Our dramatherapy sessions create a safe space to explore difficulties and trauma, and support children by helping them reduce anxiety and other mental health issues.

“Mental health is about how we think, feel and act. Just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it. Our mental health is on a spectrum, and can range from good to poor. Good mental health can help you to think positively, feel confident and act calmly.” Mind

Dramatherapy can help children to have good mental health.

From analysing the feedback from teachers and parents/carers in schools where we support children, seven key themes emerge demonstrating the effectiveness of dramatherapy with children, they are: 

• Expression of Feelings: a safe place to explore emotions
• Reduction in Anxiety: a noticeable reduction in anxiety through coming to the sessions, facilitated by the repeated structure of sessions
• Improved Social Skills: gaining better social skills and behaving more appropriately, with role play providing a short cut to learning and practicing these skills
• Increased Confidence: increasing confidence and sense of self-worth secured by praise from dramatherapists and one to one attention
• Impact of Classroom Behaviour: changed behaviour in class particularly towards school work in terms of improved attitude and motivation
• Supporting Families: supporting the whole system around the child
• Improved Relationships With Peers: being included and making friends
  

Dramatherapy is a safe and familiar place to explore feelings, address anxieties and to develop confidence and social skills. In addition to these outcomes, teachers notice positive changes for the children in the classroom impacting on their attitude towards learning.  Parents also comment on how they feel the whole family is supported by the intervention, noticing a positive difference for the children at home. 

The rates of children and young people with a probable mental disorder in England have risen to one in six

Children and Young People’s Mental Health

from House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee (8th report)

You can find out how our dramatherapy supports good mental health here

If you are a teacher and want to find out information about how Roundabout’s Dramatherapy might work in your school please click here

Children want to have good wellbeing in the future, not just now. Among 9—17‐year‐olds, just over half (52%) said that having good mental health was one of their most important future aspirations

The Big Ask The Big Answer from the Children’s Commissioner September 2021