For Practitioners
Drama Therapy Resources
Professional organizations, publications, continuing education, assessment tools, and community resources for practicing drama therapists.
Professional organizations, publications, continuing education, assessment tools, and community resources for practicing drama therapists.
A reference page for working drama therapists. Covers the main professional bodies (NADTA, BADTh, HCPC), peer-reviewed journals, continuing education providers (NADTA conference, PESI, specialist trainers), assessment tools (Therapeutic Spiral Model, GAD-7, PHQ-9, PCL-5), online communities, and supervision resources. Use this page to find the external links you'll come back to throughout your career.
NADTA is the primary professional organization for drama therapists in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1979, NADTA:
Website: nadta.org | Membership: Open to professionals and students
The primary professional body for drama therapists in the United Kingdom, BADTh accredits training programs, publishes the journal Dramatherapy, maintains a professional register, and advocates for the profession within the NHS and UK mental health system.
Website: badth.org.uk
The EFD connects drama therapy associations across Europe and advocates for standardized training and credentialing within the European Union. Member organizations include associations in Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Greece, and other countries.
Website: efdramatherapy.com
NCCATA is the umbrella organization for all five creative arts therapy associations in the US, including NADTA. It advocates collectively for creative arts therapies in mental health policy, insurance reimbursement, and public awareness.
Website: nccata.org
Held each autumn, the NADTA annual conference is the largest gathering of drama therapists in North America. It features pre-conference training intensives, paper presentations, performances, and networking opportunities. Sessions count toward NADTA continuing education requirements.
NADTA has active regional chapters across the US and Canada that organize local workshops, peer consultation groups, and networking events. Regional chapters are an excellent way to connect with local drama therapy colleagues and access affordable CPD.
PESI is one of the largest CPD providers for mental health professionals in the US. They regularly offer training in expressive arts, trauma-informed approaches, and creative interventions that are relevant to drama therapy practice. Many trainings qualify for licensure renewal credits.
Psychwire offers online courses and training from leading figures in psychotherapy, including expressive and body-based approaches relevant to drama therapy. A good source for deepening clinical skills between formal supervision and training.
Drama therapists use a range of assessment approaches alongside standard clinical tools:
The major publishers of drama therapy books and resources include:
See our dedicated supervision guide for information on finding supervisors, understanding supervision requirements, and accessing peer consultation groups.
See our curated drama therapy book list for the essential clinical reading for practicing drama therapists, and the comprehensive bibliography for books, films, articles, and theses organized by topic.
For deep academic dives into adjacent fields, NADTA hosts a set of comprehensive bibliographies (last updated 2016). These cover related literatures that go beyond the scope of our on-site bibliography:
These PDFs are hosted by NADTA. We link out rather than re-host because the lists are large, periodically maintained by the association, and live at stable URLs.
NADTA (North American Drama Therapy Association) is the professional organization for drama therapists in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1979, NADTA maintains the RDT (Registered Drama Therapist) and BCT (Board Certified Trainer) credentials, approves graduate training programs, publishes the Drama Therapy Review journal, and hosts the annual drama therapy conference. Website: nadta.org
BADTh (British Association of Dramatherapists) is the professional organization for drama therapists in the United Kingdom. BADTh approves training programs, maintains the register of qualified dramatherapists, publishes the Dramatherapy journal, and advocates for the profession. In the UK, dramatherapy is regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Website: badth.org.uk
The primary journals for drama therapy research are: Drama Therapy Review (NADTA's official peer-reviewed journal, published by Intellect Books), Dramatherapy (BADTh journal for UK and international research), and The Arts in Psychotherapy (Elsevier, covering all five creative arts therapies including drama therapy, the most widely indexed journal in the field).
Continuing professional development (CPD) for drama therapists is available through: NADTA's annual conference and regional events, PESI (continuing education provider offering arts therapy webinars and courses), Psychwire, specialist drama therapy trainers offering workshops in Narradrama, Role Theory, DvT, and other approaches, and graduate university programs that offer individual courses for post-credential practitioners. RDTs must complete 40 hours of CPD per renewal cycle.