Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online
Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online
Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online
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threatening for the adolescents who are undergoing a period of instability and flux’<br />
(p.75). Emunah understands that the extreme low self-esteem of some adolescents<br />
makes their anticipation of failure even more exaggerated but describes her approach<br />
in three stages. At first, she works with their resistance in a playful way and allows<br />
the students to share control and let them take the lead. Secondly, the group may be<br />
willing to engage in dramatic play, having relinquished some of their resistance, but<br />
they may still need to act cool so as not to threaten their identity and approval from<br />
others in the group. At this stage both the adolescents and the therapist can work<br />
together on a scene which allows the final stage of therapeutic direction and<br />
improvisation to take place. The adolescent’s use of drama to re-enact realistic<br />
situations ‘in an attempt to understand and master their conflicting emotions’ (ibid.<br />
p.120) can provide perspective but the initial task for the therapist is to overcome the<br />
adolescent’s resistance.<br />
2.5 Arts therapies for adolescents in schools<br />
Pioneers in the arts therapies, including Nordoff-Robbins (1971, 1977), Alvin (1975,<br />
1978), Jennings (1987) and Waller (1991), work in different school settings. There<br />
are articles on school-based programmes for mental health promotion (Durlak and<br />
Wells, 1997), specifically for looked-after children (Christensen, 2010; Prokofiev,<br />
2010; Tortora, 2010) and studies which highlight the role of therapy in mainstream<br />
schools (Karkou, Fullarton and Scarth, 2010; Koshland, 2010; Tortora, 2010). Even<br />
though they may not specifically address adolescents, some texts do refer to children<br />
and include those who are secondary-aged (Donnelly, 1992; Tytherleigh, 2010).<br />
Karkou and Glasman (2004) advocate the role of the arts and arts therapies in schools<br />
to promote the emotional well-being and social inclusion of young people.<br />
There are several descriptive articles and case studies which focus on the use of arts<br />
therapies with disaffected and disturbed adolescents in schools (Jennings and Gersie,<br />
1987; Riley, 1999; Christensen, 2010; Karkou, Fullarton and Scarth, 2010; Quibell,<br />
2010). Karkou, Fullarton and Scarth (2010) argue that the arts therapies, and in<br />
particular dance movement psychotherapy, benefit adolescents with emotional and<br />
behavioural difficulties to engage and explore emotional and social issues in a nonthreatening<br />
way. Other case studies describe work with students who have Autism or<br />
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