How to become a dramatherapist | Salary, skills, requirements

You'll work with people of all ages and backgrounds, who may have:

addictions
behavioural or emotional difficulties
experienced trauma
learning disabilities
mental health conditions
physical disabilities or health conditions.

Working with individuals or groups, you'll use creative techniques such as storytelling, role play, movement, music, improvisation, puppetry and masks to help clients explore their experiences and express thoughts and feelings that they may find difficult to put into words.

Through this therapeutic process, you'll help clients develop greater self-awareness, explore relationships and patterns of behaviour, and find new ways of responding to difficulties and making changes in their lives.

What does a dramatherapist do?

You'll need to:

assess clients' needs, circumstances and suitability for dramatherapy, and agree appropriate therapeutic goals
plan, deliver and review individual and group dramatherapy sessions
build and maintain safe, trusting therapeutic relationships with clients
use drama and creative techniques, such as improvisation, storytelling, movement, play, role play, masks, puppetry and script work, to support clients' therapeutic needs
help clients explore and reflect on their feelings, experiences, behaviour and relationships
monitor and evaluate clients' progress and adapt therapy where necessary
keep accurate and confidential clinical records and write reports as required
make and receive referrals, and liaise with other professionals such as psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers and other therapists
contribute to multidisciplinary meetings and follow safeguarding and risk-management procedures
attend regular clinical supervision and reflect on your practice.

If you're self-employed, you'll also need to carry out activities related to running a business, such as marketing, managing finances and keeping business records.

Dramatherapist salaries

Jobs in the NHS are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. Newly qualified dramatherapists typically start in Band 6 posts, with salaries ranging from £39,959 to £48,117.
Experienced or specialist dramatherapists may earn between £49,387 and £56,515 (Band 7), rising to between £57,528 and £64,750 (Band 8a) or £66,582 to £77,368 (Band 8b) for some senior and management roles.
Salaries for consultant and trust-wide head arts therapist posts, of which there are only a few, may be higher.

These figures apply to NHS England. NHS salaries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ. Check your country's pay scales for the most up-to-date NHS salary information.

Salaries outside of the NHS can vary depending on the type of employer and your experience.

If you're self-employed in private practice, the fees you charge will vary depending on factors such as your location, experience and session length. Your income will depend on the number of clients you see, as well as expenses such as room hire, insurance, supervision and professional membership. You may build up a private practice alongside employed work while establishing a client base.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Dramatherapist working hours

If you're employed by the NHS, you'll usually work a 37.5-hour week if you're full time, although many dramatherapist posts are part time. Some roles may include evening or weekend work.

Outside the NHS, your hours will depend on your employer and setting. For example, work in schools is usually arranged around the school timetable. You may work part time or combine work for more than one employer or in different settings.

If you're self-employed, your working hours will depend on your clients' needs and may include evenings or weekends. You may build up private practice alongside employed work while establishing a client base.

How do I become a dramatherapist?

To practise as a dramatherapist, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To register, you'll need to complete an HCPC-approved Masters degree in dramatherapy, which is offered by:

Entry requirements vary, but you'll normally need a degree in a relevant subject, such as drama, theatre, psychology, education, social work, nursing or another health-related subject. You'll also usually need relevant experience working with people in a health, care, education or community setting, which can include paid or voluntary work.

It's also important to show your experience of, and engagement with, drama or the creative arts. Course providers will also assess your suitability for the profession, usually through an interview and practical activities.

Some providers may consider applicants without a degree if they have substantial relevant professional experience, so check individual course entry requirements.

Courses usually last two years full time and combine academic study with supervised clinical placements. You'll also have to undertake personal therapy during your training, including both individual and group therapy.

Courses require occupational health checks, as well as criminal record screening. In England and Wales this is through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), in Scotland through the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and in Northern Ireland through AccessNI.

In England, a Level 7 Arts Therapist apprenticeship with a drama option is also available, although opportunities are limited and government funding is subject to age and eligibility criteria.

If you're interested in becoming a dramatherapist, you may want to take an introductory course to find out more about the profession. Contact course providers for details.

What skills does a dramatherapist need?

You'll need:

analytical and decision-making skills to assess clients' needs, evaluate their progress and adapt therapy where necessary
communication and interpersonal skills to build therapeutic relationships and communicate sensitively with clients, parents and carers, and other professionals
creative and drama skills to use techniques such as role play, storytelling, movement and improvisation appropriately in therapy
emotional resilience and self-awareness to manage challenging or distressing situations and reflect on how your own responses may affect your practice
organisation and record-keeping skills to manage your caseload, keep accurate clinical records and meet professional requirements
teamwork skills to work effectively with colleagues and contribute to multidisciplinary teams.

Do you need dramatherapy experience to get a place on a course?

It's not usually possible to get direct dramatherapy experience because of the confidential nature of therapy. However, to get a place on a postgraduate training programme, you'll usually need around one year's full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant experience working with people in a caring, support, education, health or community setting.

Experience can be paid or voluntary and could include working in mental health, special educational needs, with people who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or health conditions, older people's services or with people who have experienced trauma. Relevant roles could include:

arts facilitator
care or support worker
drama teacher
healthcare assistant
project worker.

Check with course providers to find out the type and length of experience they're looking for.

You'll also need to show current engagement with drama or the creative arts. This could include theatre, performance, movement or other practical drama activities. Look for opportunities to develop this experience while at university, through relevant student societies or local community groups, for example, and after graduation.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs dramatherapists?

You may be employed by:

charities and voluntary organisations
drug and alcohol services
prisons and other criminal justice settings
private healthcare providers and therapy services
schools and other education settings
social care services, including services for people with learning disabilities and older people
the NHS and other healthcare providers, including mental health services, hospitals and community services.

You could also work freelance or become a self-employed dramatherapist in private practice.

Look for job vacancies at:

CharityJob
LG Jobs - jobs in local government.
NHS Jobs
NHSScotland Jobs

If you're working freelance or in private practice, you can include your details on the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) Find a Therapist webpage.

Where can a career in dramatherapy lead?

Within the NHS and other organisations, you may progress into specialist, senior or lead arts therapist roles, taking on greater clinical responsibility and potentially managing or supervising other therapists. Experienced practitioners may also provide clinical supervision to other professionals.

As you gain experience, you can develop expertise in working with particular client groups, such as children and young people, or areas of practice, including:

dementia
learning disabilities
mental health
trauma.

You could also work across different settings or combine employed, freelance and private practice work. The BADth recommends that newly qualified dramatherapists gain substantial experience before setting up independently and discuss their readiness with their clinical supervisor. Depending on your qualifications and experience, you could also move into research, teaching or training future dramatherapists.

Throughout your career, you'll need to keep your knowledge and skills up to date through continuing professional development (CPD) to maintain your HCPC registration. BADth provides CPD, professional support and networking opportunities. You'll also need regular clinical supervision, which provides ongoing support and an opportunity to reflect on your practice.