The Potential of Drama Therapy in Ukraine During Wartime

This article explores the potential of drama therapy in Ukraine to address the country’s mental health crisis, which has been exacerbated by ten years of war. It describes the goals of drama therapy, which include the expression and containment of emotion, the development of interpersonal skills, and empowerment. Strengths and limitations of the evidence base for drama therapy are discussed. Then the article presents key concepts of Developmental Transformations (DvT) drama therapy, which is used with a variety of populations around the world and in which the therapist interacts dramatically and improvisationally with one or more clients in a mutually created playspace. The article describes DvT drama therapy workshops that were held in Lviv, Irpin, and Kyiv in April 2024 with 200 Ukrainian psychologists, university students, and artists, and key images and themes that emerged. The article concludes that drama therapy can play a role in promoting mental health in Ukraine.