Laurens Whittingham

Dramatherapist based in Ashtead, Surrey.

Dramatherapist / Systemic Family Practitioner (intermediate) - Dundee Rep Theatre, The Creative Family Wellbeing Service - Dundee

(2024-08)

I run The Creative Family Wellbeing Service as a dramatherapist out of the Dundee Rep Theatre. Alongside this role I have also received 2 years training in systemic family practice with The Family Training Network. As I have become more informed in systemic approaches, I have gradually incorporated systemic practices into my dramatherapy work with young people and their families in the Dundee area.

Alongside my clinical hours this role also requires facilitating assessment, clinical note taking, care planning, attending TATC meetings, LAC reviews, liaising with referral partners, providing training and presenting to third sector partners/funders etc.

Dramatherapist - MindHeart Creative - London schools

(2024-01 - 2024-07)

MindHeart Creative is a London based creative therapy company who place therapists in school settings. I worked at a senior school called Harris Academy as well as a primary school called Brandlehow Primary. I facilitated group and 1:1 sessions with young people who come with a variety of complex needs/presentations e.g., ASD, ADHD, Down syndrome, Anxiety, adoption/LAC/fostered, suicidal ideation and a host of other SEMH issues.

Dramatherapist - The Priory, Mild May Oaks - Winchfield

(2023-05)

This was a part-time role at The Priory where I have joined the art therapies team as the sole dramatherapist.

Mild May

Oaks is a locked and low secure specialist rehabilitation service for patients with a diagnosis of ASD and number of other learning difficulties. I run an open group on a ward for males who are looking to transition back into the community.

Project Worker - Grange Road, St. Mungo’s (Homeless Charity) - Southwark

(2022-10 - 2023-02)

Grange Road St. Mungo’s is a high support needs hostel for rough sleepers. This specific site is a psychologically informed environment (PIE) where part of my role involved carrying out assessments for clients who were referred to our service to determine whether they were suitable for residency.

We had clients with various high and complex support needs with the majority being high substances users. This substance use was more often than not, linked to some form of trauma and when this is then coupled with a diagnosis of psychosis, depression, bipolar or a number of other personality disorders, it made for very challenging work. I had a personal caseload of 5 clients and when approaching their wellbeing and action plans, I had to consider their specific needs and tailor the support around each individual.

This role required good communication and conflict resolution skills. I found I was able to build good rapports with very challenging clients in a short space of time and would often have to navigate difficult disclosures of my clients’ past traumas.

Trainee Dramatherapist - CNWL NHS Foundation Trust – National Centre for Gaming Disorders - Earls Court

(2021-10 - 2022-07)

This was my final year clinical placement where I worked 1:1 delivering dramatherapy to clients as well as co-facilitating phase 1 group sessions and delivering short dramatherapy exercises to phase 2 group sessions. My work consisted of looking at the gaming genres and characters the patients found themselves being drawn to most. From there we would explore the characteristics and themes of these games/characters and together extract potential values which they may hold and be present within their gaming habits.

With this in mind, we then explored what they were getting from the games and compared these to what they may be lacking in their non-gaming lives.

2 years of intermediate level training - systemic family therapy - The Family Training Network

MA - Dramatherapy - Anglia Ruskin University

MA - Acting for Screen - The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

BA Hons - World Performance - East 15 Acting School

A-Levels - Theatre studies, Performing Arts, Dance, English Language - Esher College