
Affirming Identities: Mixed Media Art Approaches for LGBTQ+ Individuals
Dates: March 9 and 16
Time: 12 pm to 3:30 pm ( PST)
TBA Time: 1 hour
Cost: $169
Teacher: Georgie Landy, LCAT, ATR-BC
This workshop focuses on mixed media approaches with the LGBTQ+ community to honor individual choices of expression through storytelling, art and film to re-story issues of identity and preferred modes of expression.
*All workshops count as CE credits for NADTA*
Abroad Program 2025: Rouen and Paris
Re-Imagining Yourself Through the Lens of Drama Therapy
Pam Dunne, Demetri Starvou, Kamran Afary
For additional Information: dramatherapyabroad@gmail.com
Dates: July 1-8, 2025
Cost: $2150 (early bird until January 30) Includes accommodation (shared bedrooms and full
registration)
Deposit: $300 to hold place
Credit for CHED for NADTA and CE’s for NADTA
Join an inspiring workshop where, through re-imagining freedom, ecology, hope, and identity,
participants will create their own personalized transformational maps and performances. Through
drama therapy exercises, you’ll explore a revitalized relationship with nature and the environment, re-
energizing your personal and professional journeys.
As part of this unique experience, participants will embark on a day trip to Paris, drawing inspiration
from the city’s profound history, art, and dramatic expression to unlock new dimensions of self-
reflection and creative exploration. Rouen, location of the workshop is a land of Impressionism close
to Monet’s Gardens. Nestled in the Seine Valley, Rouen inspired artists like Monet, Gauguin, and
Pissarro. This cultural capital will serve as a backdrop, inviting participants to immerse themselves in
the transformative energy that has sparked countless masterpieces.