Questions about Dramatherapy...

Recently I gave a presentation on Dramatherapy to a large group of third year college students majoring in Psychology. These are some of the questions which were asked...


Q1. Why Dramatherapy and other forms of Creative Arts Therapies work?

A: One of the reasons is that because it uses projective method. In dramatherapy what comes up through the creative tools such as the object work, story making, acting, art work are the thoughts and feelings of the client/s. Some of which the client/s may not be aware of.
Therefore it works very well, especially when words alone fail to describe the depth of one’s thoughts and feelings. Especially when language is a barrier in communication for certain individuals. Some people also use words to create a wall between them and the therapist. They sometimes hide their emotions and thoughts behind their words.
The other reason why it works well is that most of the time it uses fiction to create a distance between the client and his/her problems. In this way the client is able to look at their problems more objectively , (be a witness to their problems) and able to find solutions without being overly caught up in being in the problem which sometimes paralyses a person into taking steps to improve their situation.
Some of the feedback I get from my clients are also that they actually look forward to the sessions because every session we do different activities which they find interesting and the other comment I usually get is that they feel relaxed after the first few minutes of being in the dramatherapy session. These factors motivate the clients’ regular attendance in the sessions (resulting in faster progress in resolving their problems) rather than trying to avoid the sessions. Especially when therapy can be difficult since its purpose is to work on difficult issues which is not usually a ‘walk in the park’ for most people.

To be continued on my next blog entry... till then, enjoy the dance of life :-)

Odissi Dance Performance on 4th of July 2009

Dance Performance on 4th of April 2009

I will be performing in an Odissi dance recital at 8pm on the 4th of April 2009 at MATIC (Malaysian Tourist Information Centre) auditorium located at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. It is a production of Madhura Dance Academy. Please contact the telephone numbers on the above poster or email vanitha_dramatherapist@yahoo.com for more details.

Corporate Training : Creative Relaxation (Stress Management)

Continuous research both in the field of medicine as well as in the field of psychology have proven time and again that stress causes many adverse effects in both the body and the mind of a person, if it is not managed well. In the current economic situation, stress levels may be high as employees may wonder if they will still have a job in the next few months. There is lot of worries about how to manage if they lose their jobs. A lot of 'what ifs' in the air... Some organisations may have been forced to downsize and in many situations one person may end up having to do two or three other people's jobs.

When employees fall ill because of stress or are less able to focus on their work, organisations tend to lose monetarily because of the lack of productivity either due to illness or employees inability to focus on their work.

In this Creative Relaxation training sessions, the participants will learn how to use various creative and practical relaxation techniques which they may practice in their work environment as well as in their own time. The techniques which are used is unique as it will be utilising many of the creative arts tools in its applications. Although the main aim is to be able to manage stress well, the usual unintentional outcome also includes taping further into a person's creative self. That creative self has the tendency of expanding itself to the individuals work environment, which in many cases translate to a higher levels of work productivity.

Due to the current economic situation and many budget cuts in employee enhancement programs, this training can be catered to the organisation's budget.


If your organisation is interested to know more about this training, please contact :

Vanitha Chandrasegaram
Email: creative.movements@gmail.com or vanitha_dramatherapist@yahoo.com

P.S The trainer is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

'The Audacity of Hope'

Barack Obama is about to officially become the president of the United States of America in a couple of hours. Here is to HOPE and positive change, to the United States and to the rest of the world!

NADT Conference, San Francisco, CA

In early November 2008 I had the privilege of participating in a Drama Therapy Conference organized by the National Association for Drama Therapists (NADT) USA, which was held in San Francisco.

My whole journey there was a wonderful experience. I had landed on the day after the presidential elections. The results were announced in the flight that Barack Obama won the elections. Many of the passengers in the plane was very excited and applauded when we heard the news. It was obvious there was an expectancy of positive change to take place in the USA and consequently in the rest of the world. I saw it as a sign of change taking place in both personal and the collective consciousness.

The conference was fabulous! I had learned a lot, participated in the many workshops and had the honor of meeting the pioneers in the field of Drama Therapy and also other wonderful Drama Therapist and aspiring Drama Therapists. As it is only in rare occasions such as during these conferences I get to meet other Drama Therapists (as there are now only two of us in Malaysia, the other person is based in Penang, which is a 6 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, where I am), I could not contain my excitement of being in the presence among hundreds who are in the same field both from the United States as well as from other parts of the world.

It is always fascinating to me to be a participant in the workshops instead of being the facilitator. Every time I participate in the Drama Therapy workshops, I am still in awe with the whole experience of the 'magic' of drama therapy... the unconscious materials are being revealed about myself and the personal insights I get from the experience and ways to work to improve myself or situations.
Some of my favorite workshops during this conference were Life Stories Embodied Processes, Action Theater, Clinical Supervision That is Alive, Exploring the Shadow, Diversity Forum, Theater Improvisation as a Meditative Process, Sacred Performances and Being Fully Alive in Our Bodies.
I was kindly invited by Dr. Renee Emunah (who heads the Drama Therapy Program in CIIS and who is a pioneer in the field) to attend a workshop at the California Institute of Intergral Studies (CIIS) to attend another workshop titled 'The Hero's Journey' facilitated by Dr. Robert Landy (also a pioneer in the field and heads the Drama Therapy Program in NYU) on the day after the conference.

I was in awe with CIIS... Many wonderful images from all over the world adorned its walls. I was very impressed with the library, I even found the 'Natya Sastra'(which is the text from which all Indian Classical dance forms was said to have originated from. The content of this text was supposed to have come through a saint during meditation) among the rather modest but precious and rare collection of books which were in its shelves.

I have already applied a few of the new drama therapy techniques which I have learned at the conference into my work in Malaysia and I found that my clients have responded very well to them. It is always amazing that each group and individual constantly create a whole new experience even if the exact same technique is applied. It is always amazing to witness the uniqueness of each individual or group.

My Recent Favourite Poem

Love After Love

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life. - Derek Walcott