May 2025:

Our team gave a number of presentations and workshops at the 7th European Drama Therapy Conference held in Riga, Latvia!

The first panel, titled “Playfulness as Human Nature: Drama therapeutic Approaches to Nurturing Play in Vulnerable Populations and Circumstance” was chaired by Dr. Rinat Feniger Schaal and included the following presentations:

– “Playful Brains: A Possible Neurobiological Pathway to Cognitive Health in Aging” presented by Prof. Shoshi Keisari

– Playfulness Focused Dyadic Intervention for Parents and Children with Intellectual Disability” presented by Doctoral student Amitai Stern

– “Humanitarian Clowns Working with Refugees and Displaced Families” presented by MA student Tamar Benbenishti

-“Exploring the Lived Experiences of Older Women Caring for Spouses with Dementia through Theatre-Based Participatory Action Research” presented by Doctoral student, Meira Medina Junge
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Prof. Hod Orkibi and doctoral student Gianmarco Biancalani presented a study titled “Measuring Spontaneity in Drama-Based Therapies with the New State Spontaneity Scale”

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Boaz Ben Tzur presented a study titled “Aesthetic Distance: Exploring Natural Human Capacities in Drama Therapy “

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Dr. Rinat Feniger Schaal presented a study titled “Drama Therapy Across Worlds: Exploring Human Nature and
Playfulness in Post-Genocide Rwanda”

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Doctoral student Meira Medina Junge together with Ronen Kowalsky gave a workshop titled Symbols and Metaphors of Nature A Bridge to the Inner and Archetypal World: A Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre Workshop