Bridging into The Playspace: DvT-ing with “regular” people!

We created an 8 week DvT stress relief group for the general public. Participants loved it! So we did it 3 more times and it got better! We made delightful discoveries along the way and created specific interventions to make it possible for people without prior DvT experience to feel playful, embodied and connected.

Everyone’s play is unique. Some jump in with big offers, while others are quiet, anxious or shy. We assert that all versions of how someone might enter the playspace is okay and we shaped our groups with this main principle!

The Warm up Process: An attuned warmup targeting a full range of personalities creates meaningful encounters for everyone. Learn how we created this.

Dimensionalizing Group Play: It is the facilitator's job to dimensionalize images that arise from players so all participants can interact with said image for sustained moments of play. We will share case examples from our group and tips on how we did this.

Noa Emanuel, MA, RDT, (Israel) Is a drama therapist since 2012 and a DvT nerd since 2014. Passionate about DvT, Trauma. Loss. Po’a and the relationship between them.

Alicia Stephen, MA, (USA/India) is a drama therapist who works at the Post Traumatic Stress Center in New Haven. She is passionate about queer theory, anti opression work, liberation and healing justice.