Abstract

This paper explores where catharsis may be found within work with fairy tales, why therapeutic work with fairy tales may be appropriate for children with anxiety, and what roles catharsis may play when fairy tales are used with this population. This paper explores possible connections between fairy tales and catharsis, and considers how these connections may or may not be beneficial in drama therapy for children with anxiety. While some research has suggested that catharsis may be harmful, such research has defined catharsis as just the expression of emotion. For this paper, Catharsis is defined as the process of emotional discharge that brings about relief of emotional tension. Catharsis can be an internal process that does not necessarily result in visible expressions of emotion. While catharsis is not necessary for therapeutic change, according to the definition used in this paper, catharsis is necessarily therapeutic. In combination with the action oriented drama therapy methods, fairy tales provide the necessary stimuli for catharsis to occur within children with anxiety. The themes, structure, and fictional world of fairy tales help to establish an aesthetic distance between the client and the material being explored, which allows catharsis to occur. Catharsis channels emotion, relieves anxiety, and brings children a new understanding of their anxiety.