Building Nature: A Nature-Based Drama Therapy Method in an Urban Program

Author

Courtney Bennett McDuffeeFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-21-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Angelle Cook PhD, RDT/BCT

Abstract

Finding a mental health center that fits the needs of an individual can take time. Some individuals must travel to different states and enter large metropolises to find the specific type of support they need for their mental health journey. This can mean that for extended periods of time, as individuals go through residential treatment, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and/or intensive outpatient programs (IOP), they can not only find themselves in a completely new community, but also entirely removed from nature. For this reason, my thesis focused on creating a method to reconnect humans ‘trapped’ in an urban setting with the healing power and benefits of nature. I incorporated nature elements to engage as many senses as were available amid the COVID-19 pandemic guidelines for sanitation and safety. I believe that the incorporation of a nature-based drama therapy method into an adult PHP program can help improve emotional and physiological self-regulation, group cohesion, and inspire patients to reconnect with nature as a tool for their own personal growth and healing journeys.

Creative Commons License

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

Recommended Citation

Bennett McDuffee, Courtney, "Building Nature: A Nature-Based Drama Therapy Method in an Urban Program" (2022). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 565.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/565