Welcome
I was born and live in the South East of England. In regards to the Arts I have been involved in theatre and
musicals from my early childhood. Working on many school productions in the leading role. I studied Drama at school
and joined a local Drama and dance group and appeared in many public performances. After a number of different jobs,
I found myself studying to become a Psychiatric Nurse. During this time I worked with acute psychiatric clients,
psychiatric rehabilitation services, elderly mentally ill, family therapy and general medicine. I qualified and
began to specialise in group work, running role play, social skills training and games therapy. Finally, I was
running the social therapies dept. within my local psychiatric hospital.
Keeping myself busy in education, I began my Honours Degree in psychology with the Open University. Also at
this time I attained a certificate in counselling skills. Within the psychiatric hospital I organised a variety
show forcharity. Within my social therapy practice I found that clients were able to enact various scenes from
their livesand that they were able to discuss and reflect on these. This process I found appeared to be
beneficial to myclients. I set about reading drama texts and stumbled upon a tatty, dusty copy of "Drama therapy
in psychiatry",by Dorothy Langley within the hospitals medical library. I was driven to find out more. I
eventually got the address of the British Associations Address. This was no easy task because its address kept
changing due to changes of administrators over the years, so every address in each publication could be different!
I went on a number of workshops lead by Dramatherapists, notably Sue Jennings. With this material, I approached my
health authority, however due to budget restraints they were unable to fund the course. I resigned and trained as
a Dramatherapist at the Hertfordshire University and obtained a Dramatherapy post in another National Health
Service Trust. Where I mixed my roles as Dramatherapist and nursing in two separate posts and client groups. I
worked for a while in the psychotherapy department. My services were then transferred directly to different units
and currently placed within an acute Day Hospital and run an outpatients clinic as a Dramatherapist. Furthermore,
my skills are utilised in a Community Mental Health Centre. I gave up my nursing post to devote time to my studies
towards a Masters in Dramatherapy and am now preparing to undertake PhD. (see current interests)
I am also currently assisting students in Drama degrees. One group in creating a video looking at Dramatherapy
practice in the UK. If you are a Dramatherapist, Ex-client or purchaser interested in taking part or offering
information please let me know. (Contact me)
I began building up my freelance practice. I presently work with, individuals, couples, families and groups.
Specifically, I have worked with children, learning disability and a psychiatric therapeutic community.
Furthermore, I have experience of working in a forensic secure and personality disorder unit. I have also from
time to time appeared on local radio stations in the South East of England. I have also provided workshops and
lectures. I offer individual and group teaching for students in drama, nursing, psychology and social work. I
can also accommodate students wishing to find placements within a drama or therapy setting.
Finally, I felt that a lot of people had not encountered Dramatherapy. So I became a member of the Public
Relations and publications Sub-Committee within the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADTh.). I advertise
this site in the many areas where Dramatherapists and Dramatherapy are unknown and where there maybe interest,
drama, psychology, other therapies, stage, films, television etc.
With kindest regards and best wishes,
