TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Melinda Alfred merges drama with therapy to help others
"Drama therapy may not be a familiar concept to many people. But to Melinda Alfred, who won the Miss Tobago Heritage Personality competition on July 21, it can be a virtual life saver in helping the troubled, depressed and others who may have experienced traumatic experiences.
Drama therapy is defined as the deliberate use of drama and theatre processes to achieve therapeutic objectives. Regarded as an embodied approach that is both active and experiential, drama therapy provides a forum for participants to tell their stories, set goals, solve problems and express feelings in a congenial, non-judgemental environment.
Come September, Alfred, 20, will begin studies in social work at UWI’s Mona campus in Jamaica. She intends to combine her love for the field with her passion for acting.
[...]
She believes drama therapy will also enable teachers and others in the education sector to engage fully with students who learn differently.
[...]
The Signal Hill Secondary School alumnus is also hoping to raise awareness about the benefits of the performing arts in social work settings and to educate people about the potential of this approach in promoting healing and well-being.
In hindsight, Alfred told WMN she benefitted immensely from drama therapy some years ago. But little did she know then it would provide the emotional foundation she needed to enter the Miss Tobago Heritage Personality competition."
Read the whole article by Corey Connelly in The Trinidad and Tobago News Day here.
