And other Dramatherapeutic Stories
Published on Apr 19, 2020 by Sue Jennings
Before You Let the Sun In: And other Dramatherapeutic Stories, by Ian Robertson and Katerina Couroucli-Robertson, published by Sphinx (2018), is a very special book and should be on the reading list for all arts therapy,
psychotherapy and counselling training courses. It illustrates how we can talk about clients and their work with us while still preserving the integrity and confidentiality that we are all bound by.
As the authors say: “The relationship between therapist and client is one of the most intimate and
delicate that exists, and one that is intriguing to outsiders” (back cover). Whether we are partners, children, parents, employers or friends, we want to know: “What did you talk about – for a whole hour? – did you talk about
me?” Personal therapy, whether mainly talking or involving play, drama, art or music, is still a field of fascination.
In the past, there was a feeling of shame about seeing a therapist. Adults could request that therapeutic ‘treatment’ not be included in their medical notes, for fear it might adversely affect a job application or considerations
for fostering or adoption. However, with evidence-based research, more clinicians are referring people for arts therapy. Now there is more acceptance that minds, as well as bodies, need healing. Especially with children and teenagers, the situation is slowly changing.
Each chapter has a different tale to tell, and each gives us insight into the client’s issues. The first story is about abuse and obesity and how the client finally deals with the trauma involved. The second is about the inability of a client to adapt to changing circumstances in her life, in particular her relationship with her father and ex-lover. The
third is the story of an immigrant boy who through therapy manages to overcome a severe stutter. The fourth deals with a client who cannot come to terms with her sexuality. The fifth is about a client who finds it hard to accept the imperfections of the real world and can only find true happiness in fiction. The sixth is the story of a client who does not want to repeat the mistakes of her mother by coming between her husband’s child from a previous marriage and her husband. The seventh story is about a woman who has to deal with grief after the brutal murder of her daughter by her ex-husband. The eighth deals with a client who quits therapy before she is ready, yet keeps coming back after long periods of absence. The ninth story is about a perfectionist, who prefers to sacrifice his love for his girlfriend rather than make a compromise. The tenth story is about a mature relationship that develops between an ex-nun and a married man she had known in her school days.
It is a story of unrequited love.
Ian Robertson is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, where he studied French and Spanish Literature. In Athens, Greece, where he and Katerina Couroucli-Robertson live, he works as a teacher and actor. He writes novels, short stories and poetry in his free time. Katerina Couroucli-Robertson graduated from Sion Hill Dublin with a degree in Special Education. Since completing her dramatherapy training in 1989, she has been working as a dramatherapist and runs the Herma dramatherapy training in Athens. She has a PhD in Dramatherapy from the University of Surrey. The aim of the book is to show the therapeutic process and its complexities from the point of view of the therapist. The authors did not want it to be too academic, though it does contain a great deal that may be of interest to the therapist. However, the primary aim was that it should be accessible to the general reader.
