Date of Award
Spring 5-18-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MA - Master of Arts
Department
Expressive Therapies
Advisor
Dr. Laura Wood, PhD, LMHC, RDT-BCT, CCLS
Abstract
As governments and social organizations fail to sufficiently address the rapidly warming climate, psychological responses such as grief, anxiety, anger, guilt and shame increase, with young people disproportionately affected. This capstone thesis reviewed current literature on climate-change related mental health issues, considered the lack of literature within the field of drama therapy, and engaged in preliminary ecodramatherapeutic work through textual analysis. Seven plays about climate change were coded using qualitative data analysis for shared themes of therapeutic relevance. Emergent themes included The Paradoxical Power/Powerlessness of Humanity, Lost Connection to Nature or Spirit or Culture, Art as Activism and Intergenerational Responsibility. Findings were examined through the theoretical frameworks of ecofeminism and queer ecology. A discussion, suggestions for clinical interventions, and future directions for research were provided.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Slotine, Emilie, "Towards an Ecodramatherapy: Drama Therapy for Climate Grief & Climate Activism" (2024). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 796.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/796
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