Challenging Experience: An Experiential Approach to the Treatment of Serious Offenders

by John Bergman

"Drama, art, and movement provide clients who have only limited powers of verbal expression with some new ways to tell their stories as well as fresh strategies to investigate themselves."-- Challenging Experience

People attend plays for catharsis and vicarious experience, to feel through performance without harming self or others. The same principle applies to drama therapy role-play ignites in the moment responses that simulate real-life behavior and emotion for examination and contemplation in a safe, therapeutic environment. Challenging Experience presents exercises written for treatment providers who work with either adult or adolescent sexual abusers and violent offenders.

A variety of exercises range through warm-ups to low and high intensity activities, and include calming and cooling exercises as well. The authors focus on using the proper exercise for clients when they are at the right stage in treatment and emotionally prepared to participate. Information accompanies each exercise regarding the number of clients and amount of time needed to implement.

Paperback

Published May 1, 2003