The Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles
All classes are held on Zoom and count as CE credits for NADTA. Instructors may offer a hybrid in-person option for local students, depending on enrollment. In order to ensure we receive the correct contact information, you must officially register through the form button below. (Information can be lost/mistakenly altered if passed through email communication.) Thank you so much, and we look forward to seeing you in class!
Core Classes (3 Units)
Sociodrama and Advanced Psychodramatic Techniques
Dates: March 8, 10, 15, 22, 29, April, 12, 19, 26, and May 3
Times: 9:30 am to 2:15 pm (PST) – (March 10th is a shortened meeting time: 9:30-12:30pm PST)
Cost: $899
Facilitator: Pam Dunne, Ph.D, RDT, BCT/NT
This course focuses on Sociodrama and advanced psychodramatic techniques, based on the work of Jacob Moreno and contributions of international leaders in the field. In Sociodrama, participants will explore empty chair sociodrama, pre-rehearsed dramaturgy, dramatic multiplication, living newspaper, re-plotting and other specialized techniques for sociodrama. Participants will also explore psychodramatic techniques of living sculpture, psychodramatic interviewing, role reversal, mirrors, and other advanced psychodramatic techniques as well as sociometric techniques (i.e. spectrograms, locograms). Selected videos and targeted assignments will assist participants in planning and facilitating these processes in community, education, business, and in other settings.
14 Hour Classes (1 Unit)
Transformational Stories and Pivotal Moments: Empowerment Strategies with Different Populations
Dates: March 14, 21 and 28
Time: 9:15 am to 2:15 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.
Independent Project for Ethics or Research
Teacher: Pam Dunne
Cost: $338
Schedule: TBA. Contact instructor if signing up (pamdunnedtila@mac.com) for date to meet to begin project.
This is a research based or ethics based independent project designed for students who need additional units to meet their ethics or research requirements.
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
In this class, you will explore the deconstruction processes in navigating a transformed path. This will move the hold of depression to a new relationship to freedom, agency and hope. Workshop will utilize phototherapy techniques in combination with Narradrama.
Allies in Healing: Application to Groups Experiencing Oppression
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.
Exploring Playback Theatre
Date: March 23 and 30
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.
Abroad Program 2025: Rouen and Paris
Join an inspiring workshop where participants create memoirs, personalized transformational maps, and performances by reimagining freedom as a foundation. Together, we will explore its profound connections to ecology, hope, and identity, revitalizing our relationships with nature and the environment. Through Ethnodrama, participants will delve into the concept of the flâneur and the culture of the café, drawing inspiration from the city’s rich history, art, and dramatic expression. A half-day trip to Monet Gardens in Giverny will provide deeper connections with nature. These explorations will unlock new dimensions of self-reflection and creativity, re-energizing both personal and professional lives.
Credits given for CHED and NADTA CE’s
Early Bird Registration (Before Feb 26) – $2,250
Regular registration – $2,550
To reserve a space a $400 deposit is required
*Train, lunch, and expenses in Monet Gardens are not included in registration
For more information on the Abroad Program, email: dramatherapyabroad@gmail.com