Schedule of Classes

DTILA keeps track of student class hours in two different ways: one way for Certificate Program students and a different way for Continuing Education students. Certificate Program students keep track of their class hours in "Training Units," like in college. Continuing Education Students--usually mental health professionals enrolling for a single class--keep track of their class hours in "Continuing Education Units," or "CEUs."

A typical class that meets four times, for six hours each class meeting, is counted as either three Training Units or twenty-four CEUs. The Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles is an approved provider (Approval Number PCE- 3906) for continuing education credits for MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy) and LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

Our Schedule of Classes varies, depending on what our students need in a particular school year. To see our most recent schedule of classes, please email pamdunnedtila@mac.com. Three unit classes are normally scheduled on Saturdays. The Narradrama Ongoing Group is scheduled one Sunday a month from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and one unit classes are typically scheduled on Saturdays or Sundays. Wednesdays are reserved for student appointments, make-up classes, and other one unit classes.

Regular Classes (Four, six-hour class meetings, 3 units or 24 CEUs)

DT - 103 Creative Arts Therapies (Core: 3 Units or 24 CEUs)

Explores therapeutic uses of movement, art, music, poetry and drama in individual and group psychotherapy. Participants will explore each of the creative arts therapies through experiential exercises and special assignments. Participants will be invited to discover methods of integrating drama and creative arts therapies from a narrative perspective. Applications to various populations and treatment settings will be given.

DT - 103 Creative Drama (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Explores the theory and practice of creative drama in educational and therapeutic setting. Demonstrates and offers experiential practice in using   the techniques of story dramatization, ongoing drama, pantomime, theatre games, and other informal drama processes with a therapeutic purpose.

DT - 101 Drama Therapy (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Explores projective techniques of drama therapy including masks, puppets, life-sized dolls and art as well as psychodramatic techniques of role reversal, doubling, interviewing and mirroring. Class will be designed to challenge the participants at their level of experience.

DT - 104 Drama Therapy with Special Populations (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Demonstrates how to use drama therapy effectively with special populations, including adult psychiatric population, emotionally disturbed children and teens, and other populations of interest. Course will also examine culturally sensitive ways of utilizing drama therapy and creative arts with individuals of differing cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

PSY - 106 Ethics and Drama Therapy (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Students will explore the unique ethical and legal issues pertaining to the field of drama therapy in keeping with the code of ethics of the National Association for Drama Therapy and regulations applicable to the field of psychotherapy in general. This class will also clarify the current laws in California concerning legal and ethical aspects of psychotherapy.

DT - 106a Life Scripts: Advanced Practice Drama Therapy (Core: 3 Units or 24 CEUs)

Experience personal growth and explore various ways of practicing drama therapy through theater and drama forms, culminating in a life script, experimental theater piece, creative drama, psychodrama, sociodrama and performance art. Experiential work will assist the group in understanding the concepts and techniques as applied to a variety of clinical settings and populations. Class will culminate in the performance of several life scripts.

DT - 110b Narradrama: Advanced Practice in Drama Therapy (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Students will explore advanced narradrama ideas and techniques focusing on the work of Michael White as well as solution-focused therapy approaches. Techniques such as double listening, landscape of action and identity, re-membering conversations, and scaffolding will be integrated in narradrama practice. The latest cutting edge ideas in the field of narrative therapy will be explored through narradrama, videos, and hands-on experiences.

DT - 130 Phototherapy and Drama Therapy: Advanced Practice (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Students will explore the fields of phototherapy, videotherapy, and cinematherapy, focusing on integrating techniques of photography and drama therapy with different populations and treatment settings. Working with digital and/or video cameras, students will become familiar with these visual mediums by engaging in a number of "taking your camera for a walk" exercises and other creative, fun assignments.

DT - 106b Research, Assessment & Treatment: Advanced Practice Drama Therapy (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

Utilizes drama therapy and creative arts assessments in order to develop individualized treatment plans for children, teens, and adults in different treatment settings. Offers experiential practice utilizing drama therapy and assessments with a variety of populations in clinical and educational settings. Students engage in specific research projects related to their interests.

DT - 105 Sociodrama and Advanced Psychodramatic Techniques (Core: 3 units or 24 CEUs)

This is a course about Sociodrama and advanced psychodramatic techniques, based on the work of Jacob Moreno. Participants will receive practical experience in Sociodrama and will be introduced to Psychodramatic techniques, including "living sculpture," psychodramatic interviewing, "walk and talk," "role reversal," "concretization," "mirrors," and more. Participants will also work with Psychodrama vignettes. Participants will view videos of significant figures in this field.

One Day Intensive Classes (Core or elective, one class meeting, 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

DT - 117 Creativity and the Emotions (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores theories about creativity and the link between drama therapy and emotions.

DT - 115 Dance Therapy (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Examination of the field and practice of dance therapy from various theoretical prospectives and with different populations. Students will explore movement notation methods and learn simple ways to analyze movement, engage in beginning dance therapy warm-ups and activities, as well as explore aspects of creative dance. Students will work within their level of competency and integrate those aspects of dance therapy they feel comfortable and qualified to do.

DT - 123 Drama Therapy with Children (Core or Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores projective techniques of drama therapy with children including experiential work with puppets, dolls, sandplay, photography, and other techniques.

DT - 121 Drama Therapy with Mood Disordered Clients (Core or Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

A study of mood disorders and ways of utilizing drama therapy in group and individual settings

DT 113- Drama Therapy with Physically and Developmentally Disabled Clients (Core: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores creative ways to utilize drama therapy with clients on the autistic spectrum or developmentally delayed.

* DT - 112 Drama Therapy with Special Populations: Substance Abuse/Dual Diagnoses (Core: l unit or 6 CEUs)

Demonstrates how to apply and use drama therapy with substance abuse and dually diagnosed populations. Emphasizes a 12-step context and how drama therapy can be applied within this format.

* Students may either write a paper and receive 1 unit credit, or not write a paper and receive .5 unit credit.

DT - 114 Integrating Drama Therapy, Yoga, Poetry and Creative Arts (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores ways to integrate drama therapy, yoga, poetry and creative arts for personal and professional growth.

DT - 111 Narradrama and Community Work (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs; repeatable)

Field work within a community project centered on narradrama.

DT - 111 Narradrama Techniques: Integrating Narrative and Drama Techniques (Elective: .5 units or 3 CEUs)

Explores narrative and drama therapy techniques including externalization, storying, unique outcome pantomimes and scenes, deconstruction, and reconstruction. Material will be applied to clinical and educational settings. (Ongoing monthly group)

DT - 118 Photography and Drama Therapy Techniques (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores ways to utilize creative photography, collage, life size imagery, and photo cartoons in educational and therapeutic settings.

DT - 114 Poetry, Drama, Music, Video &  Masks with Adolescents (Core or Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Working in an integrative way with poetry, drama, phototherapy, videotherapy, creative arts, and masks with adolescents. Students will also examine suicide, cutting behavior, and eating disorders prevalent among adolescents.

DT - 124 Poetry, Music, Video and Drama Therapy with Adolescents (Core or Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores creative ways of utilizing poetry, music, video and drama with adolescents in educational and mental health settings, including special work with masks and rituals.

DT 122- Ritual, Ceremony and Mythic Theatre (Elective: 1 unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores the healing value of ritual and ceremony in therapy and  identifying one's personal myths and symbols. We will discuss how these concepts and methods can be applied to a variety of populations and settings.

DT - 106c Theatre for Conflict Resolution: Anger Management (Core: l unit or 6 CEUs)

Explores cognitive/ behavioral, psychodramatic and humanistic/ existential approaches to anger management and conflict resolution, interfacing drama therapy techniques and practice within these contexts. A five-step model for effective anger management will be discussed and practiced.

DT - 116 Video in Drama Therapy (Elective: l unit or 6 CEUs)

Course covers theoretical models and foundations of the use of video in therapy, indications and contra-indications, and effective techniques and exercises. Applications to a variety of populations and treatment settings will be explored.

           

DT - 111 Narradrama and Community Work (1 to 6 units; repeatable)

Field work within a community project centered on narradrama.

DT - 110 Narradrama Techniques (1-8 units;repeatable)

Explores specific techniques of narradrama such as externalization, double description, and unique outcomes with specific exercises and hands-on experiences. 

DT - 129 Performance Art and Drama Therapy (Elective: 1-3 units or 6-24 CEUs; repeatable)

Traces the area of performance art from its inception to the present day as well as examines the links between drama therapy and performance art. Students will engage in hands-on exercises, which engage them with various aspects of performance art. A short performance art piece will be developed by each student at the end of the quarter.

DT - 128 Social Theatre (l unit or 6 units; repeatable)

Examines the use of theatre for social and political change. This course will focus on companies using social theatre within the mental health field. Students will study the theories and techniques of Augusto Boal and other practitioners known for their work in the field.