Education
Psychodrama training, Centerwood Institute. 2016-2020.
Post-graduate drama therapy training, North American Drama Therapy Association. 2015-2019.
(Drama therapy is a Master’s level credential requiring coursework in psychology (including human growth and development, abnormal psychology, theories of personality, theories of counseling) and drama therapy (including research and ethics), significant experience in theatre arts, supervised internship hours with at least two populations, professional work experience, continuing education, and adherence to NADTA’s Code of Ethics.)
Master of Arts Performance Studies, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, May 2012
Thesis: “Queer Utopian Performance at Texas A&M University.”
Bachelor of Arts English, Suma Cum Laude, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, May 2010
Bachelor of Arts Theatre, Suma Cum Laude, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, May 2009
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Presentations
Self-Advocacy Panel. University of Texas at Austin. ACT LEND Program. 19 April 2024. Virtual.
“Postnormal Possibilities: Shifting the Cultures of Practice in Drama Therapy.” Foundations + Futures 2024: Drama Therapy Annual Research Symposium. New York University. 8 February 2024. Virtual.
“Accessible Healthcare for Vaccine Hesitancy Populations.” TORCH and Autism Society of Texas. 14 December 2023. Virtual.
“Neurodiversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.” Art Spark Texas & Lonza. 13 December 2023. Virtual.
“Autistic Utopias: Disability Justice and the Shaping of Utopian Drives in Drama Therapy.” NADTA Disability Justice Working Group. 10 December 2023. Virtual.
“Virtual Drama Therapy.” Guest Lecture. Concordia University. 24 July 2023. Virtual.
“Care Work and Social Justice in Creative Arts Therapy.” Expressing PRIDE Symposium. Coalition for Queer Creative Arts Therapies. 17 June 2023. Virtual.
Autism in the Workplace. Affirma Consulting. 25 April 2023.
Disability Justice and Activism in Performance Studies and Drama Therapy. Cal State LA.19 April 2023.
MASKING/UNMASKING: DRAMA THERAPY PRACTICE AND EDUCATION IN DAYS OF PANDEMIC. NADTA Disability Justice Working Group. 20 November 2022. Virtual.
Diversity Forum. NADTA Annual Conference, 12 November 2022. Virtual.
“Deconstructing Ableism and Co-Creating a Future for Drama Therapy.” NADTA Annual Conference, 12 November 2022. Virtual.
“Queering Drama Therapy: Cultivating a Healthy Relationship to Gender Identity, Sexualit(ies), and Relationship Styles.” NADTA Annual Conference, 6 &12 November 2022. Hybrid & Virtual.
“Navigating Neurodiverse Workspaces.” Thriving Autistic workshop series for Autistic Doctors International. June – December 2022. Virtual.
“Experiences of Texans with Disabilities with the COVID-19 Vaccines.” Texas State Independent Living Council meeting. 17 June 2022. Virtual.
“Nurturing Inclusion in the Workplace.” Autism Society of Texas presentation for PayPal. 15 June 2022. Virtual.
“AUTonomy Panel: Healthy Habits.” Autism Society of Texas. 2 June 2022. Virtual.
“Putting Boal in conversation with Moreno: What Can Theatre of the Oppressed Learn from Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy?” Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference. 25 May 2022. Virtual.
“Beyond Therapy: The Liberatory Potential of the Creative Arts,” 6th Annual Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference. 13 May 2022. Virtual.
“Drama Therapy and Counseling with Autistic and Trans, Non-binary and Gender Non-conforming Youth and Adults.” Foundations and Futures: Annual Drama Therapy Research Symposium. Organized by the Theatre & Health Lab and NYU Drama Therapy Program. February 2022. Virtual.
“Mutually Constructed Treatment Planning.” Guest lecture, Ethics in Drama Therapy. New York University. Virtual, 16 January 2022. Virtual.
Neurodiversity 101. BelongTo Youth Services. 30 November 2021. Virtual.
“Queering Drama Therapy: Merging Theory and Practice.” NADTA Annual Conference. 21 Nov. 2021. Virtual.
“What is Queer Drama Therapy?” Guest lecture, COMM 4540: Queer Communication Studies. California State University: LA. Virtual, 8 November 2021. Virtual.
“Queer(ing) Creative Arts: Drama Therapy with the LGBTQ2IA+ Community.” Expressive Therapies Summit. 6 Nov. 2021. Virtual.
Queer Autobiographical Performance: Putting Queer Theory and Performance Studies in Conversation with Drama Therapy. NADTA Annual Conference. 9 October 2021. Virtual.
AUTonomy Panel: Healthy Relationships. Autism Society of Texas. 30 Sept. 2021. Virtual.
Self-Compassion: The Key to Building a Relationship with your Inner Critic. Six Degrees Society. 29 Sept. 2021. Virtual.
Chronically Queer Open Mic Night. 18 September 2020. Virtual.
“LGBTQIA+ Allyship: 201.” Charlie Health. 20 August 2021. Virtual.
“Unspoken: Cis Fragility & Gender Expansive Care.” Kaleidoscope Heart. 28 July 2021. Virtual.
Autism in the Workplace. Affirma Consulting. 22 April 2021. Virtual.
Recognizing Burnout: Exploring Trauma Exposure Response. 10 January 2021. Virtual.
Established and Emerging Intersections for Advancing Queer Drama Therapy: The Next Act. NADTA Annual Conference. 7 November 2020. Virtual.
PRIDE365 Diversity Call, NADTA. 5 August 2020. Virtual.
Chronically Queer Open Mic Night. 17 July 2020. Virtual.
Parts of Self, Virtual Drama Therapy Exercise Session with Mark Beauregard and Nisha Sajnani. 7 July 2020. Virtual.
NADTA Black Lives Matter Virtual Protest. 29 June 2020.
Chronically Queer Open Mic Night. 8 May 2020. Virtual.
“Dress Rehearsal for the Pandemic.” Everything is not going to be okay (but it’s better with you). 22 April 2020. Virtual.
Untold Stories from the Pandemic. 15 April 2020. Virtual.
Chronically Queer Open Mic Night. 10 April 2020. Virtual.
“No Sit/No Lie.” Gathering Ground Theatre, First Baptist Church of Austin, 10-11 November 2017.
“Making Connections: Yoga Therapy and Drama Therapy.” NADTA Central Region Conference, 29-30 April 2017. Manhattan, KS.
“It’s My Story” Digital Storytelling Workshop, VSA Texas, 13-16 March 2017. Austin, TX.
Drama Therapy programming, OutYouth, 14 December 2016. Austin, TX.
Thera-‘play’ Workshop, Human Potential Center, 5 Oct 2016. Austin, TX.
Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 24 Sept 2016. Austin, TX.
Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop, MonkeyWrench Books, 13 Aug 2016. Austin, TX.
Austin TENT monthly meeting, 9 July 2016. Austin, TX.
Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 11 June 2016. Austin, TX.
Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 23 April 2016. Austin, TX.
Role play workshop with PFLAG, Transform Fitness, 29 March 2016. Austin, TX.
Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 5 March 2016. Austin, TX.
Consent and Theatre of the Oppressed, Austin Community College, March 2016. Austin, TX.
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Publications
“Queer(ing) Healing: Reimagining Wellness Through Drama Therapy During the Dual Pandemics.” QED Special Issue: Queer Healing & Transformative Justice. March 2023.
“Care Work and Social Justice in Creative Arts Therapy: Putting Queer Performance Theory and Disability Justice in Conversation with Drama Therapy.” Arts in Psychotherapy. Vol 80. June 2022.
“Embracing the Erotic After Sexual Trauma.” Awakened Voices, Issue 13: The Body Speaks. December 2021.
“The Wall: A Play in 5 Acts.” Wizards in Space, Issue 7. December 2021.
“What is Drama Therapy?” Austin Wellness Collaborative. 8 November 2021.
“Individualism will not save us: Personal liberty vs. community care in the time of COVID-19.” Drama Therapy Review, 6.2, pages 111-114. October 2020.
“Black Lives Matter: A call to action and position statement from the cultural humility, equity, and diversity committee of the North American Drama Therapy Association.” Authors: Adam D-F Stevens, Jessica Bleuer, Mary E Morris, Opher Shamir, Pella Schafer Weisman, Stephanie Wichmann, Sara Kliger, Craig Flickinger, Diana Jordan, Rowena Tam, Kristen Brookes, Jadae Johnson, Jess Orense, Abigail Truax, Dana N Sayre, Bonface Beti, Kate Olson, Kholoud Nasser. Drama Therapy Review, 6.2, pages 239-246. October 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr_00030_7
Book Review: “Creative Arts Therapies and the LGBTQ Community: Theory and Practice, Brianna MacWilliam, Brian Harris, Dana Trottier and Kristin Long (eds) (2019).” Drama Therapy Review, 6.2, pages 247-250. October 2020.
“Making it Work.” The i’Mpossible Project Vol 1: Reengaging With Life, Creating a New You by Josh Rivedal. Jan.2016.
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Continuing Education
2023 NADTA Annual Conference. 18-19 November. Virtual.
2023 Expressing PRIDE Symposium. Coalition for Queer Creative Arts Therapies. 17 June. Virtual.
2023 Health Justice Commons‘ Spring Course: Understanding and Transforming the Medical Industrial Complex, Part 2: Climate Justice Edition. March/April. Virtual.
2023 Mental Health Worker Cooperative Conference. 11 March. Virtual.
2022 NADTA Annual Conference. 12 November. Virtual.
2022 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Practitioners Course with the Sarah Jane Academy. October Cohort.
2022 Cultural Equity Learning Community. Virtual.
2022 Facilitative Equity with Nakia Winfield, Lili Kathleen Bright, Derek Hoshiko, and Anna Jackson. Virtual.
2022 Designing Grief Rituals. 16 July. Virtual.
2022 Inclusive Therapists Decolonizing Mental Health Series. Intro to Disability Justice for Mental Health Providers. 30 June. Virtual.
2022 Queer Cultural Center National Queer Arts Festival. Our Destiny. 9 – 23 June. Hybrid.
2022 Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference. Popular Power. 25 May. Virtual.
2022 ITA Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference. Essential to Health & Influencing a Changing World. 12-14 May. Virtual.
2022 INSAR Annual Meeting. 11-14 May. Austin, TX.
2022 Fireweed Collective program. The Ever-Bending Truth: Creative Writing for the Creatively Wired: A Webinar with Jacks McNamara for Writers with Divergent Mental Health. 14 Nov. 2021. Virtual.
2021 Expressive Therapies Summit: East Coast. 3 – 21 Nov. (Hybrid Conference)
2021 NADTA Annual Conference. Connect, Celebrate, and Co-Create. 18 Sept, 9 October, 21 Nov. (Virtual Conference)
2021 Expressive Therapies Summit.: West Coast. 15 April – 2 May. (Virtual Conference)
2021 Facing Whiteness: A 1-Day Drama Therapy Workshop with Armand Volkas, MFT, RDT/BCT
2021 Bringing the Ethics of Inclusion to Your Psychotherapy Space with Lancaster School of Psychodrama and Experiential Psychotherapies.
2021 Anti-Racism for Helping Professionals Working Group with Alejandra Spector, social work student at UT Austin.
2021 Revolutionize Social Work: Clinical Town Hall – Racism and White Supremacy in Clinical Social Work Practice with NASW NYS.
2021 Queer-Informed Narrative Therapy with Alex Filippelli, MA & David Rock Nylund, Phd with Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy.
2020 NADTA Annual Conference: Riding the Wave: The Next Act for Drama Therapy (Virtual Conference)
2020 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2020 Compassion Fatigue Certification Training for Healthcare,
Mental Health and Caring Professionals with Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD, C-IAYT (via PESI).
2020 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2020 Movement trauma healer certification program – level 1 with TRACC4Movements.
2020 Anti-Racist Theatre Foundational Course with Nicole Brewer.
2020 Finding Your Role in the Movement Ecosystem: Panel Discussion with Healers. TRACC4Movements.
2020 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2020 Anti-Oppressive & Decolonial Care: Navigating Non-Western Movement Care. TRACC4Movements.
2020 Pandemic To Protest: Emotional First Aid for Movement Trauma 101. TRACC4Movements.
2020 Drama Therapy at Home with Nisha Sajnani.
2020 Everything is Not Going to be Okay (But it’s Better With You) performance festival with Nisha Sajnani and Christine Mayor.
2020 Online Drama Therapy workshop with Diana Chu.
2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2019 NADTA Central Region Conference: Exploring the Spectrum: Modalities in Embodied Therapies with Susan Powell and Randy McCommons.
2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2018 NADTA Annual Conference: Beyond the Fourth Wall: Engaging Therapeutic Performance to Expand Our Impact on Communities.
2018 Using Sandtray Protocols in Play Therapy, Marshall Lyles.
2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2018 DBT and Art Therapy with DeAnn Acton.
2018 BodyShift Event: Patterns of Disruption with Sandra Paola.
2018 DvT and Trauma Workshop with Randy McCommons.
2018 ASGPP Annual Conference: Expanding Horizons: Using Action Methods to Join All Humanity.
2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2017 NADTA Annual Conference: From Theory to Practice: The Drama Therapist’s Toolbox.
2017 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2017 Improv 101 at Coldtowne Theater.
2017 PolyDallas Millennium Conference: Power, Anarchy, and Equality in Polyamory.
2017 Developmental Transformations Workshop with Randy McCommons.
2017 NADTA Central Region Conference: Finding Our Niche: Where in the Region are the Drama Therapists?
2017 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2017 Psychodrama Workshop at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2016 NADTA Annual Conference: The Power of Dramatic Play and Creativity: Sunshine Under the Umbrella.
2016 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2016 Psychodrama Workshop at Centerwood with Susan Powell.
2016 PollyDallas Millennium Conference: Designer Relationships.
2016 Contemporary Relationships Conference.
2016 Art Therapy 101 with Art Therapy Austin.
2016 NADTA Central Region Conference: Active Exploration and Healing: Performance Variety in Drama Therapy.
2015 NADTA Annual Conference: Magnetic Forces: Working with Attraction and Aversion to Difference and Social Justice.