Date of Award

Spring 5-5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Jason Frydman

Abstract

The developmental task for adolescents concerns identity formation. Adoption literature indicates that for adolescent adoptees, the task of identity formation is often complex. As compared to their non-adopted peers, adolescent adoptees must contemplate their identity with informational factors and with potential gaps in their life stories. Though it is acknowledged in the literature that identity formation for adolescent adoptees is complex, and that adolescent adoptees seek mental health services in high percentages, little formal research has been conducted to investigate the usefulness of drama therapy in the treatment of adolescent adoptees, or the adoptee population overall. In response to a lack of prior research, this thesis asks: In what ways might the drama therapy approach of role method support identity formation in adolescent adoptees? After implementing a role method intervention with one adolescent adoptee client over three 50-minute sessions, results indicate that role method supported the client with self-perception and integration of identity as an adoptee. Implications include ways in which the structure and flexibility of role method align with the unifying and individual experiences of adolescent adoptees.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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