Date of Award

Spring 5-5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies

Major

Expressive Therapies

First Advisor

Jason Butler

Abstract

This study explores a telehealth-adapted, role-based drama therapy intervention designed to support trauma integration in adults. Grounded in trauma theory, experiential approaches, and drama therapy frameworks, the intervention utilized interoceptive awareness, metaphor, and role embodiment to explore emotional material in dramatic reality, with aesthetic distance serving as an adjustable mechanism of activation and containment. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on clinical session notes from five adult clients. Five themes emerged from the analysis, including: aesthetic distance and modes of engagement; aesthetic quality and symbolic coherence; role narrative as integration pathway; intervention as catalyst within ongoing process; and therapist positioning and clinical decision making. Across these themes, findings suggest that interoceptive awareness, metaphor-based role exploration, and relational attunement were central to facilitating emotional engagement and integration in a telehealth context. Although limited by its small sample and interpretive design, this study provides preliminary support for the adaptability of drama therapy processes to virtual settings and highlights directions for future research on embodiment, relational presence, and telehealth-based trauma interventions.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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