An exploration of the importance of self-care to the drama therapy intern

• Main Author: Burns, Mary Elizabeth
• Format: Others
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/1215/1/MQ54353.pdf; Burns, Mary Elizabeth <http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/view/creators/Burns=3AMary_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html> (2000) An exploration of the importance of self-care to the drama therapy intern. Other thesis, Concordia University.

This paper is an investigation into the self-care practices and attitudes of a small number of drama therapy interns. After a review of the literature, the paper examines my own process of discovery of the importance of self-care as part of my training. I have also described the ways in which I used drama as part of my self-care regimen, and how this has impacted my development as a drama therapist. A discussion of the use of one's art as a method of self-care offers some comment on the concept of the drama therapist as practicing artist. The study goes beyond my own exploration to include the experiences of other drama therapy interns. The research was conducted using phenomenological methods in a heuristic framework. Twenty-four students in a creative arts therapies graduate training program completed a survey on self-care attitudes and practices. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with three students in the second year of their drama therapy training. Finally, the paper offers some tentative conclusions regarding the importance of self-care during the drama therapist's training, and offers suggestions for further areas of research. By examining my own process and the experience of theses students, the paper offers some insight into the relationship between self-care and healthy student life for the drama therapy intern.