ABIGAIL NELSON
Dramatherapist
My name is Abigail Nelson, I'm a qualified dramatherapist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a member of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth). I have an MA in Dramatherapy from Roehampton University. I provide therapy at A Quiet Room by the Shore in Edinburgh and online.
I specialise in working with adults and young people with ADHD, autism and/or other neurodivergence (diagnosed or self-diagnosed). Often this includes a new/late diagnosis or going through the process of diagnosis which you may be doing alongside therapy. I also specialise in working with those who have experienced trauma and/or challenging childhood. With dramatherapy's psychodynamic approach, we will explore your life holistically - this means bringing together your past experiences, current reality and future hopes rather than just the day-to-day. You may come to therapy to work through a particular issue, difficulty or experience, or you might just need a weekly space to authentically express yourself to someone who holds space for you and is alongside you.
I have provided therapy in a variety of settings, including charities, community interest companies and within the NHS. Experiences of those I've worked with include: anxiety, depression, autism, grief, ADHD, bi-polar disorder, personality disorders, trauma and schizophrenia. I also love to work outside, fostering deep connection to the self and other through our innate connection to nature.
I am the Operations Manager for the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) and a Visiting Lecturer on the MSc Dramatherapy course at Queen Margaret University. I also facilitate drama workshops for adults with disabilities at Upmo, and am a Director of Tailfeatherdance CIC.
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Professional bodies
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth)
Registration no. AS017939
Full member. Profile link
Other qualifications and CPD
Sam Gomersall
Taylor Mitchell
LivingWorks
Lisa Christie
Lisa Christie
Samuele Russo
Autism and Eating Disorders (2024)
Dramatherapy for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people (2024)
SafeTALK - Suicide Alertness for Everyone (2024)
Working creatively and therapeutically exploring ethical non-monogamy (2024)
Working creatively and therapeutically with trans clients (2024)
Who Defends the Queer Child (2024)
BADth Religion and Spirit Matters group
Sarah Mann Shaw
Merry Ross
Secular Spirituality and Dramatherapy (2024)
Beginning in Private Practice (2024)
Dramatherapy and Couples (2024)
British Association of Dramatherapy
Keeping our Balance: Confidentiality, records, disclosures, UK GDPR and the courts (2024)
British Association of Dramatherapy
BADth Annual Conference (2023). Sessions attended:
Paper presentations: 'Autism from an Autistic Perspective: Connecting to my true authentic self through late diagnosis and lessons from our young people'; Communicative Connections: Dramatherapy research with young autistic children described as minimally verbal or preverbal'
Everyone BIG and small: exploring Oscar Wilde's 'The Selfish Giant'
Contact my by email: Exploring an alternative Dramatherapy space
Keynote by Dr Bruce Howard Bayley
World Alliance of Dramatherapy/European Federation of Dramatherapy
International Dramatherapy Conference (2023). Sessions attended:
World Alliance of Dramatherapy: Co-Imagining the Future of our Profession
Imagining the Elsewhere. A semi-serious exploration of Science-Fiction's imagery
The Noise within Tinnitus - A Quest for Meaning
Therapeutic Factors in Dramatherapy: From Imagining to Realizing
Strengthening Resilience in Children: Examination of the Effectiveness of a Drama Therapy Project after the Flood Disaster in the Ahrtal (paper presentation)
“The Freedom to Express Myself”: Group Tele-drama Therapy for Older Adults with Constricted Life Space Mobility (paper presentation)
When imagination is reality. Drama therapy for patients with visual impairment (paper presentation)
No future: From unimagined to imagined
Splendours and Miseries of the Imagination
Shapes of Grief
Shapes of Grief Training Programme (In progress)
Child Bereavement UK
Supporting bereaved children and young people (2023)
British Association of Dramatherapists
BADth Annual Conference (2022). Sessions attended:
Dramatherapy in Education
Monologues from the Lockdown
The Ripples of Covid: moving through the landscape of change
Overcoming sudden stills
Trauma Tapping - a self-care tool
Astrodrama: Exploring the use of Astrological Archetypes in Drama Therapy for Filipinos in the United States
Central Dramatherapy Alumni Network
The Skills Network
The Training Hub
NonProfitReady
ReboundTherapy.org
Bespoke Epilepsy Training
Training2Care
Symbol
Arts Therapies in working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers (2020)
Celebrating Difference - Young People (2020)
Behaviour that Challenges in Children - TQUK Level 2 (2019)
ADHD - Childrens Services (2020)
Fundraising Essentials (2020)
Rebound Therapy (2019)
Epilepsy Training with Kirstin McHale (2018)
Autism awareness - Autism Reality Experience (2019)
Down Syndome (2018)
Education
2024 - 2025
University of Stirling
Degree (in progress):
MSc Psychology (Conversion)
2019 - 2022
Roehampton University
Degree and classification:
MA Dramatherapy (Part Time) - Distinction
Dissertation:
The destructive act of therapy - a dialectical approach to group dramatherapy in an acute inpatient ward.
Placements:
Year 1 - dramatherapy group for teenagers with recent diagnoses of ASD who were refusing school and experiencing issues such as anxiety and self-consciousness.
Year 2 - dramatherapy group and one-to-ones for adults with various mental health difficulties including depression and anxiety, as part of a charity providing art and wellbeing groups in the community.
Year 3 - dramatherapy group and one-to-ones with women staying in an adult acute inpatient ward in a psychiatric hospital. The women were experiences mental health crises, with diagnoses including depression, personality disorders and schizophrenia.
2015 - 2016
California State University Northridge
Degree and classification:
(Year abroad) Theatre - 4.0 GPA
This was an optional and additional year between my second and third year of undergraduate study. Classes I took included:
Movement for theatre, Music in film, Stage design, Acting, Directing and Theatre history.
2013 - 2017
Kingston University
Degree and Classification:
BA Drama - 1st Class with Honours
Dissertation:
Viewing the TRC through Richard Schechner's three categories of performance.
My road to dramatherapy
I was led to dramatherapy by my belief in the transformative power of the Arts, my passion for helping others and my fascination with psychology. I grew up with a love of all art forms and spent my childhood immersed in drama, music, dance and art. Going on to study Drama at university, I focused my exploration on theatre history, theatre for change and applied/community theatre. This led me to my undergraduate dissertation, in which I explored how we can use drama/theatre theory to analyse the actions of people in traumatic/high pressure environments.
After my undergrad, I went on to teach drama to people with disabilities in Quito, Ecuador. There was no provision of drama previous to my arrival at the day programme, Sinamune, but I quickly saw adults and young people grow in confidence and communication skills - and have a lot of fun - learning about different dramatic styles, creating scenes and playing drama games. The two months ended in a public performance, where the participants showcased the scenes they had created.
Returning to England, I began working at the Orpheus Centre - a performing arts college for young adults with disabilities. After a period working in the fundraising department, I began working as a learning support assistant, primarily supporting the drama and dance students. This led to many amazing opportunities. I co-directed theatre performances, danced with the students at performances in London's O2 arena and the Southbank Theatre among other venues and started wellbeing groups (including meditation and a drama-based wellbeing group). During my time at Orpheus, I qualified as a Rebound Therapist, leading the college's provision of the therapy. I also co-facilitated a disability awareness training initiative, Thessaly Theatre, providing training for over 200 people across three national organisations (you can see the promotional video I created for Thessaly Theatre, here).
My next step towards dramatherapy happened during my time at Orpheus, when I assisted on two outreach weeks where Orpheus students spent a week creating a show with school students. The first was with a SEN school, and the second with a school for boys with emotional and behavioural needs. During these weeks I worked alongside a dramatherapist. I continued to see, as I had at Sinamune and Orpheus, the transformative powers of drama in bringing people together, developing people's skills and confidence and allowing people to truly express themselves in ways they don't normally get the chance to, or even know how to.
This all led up to my application to study MA Dramatherapy at Roehampton University, to which I was accepted and started in September 2019.