Date of Award

Spring 5-22-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Laura Wood

Abstract

Mental health professionals are currently faced with an increased need to meet the demands of clients of color who are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Disparities in mental health care for people of color are an ongoing problem stemming from the fact that Western Psychology, the dominant approach to mental health care, is limited by the Eurocentric Worldview. Practitioners who intend to create inclusive therapeutic approaches must consider the unique cultural orientations and historical, social and political realities of clients of color. As of 2021, The North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) requires that 50% of all continuing education courses which Registered Drama Therapists (RDTs) take to maintain their credentials, focus on cultural humility, equity and diversity (CHEDCEs). This community engagement project was a pilot continuing education course on racial equity for NADTA members. This course was developed based on my experience as a VISIONS Inc. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, personal interviews with NADTA members, my research on Worldview and theories related to racial equity within psychology and drama therapy. The frameworks and strategies for exploring racial equity within the context of drama therapy that were included in the curriculum for this pilot continuing education course were: Worldview, dialogue and naming as a tool for racial equity, unconscious bias and internalized oppression through the lens of the drama therapy core processes.

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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