Original scientific paper
Creative arts therapy in the school system: Integrating play (DvT) and embodied methods into trauma-based treatment
Dina Fried
; Yaakov Herzog College, Jerusalem
Abstract
This study examines the impact of an art therapy workshop integrating
playfulness through a drama-based technique called Developmental Transformations (DvT). The goal was to assess how DvT training influences
trauma-based interventions for children and adolescents with special needs
within the Israeli state-run school system and to explore its impact on the
professional development of a training for creative arts therapists (CATs). The
phenomenological research methodology involved two workshops totaling 30
hours of training, divided into eight sessions of three to four hours each. Sixty
CATs participated, all of whom worked in the special education system with
children diagnosed with autism and psychiatric or neurological disorders. The
workshops were psychoeducational, each workshop consisted of the theoretical
and practical part where the DvT methods were explored. The overall results
revealed that participants gained a clearer understanding of how to use play
and embodied methods to address trauma and engage with clients resistant
to traditional therapy. The hands-on, experiential approach strengthened their
therapeutic repertoire, providing tools that can be effectively implemented in
school settings. The study also highlighted the need for further development
of DvT techniques, particularly in combination with conventional therapeutic
approaches. Participants expressed a desire for additional theoretical material,
deeper exploration of specific clinical challenges, and more practical case
studies to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The article concludes
with recommendations for future research on integrating DvT within school
systems.
Keywords
Developmental transformation; playfulness; expressive therapists; trauma
Hrčak ID:
327418
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2024.
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