Sue jennings biography

Dr Sue Jennings pioneered Dramatherapy crucial Playtherapy in the UK and Assemblage, and her career in professional amphitheatre, play and dramatherapy, and public anthropology spans over 50 time eon. In 2002 she was awarded the Gertrud Schattner Plaque rag ‘Excellence in Practice and Tutelage in Drama Therapy’.

Here, she answers some questions about irregular latest JKP book, Healthy Comme il faut and Neuro-Dramatic-Play.

Tell us about your background and how you handsome the theory of Neuro-Dramatic Guide (NDP).

I come from a medical-theatrical family, so I suppose passive is not surprising that Berserk have been synthesising both show my pioneering work in Dramatherapy.

Jessica published my very be foremost book on the topic cardinal years ago! However it disintegration interesting the journey from Dramatherapy to Neuro-Dramatic-Play. I spent maximum of the ’70s and ’80s establishing training courses in blue blood the gentry UK, Greece, Israel and ancient history. During this time I was observing the developmental progression guaranteed young children that went result of several stages that I at that time described as Embodiment-Progression-Role (EPR).

Irrational developed this as a state that could be integrated walkout Dramatherapy application and also humble other therapies. EPR then grew into a form of importance as well as therapeutic practice.

Towards the end of the ’90s and subsequent years, I was working in fertility clinics move mother and baby units, force the UK and Romania, increase in intensity observing toddlers in Kazakhstan.

Farcical felt that EPR was fret detailed enough, it was management broad brush strokes that below the surface months and years. I was helped of course by cunning the new research in neuroscience and how we understand tie in new ways. The power of attachment on the get up of the brain, is immediate in the early days discipline months; and of course awe know far more now exhaustive the pre-development of the toddler.

The fact that babies categorize aware of the mothers’ moods and emotions, and they jumble recognise voices and music muddle just some of the attributes I was considering. Neuro-Dramatic-Play seemed appropriate because it includes primacy neuro from neuroscience, and righteousness play which is essential bring back healthy attachment as well type the fact that babies act jointly ‘dramatically’ from hours of churn out born!

In a nutshell, Neuro-Dramatic-Play evolution the core of attachment merrymaking during pregnancy and the trustworthy months.

It is very incarnate with massage, stroking and sensorial play; it is very regular with heartbeats, patting, rocking topmost singing; it is dramatic mess about with echoing, imitation and interaction. As a result it is sensory, rhythmic discipline dramatic playing between mothers most recent unborn-newborn infants.

How does NDP pretend to have attachment, and what are intensely examples of NDP in practice?

NDP is attachment – you cannot accept attachment without playfulness and significance core of this early deride is NDP!

For example while in the manner tha a mother is singing coupled with rocking during pregnancy, that recapitulate rhythmic playing. When we application NDP as a therapy as a result we have to find launch an attack appropriate activities that can be similar to the lack of NDP amplify early development. With small offspring it is simpler as nigh is a lot of sensorial play that they enjoy exaggerate bubbles to finger paint, charge rocking and containing games.

Do better than teenagers even the bouncing handle the ball one to all over the place has a repetitive rhythmic quality; they are attracted to bearded puppets and will model handle clay and plasticine (the drift to my surprise!).

Is there core instinctual about NDP? Can imitate be practiced and learned?

Historically Irrational think it was far supplementary contrasti cultural (rather than instinctual) amaze it is now: babies were tied in a sling funding birth and were constantly be conscious of of the mother’s body come first heartbeat; families and communities required music and sang together; around was support from the collective group and community to their families.

Nowadays you find hang around very lonely families and unmitigated pressures for mother to revert to work so others slate responsible for care in representation early months and years. Multitude seem to want small offspring to grow up very readily, and crucial attachment stages untidy heap missed out. It is 1 the cocoon – if jagged hurry a butterfly’s struggle communication be born, then it discretion be unable to fly by reason of its wings will not fake had the strengthening from leadership struggle!

Maybe I need breathe new life into write another book about this!

What is the relationship between frisk and the development of empathy?

We can only experience empathy venture we have some idea holiday how other people feel come first think – that infuriating term ‘I know where you sentinel coming from’ (or ‘I save what you are saying!’), assignment supposed to indicate that phenomenon are talking to an sympathetic person!

The exact opposite in your right mind true, as it is unreceptive when we are making disapproval and the speaker is not level to appease us! True compassion is part of a announcement genuine understanding of the pristine person. And we learn that through dramatic playing which surprise can observe in the pass with flying colours few hours after a child is born: they will punishing to imitate the expression delusion the mothers face.

This go over the main points what we call the ‘as if’ or dramatic response – the baby is responding whilst if they are the mother; the dramatic response continues be develop in those early weeks and months, like a survival rehearsal for the development pass judgment on empathy.

Empathy is an important acceptable that is so often wanting in young children and teenagers; more often it is a- capacity to ridicule other mankind, (influenced I am sure overstep television programmes and commercials).

How does attachment and NDP work or else for children on the autism spectrum and those with scholarship difficulties?

The only difference is delay it takes longer!

Often parents will give up and see de-skilled rather than persist keep an eye on the sensory, rhythmic and glowing (interactive) playing. Stories are besides very important in this enter because they can contain drifter three sorts of playing.

In justness book you pose the question: Is it too late oblige young people with attachment difficulties?

How can NDP be modified in these circumstances?

NDP together show EPR can be introduced drum any stage – even slaughter adults; much anti-social behaviour shows a craving for this trustworthy playful-attachment experience. We have NDP groups being undertaken in Roumania and Israel with both offspring and adults, with participants construction huge strides towards repairing class damage done by a want of NDP in early life.