A Story to Tell: Use of Story and Drama in Work with Substitute Families

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of a dramatic narrative approach with adoptive and foster families, involving the parents in enactment of their child's life history for the purpose of changing unhelpful patterns in working towards enhanced mutuality. Research on outcomes finds adoption to be mainly successful, however the likelihood of disruption increases with age from approx 20% at age 7 to 50% at age 11, identifying therapeutic support as of critical importance (Dance 2005). The families (mainly White English) referred for this Dramatherapeutic intervention, characteristically struggle with some form of cultural divide, the parents (often in professional employment) having different life experience and expectations to those of the children, many of whom expect their placement to be temporary, being already accustomed to many changes and associated losses experienced as rejection. For black children, being of different race and appearance adds yet another dimension. The article will evaluate the use of ‘water games’, clay and doll's house play and a candle ceremony as part metaphor/part physical life drama structures for exploration.

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