Abstract

At the beginning of my research process, I could find very little drama therapy research for guidance regarding the professional work with Indigenous clients. I was feeling lost and I wished that more guidance was offered to me during my second-year drama therapy internship working with Indigenous clients. This research paper is a presentation of the literature I consulted to ‘help me get on my feet’ and guide me through my clinical work while completing my drama therapy internship at Native Montreal, located in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal, Canada). Here, new concepts are discussed, like cultural safety (different from cultural humility or cultural competency) and response-based practice (a practice focused on dignity and resistance). These concepts seem to be different from those that I learned at Concordia University, and are thus very important elements to consider in trying to decolonize our work as drama therapists.
Through art-based responses of my literature review, I found some insights about my relationship with the readings that I made and with my practicum experience. Five main themes were explored through the art-responses: « My relationship to Tiohtià:ke », « Who am I », « Interconnectedness of everything », « Violence, power and oppression in psychotherapy », and « Pros from practice ». I wish to be as transparent as possible in this research paper, and I wish that this can help guide or question any drama therapy settler who’s working with Indigenous clients.