Therapy for identity can be a powerful tool for personal growth, helping you to work through self-doubt, relationship difficulties, role transitions, feelings of vulnerability, and communication struggles.
When or why you may be seeking therapy to explore identity
Identity is shaped by a range of factors including your personal experiences, social roles and cultural perspectives and psychological factors affecting self-esteem. If you are seeking therapy to work on identity you may be feeling the need to socially withdraw or engage in more risk in sexual encounters or substance use. You may have difficulty regulating your mood or emotions, feel disconnected from things around you, be self-critical, or fear abandonment. You may be experiencing changes in your appetite, sleep, or physical comfort ex. body aches or headaches with unknown origin.
Ways to explore identity at Think Joy Drama Therapy
Individual Therapy Options
Individual talk-based therapy is a direct way to work through thoughts and feelings relating to identity. Sessions at Think Joy Drama Therapy are dis/ability (capacity oriented) and neurodivergent affirming (explored from your experience of neurodivergence), non-judgemental and explored through a harm-reduction standpoint. Talk-based therapy sessions may touch on ‘parts work’ and I will approach your story from a developmental (significant attachment/ relationally focused- what you may have needed at different ages) and narrative lens (multi-storied life). Sessions are strength based in that focus may be on affirming abilities, skills, coping strategies, resources and values that help you to reconnect to parts of self that otherwise align with a negative self-view in order to welcome in a more authentically aligned perspective and experience of the self.
Individual Drama Play sessions may be what you are looking for if you are highly self-aware and find yourself shutting down more direct conversations. These sessions may be more structured in that there is a flow between optional creative exploratory ‘exercises’ (art-based, creative writing, movement/sound, character creation/exploration) and reflecting verbally, in a journal or through exploring the varied aspects of a creative undertaking. This session type can help you to process emotions that have been held in the body. A drama play session can be a safe place to reflect on these emotions and to get curious about what inner strengths have also emerged through action-based interactions.
Individual poetry therapy sessions allow you to explore the experiences of others which may align with yours (using published poetry, text, lyrics) or to dig deeper into your own writings with the support of a therapist. Reflecting on concepts, values, and the stories embedded in these narrative structures can help you to form your own viewpoints. This type of session uses the addition of creative spontaneous writing to reflective conversations in the therapy space.
Group Therapy Options
Poetry Therapy Group This group session will mainly consist of reading poetry and other text, reflecting on personal connections being made in group discussions, and engaging in spontaneous creative writing, (with the option to share). This therapy group covers a variety of themes including identity, interpersonal relationships, and grief and loss among other themes that come up in groups. It may help you to work through your own individual goals for therapy alongside a supportive group of others who are also exploring what is important to them.
Creative Processing Group This type of group is gently structured with creative exercises including movement, sound, creative writing and journal prompts, art creation and character exploration in addition to reflective writing and group discussions on themes. This therapy group helps participants to explore a variety of themes including identity, interpersonal relationships, authentic communication, coping with symptoms of depression or anxiety stemming from being perceived and so on. Participants may have individual goals that they want to work on in this group however there are often common threads found in groups as well.
Limited Series: Hero’s Journey This group is the most structured in terms of creative explorations offered (including art-based, movement, sound, story exploration through character creation). This group may be suitable for you if you prefer to explore identity privately alongside others. This way of creative processing allows you to work through your individual struggles from a slightly distanced perspective which can be useful when dealing with traumatic material, dissociation, or other types of complex situations. This type of session series can really help you to pinpoint and work through the edge of growth that you may be searching for.
