Abstract

This paper explains the use of drama therapy with women survivors of domestic violence. Background information from current literature addresses the various forms of violence, the vicarious cycle of violence and its effects. Victimization, trauma theory and social influences are also explored to understand the many emotional responses women endure from domestic violence. There is a focus on the use of personal storytelling in drama therapy to re-conceptualize identity, an identified essential attribute in the process of positive change. Case study vignettes from a drama therapy group held at a Montreal crisis shelter are used to illustrate how drama therapy enabled women the opportunity to make meaning of identified feelings, arid claim ownership over thoughts and values. Through the combination of theory and practice this research provides an understanding of women survivors' identities and the specific life experiences they bear, as well as how drama therapy can help re-conceptualize identity.