TOWARDS AN ENACTIVE DRAMA THERAPY: IMPLICATIONS IN THE COUNSELLING OF DISABLED CLIENTS
Revista Română de Filosofie Analitică May 14, 2026 DOI: 10.62229/rrfaxviii-1/1 via OpenAlex
Summary
Dramatherapy's mechanisms of change are poorly understood, which undermines its recognition as a legitimate therapy. This paper offers an enactivism-congruent, affordance-based account of dramatherapy, arguing that the mind is not brain-centered but situated within a dynamic system of body, environment, and interaction. The author suggests that disabled or differently abled clients may benefit more from such psychotherapies because they adopt a holistic outlook rather than a brain-centered approach.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Mental health Drama Cognition Action physics Psychotherapist |
| Key finding | An enactivism-congruent, affordance-based account of dramatherapy positions the mind within a dynamical system, potentially benefiting disabled clients more than brain-centered approaches. |
Abstract
Mechanisms of change in dramatherapy are poorly understood, compromising its bona fide therapy status. Given growing attention to how alternative frameworks of cognition might inform mental health practices, I aim to provide an enactivism-congruent and affordance-based account of dramatherapy. A secondary aim is to suggest why disabled or differently abled clients might benefit more from such psychotherapies that veer from a brain-centered approach to a holistic outlook that situates the mind within a dynamical system.