NorCal Chapter

The Northern California Chapter of NADT, though centered in the San Francisco Bay Area, serves a membership within a 100 mile radius of the Metro Bay Area, and thus members consider it a regional chapter.

A History of the NorCal Chapter of the National Association for Drama Therapy

NorCal NADT first became active in the late 1990s with bi-monthly meetings featuring local drama therapists presenting workshops related to their respective areas of expertise and focus. The chapter also became the hub for organizing NADT’s national conferences of 1998 and 2000. Leveraging the community’s relationship to the Drama Therapy Program at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies), the chapter’s first phase of growth culminated with a highly a successful regional conference in 2004 using CIIS as a venue. Then, as now, drama therapy students and recent grads have comprised a significant proportion of the chapter’s membership and energy.

The chapter experienced a relatively quiescent period between 2005 and 2010, and is now undergoing a revival of interest and participation as community members work out details regarding how the chapter can best identify and serve various professional needs and aspirations. Attendees at a “Chapter Revival Meeting” in June, 2010, identified the following as areas of potential activity and growth:

  • Peer support for enriching education and research projects such as papers and conference presentations
  • Outreach and collaboration with community interest groups and service providers who would benefit from greater awareness about drama therapy and its benefits for various populations
  • Building a community of support beyond the CIIS Drama Therapy Program and other local educational institutes which now serve as current focal points
  • Opportunities to pool ideas and support mutual skill-building
  • Workshops, demonstrations, education
  • Collaboration with other creative arts therapists
  • Mentoring and peer consultation
  • Occasional regional drama therapy conferences or symposia

As the chapter continues its process of renewal and self-definition, it welcomes input, ideas, and volunteer time from all NADT members and friends within its area of service. Please forward all inquiries regarding the chapter to the NADT Western Regional Representative, westernrep@nadt.org.