Innovative Healing Approaches: Dr. Christine Mayor is Named a Global Leader in Drama Therapy Research 

Dr. Christine Mayor, Assistant Professor in the Inner City Social Work Program, has been recognized as a top global leader in drama therapy research. Her work delves into the transformative power of drama therapy, an action-based holistic approach to psychotherapy that utilizes embodiment, storytelling, metaphor, play, role-play, and theater to foster individual and collective healing. 

Recent analyses highlight Dr. Mayor’s significant contributions. A study by Constien and Junker (2023) identified her as the second most prolific drama therapy researcher over the last two decades, while a bibliometric analysis by Korde et al. (2023) named her the ninth most influential worldwide. 

In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Mayor previously received the prestigious North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) Research Award in 2016. This accolade acknowledges her role as the founding Associate Editor of Drama Therapy Review and her mentorship of emerging researchers and writers. 

Drawing from her background as a Board Certified Trainer and Registered Drama Therapist, Dr. Mayor’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of trauma, anti-racism, educational equity, and drama therapy. Her influential work explores embodied and holistic supports for trauma survivors, the role of school-based drama therapy, and anti-racist and anti-carceral approaches within the field. 

Reflecting on the significance of drama therapy, Dr. Mayor emphasizes, “In our context of the rise of neoliberal mental health care options, drama therapy intentionally offers a different approach – one that is holistic, relational, and creative, helping folks to connect to self, community, social action, and the environment.” 

Currently, Dr. Mayor is collaborating on research projects exploring therapeutic theatre methods for collective trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic and investigating the embodiment of carceral approaches in social work and drama therapy practices. Beyond drama therapy, her research extends to anti-racist school social work practices and the roles of neoliberalism and racism on trauma-informed mental health services in K-12 schools in Manitoba. 

Dr. Mayor’s pioneering research not only advances the field of drama therapy but also offers invaluable insights into addressing societal challenges through creative and empathetic approaches to healing. 

For more information on Dr. Mayor’s current projects, visit: https://umanitoba.ca/social-work/faculty-and-staff/christine-mayor 

To read some of Dr. Mayor’s published works, visit: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=xII49I0AAAAJ&hl=en