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CANY Reports on the Annual NADT Conference
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 | | Heidi Landis speaks with NADT Conference Chair, Laura Wood at CANY's display table. |
As we reported last month in the CANY E-News, three members of our staff were about to visit Chicago for the National Association for Drama Therapy's Thirty-First Annual Conference. CANY's Program Assistant Jason Frydman returned to New York with this update.
I was honored to hold the position of On-Site Program Co-Chair. Filling in for NADT colleague (and former CANY staff member) Meredith Dean, I was humbled by the incredible amount of work the entire program team had done leading up to the conference. My goal was to contribute in whatever way possible to ensure their work was fully implemented.
The conference itself was fantastic; the Hotel Orringinton was teeming with vibrant energy, engaging experientials and keen intellectualism. Although the majority of my time was spent ensuring presenters' needs were met and attendees had the most up to date information, I was able to attend a number of informative workshops. I was also able to stop by CANY's display table every so often. CANY took that opportunity to let conference attendees connect with CANY by learning about our workshops in New York, choosing videos to watch on our YouTube channel and browsing through a few of our photo albums on therapeutic theatre groups.
On top of my organizing responsibilities I presented (with Adam Reynolds, LMSW, RDT, CASAC-T) on the use of Developmental Transformations on a children's acute care inpatient psychiatric unit. We were surprised but pleased to have 50 people in our session. I was also incredibly proud to be a part of CANY as I witnessed my colleagues take an integral role to the success of the conference. Lucy McLellan presented a moving and inspiring one woman show to an audience of over 75 people. Heidi Landis, who is also the NADT Education Chair, had prepared two workshops. She stated, "It was wonderful to be able to share CANY's work with refugees at one of my presentations. This particular presentation was didactic and experiential. I'm happy to say there was a lot of interest in the work that we do and how the CANY Model of Drama Therapy works with this population in particular."
On-site program co-chairing, presenting, and attending workshops made for an exciting and action packed weekend. I am proud to have been a part of the process in achieving the overall triumph of the conference. I am certainly looking forward to next year in San Francisco.
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Offering a Taste of the CANY Model of Drama Therapy
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Also in last month's E-News was a brief announcement regarding "Developmental Trauma Disorder: The Nexus of Attachment, Trauma and Brain." Bessel van der Kolk, MD led the day long conference sponsored by Beth Israel Medical Center's Division of Psychiatry. Now, we learn how Program Director Lucy McLellan and Program Manager Heidi Landis were able to get a group of over 400 mental health professionals to connect with CANY's work in only one hour. (Special thanks to Jacob Ham, PhD for the photos!)
Lucy and Heidi were eager to offer conference attendees an experiential taste of the CANY model of drama therapy. They began by inviting the entire audience to engage in a collective warm up, moving participants into the realm of physical self-expression and creating connections amongst the group as a whole.
 | The collective warm-up
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Next, Lucy and Heidi went on to illustrate some of the core principles of the CANY model in action by inviting a small group of participants to join them on stage in a brief drama therapy session. People were quick to volunteer! As the photographs indicate, there was a great sense of play and creativity alive on stage, allowing the audience to witness the rich and meaningful experience of so many CANY group members.
 | | The core principles |
"At the end of the day, it was so good to have people chat with us and thank us for our presentation. We're excited that we piqued their interest," noted Lucy. Both Lucy and Heidi were not only pleased with the attentive, receptive audience on October 25th, but happy that several participants then joined them for CANY's full day training workshop, "An Introduction to Drama Therapy." |
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A CANY Story: Testing the Waters
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 With so much discussion in the past two CANY E-News editions about presenting our work, we wanted to include a story to remind our readers what can happen during a CANY group. Thank you to Jason Frydman who co-led the group described below. During the first week of the CANY therapeutic theatre group, Jesse, an 11-year-old boy living in a state-run foster care facility, had his head buried underneath his shirt collar. He was isolative and withdrawn, unwilling to connect with group members or group leaders. The on-site staff informed us that Jesse had difficulty maintaining social relationships and was frequently the outcast of his peer group. He habitually made the choice, in school or in his residential cottage, to bury his head in his shirt rather than face the frustrations of the outside world. In one particular group Jesse was enabled to address his need for peer acceptance. The group task was to enroll as a fictional superhero and soon the room was filled with teleporters, shapeshifters, and weightlifters. Yet, Jesse seemed unsure of himself and unwilling to contribute. Seeing his reluctance, and energized by the creative process, his fellow group members encouraged him to share. Recognizing the support from his peers, Jesse jumped forward in his chair, a smile creeping across his face, and exclaimed: "I want to be the Flash and go really fast!" That day, Jesse became integral to the fictional superhero collective, leading the way on a number of different missions and finding a distinctive voice within the metaphoric community. As Jesse began to identify the CANY group as a place of acceptance, he was able to more fluidly express himself both in and out of group. According to the on-site staff, Jesse has expressed a greater interest in group projects, has improved relations with peers, and is able to more readily articulate his needs. Now an active group member, Jesse's journey has from been inward to outward, allowing for a healthier development at such a vital life stage.
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Positive Feedback from Training Workshop Attendees
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CANY sends a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who attended this Fall's "An Introduction to Drama Therapy." If you would like to join us at a workshop in 2011 and haven't already contacted us, send us a message! Then, take a moment to read what some of the past workshop participants had to say:
"One of the very best trainings I've ever attended. This will help my direct services practice with teens. I also loved & appreciated the group -- very willing to take 'positive risks.'"
"The instructors were motivating, passionate and so knowledgeable. [The training] was great!"
"Wonderful connections!"
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Join Our Staff in Giving Thanks
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From all of us at CANY, we wish you and yours
a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Please join our staff in giving thanks. Let us know what you are thankful for by leaving us a post on the CANY Facebook Page.
Liz Rubino writes, "During this season of giving thanks, I am reminded of those less fortunate. I am grateful to the field of creative arts therapies which helps to foster the healing that takes place through creativity. I am beyond thankful for the arts every time I witness a therapeutic encounter of this type."
Lucy McLellan says, "I'm thankful for all the extraordinary women and girls I am blessed to work with each week."
You can learn more about what our staff is thankful for as we update our Facebook status over this week.
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