Sònia Barrachina
Dramatherapist
EMDR Therapist
Clinical Supervisor
Senior Dramatherapist with 18 years of experience working in healthcare and education, six as a placement specialist supervisor, and three as a clinical supervisor. Recently graduated as an EMDR Therapist.
Born in a small town by the Catalan seaside and having studied to be a Primary School Teacher (1992-95) followed by a BA in Education (1995-97), a seven-year-old girl, Magali, turned around the direction of my career path.
The Story
Magalí presented with self-harming, mutism, and anxiety. She had two younger siblings, and her parents were exhausted and at the end of their tether. Having studied human development and psychology for my degree, my mentor at the university, Paco Jiménez, a friend of this family, asked me to help them babysit.
Magali was waiting with a wolf puppet 'Juanito' in her little hand. Intuitively, I picked up another wolf puppet she had by her side. I knew she hardly spoke to anyone, so talking to her would have felt too threatening, too exposing.
- Hello! Said my wolf to hers. (She named it Pepito later on)
- There you go! Smack, smack, smack!
- You seem an angry wolf today?
- Yes, I am. Replied Juanito.
From then on, many more dialogues between the two wolves about Juanito's anger, sadness, and frustration developed, followed by singing, moving, playing, etc. Magali’s engagement, speech, and overall mood improved day after day. (1998-00)
In 2001, I arrived in London to flesh out the knowledge that I only intuitively had applied in my babysitting with Magalí, Drama and Movement Therapy (2003-05).
Education
&
Training
Trauma Based Work
When we experience symptoms, display behaviours, or experience emotional dysregulation that detrimentally invades our life, it often means that there have been complex events or circumstances that remain unprocessed and haunt us with harmful self-beliefs. Even if it is hard to believe, these experiences are trying to alert us, demanding attention, so that we can action healing and live a more fulfilled life.
Seeking therapeutic support can be the start of a path to recovery.
Professional Bodies
.png)
AS03094
ZA751921
3166
B0905
Dramatherapy
Dramatherapy is an action-based therapy approach where the individual’s thoughts, ideas, feelings, voice, and body MATTER and have the space and time to be expressed, noticed, and valued using games, stories, movement, and play.
It is the process of gaining awareness, noticing, communicating, and starting to manage our emotions through non-judgmental, positive experiences and reassurance that we can develop positive beliefs, gain confidence in our thoughts and ideas and realize our self-value. Hence, recover a sense of happiness and well-being.
Dramatherapy is an excellent approach when talking or language may feel difficult or threatening, or is non-existent. Still, it is effective and helpful to anyone drawn to action and the art form of drama.
EMDR Therapy
It is best known for treating PTSD, and it can also help with a range of MH conditions in people of all ages.
EMDR uses the natural healing ability of the body. After a thorough assessment, the person is asked to recall a disturbing memory while they are guided to make sets of eye movements from side-to-side, similar to those during REM sleep. Sometimes, a bar of moving lights, headphones, tapping on each hand alternately is used instead.
The person is asked to report on the experiences they had during each of the eye movement sets. These experiences may include changes in thoughts, images, and feelings.
With repeated sets of eye movements, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time.
Supervisee reflecting on her development in supervision
Creative Supervision
for therapists and other helping professions
Supervision offers a safe and trusting environment where the supervisees feel they can bring any issues related to their professional practice and where there is an opportunity for reflection and guidance, so they can improve the quality of their work, transform their client relationships, continuously develop themselves, their practice and the wider profession.
The application of creative methods creates the necessary distance and perspective and deepens the reflection and understanding of the issues brought to supervision.
It is part of the standards of proficiency for therapists to receive clinical supervision. It can be highly beneficial to all those other professionals in the helping professions, such as doctors, social workers, teachers, and support workers, that find themselves overwhelmed by the complexity of issues they meet at work. Supervision enables the supervisee to untangle the personal from the professional and gain perspective and quality of life.
I have worked in:
I work at:
Lisa has really enjoyed dramatherapy, and she has benefited from it greatly. Lisa’s confidence has grown, and she’s learned how to show her feelings and be herself. Thank you for all your help
Mother, July 2021
Josh has benefited hugely from his time in dramatherapy. Initially, Josh found it difficult to be away from the class group, and he would struggle to settle into the sessions and ask to leave. Sònia discussed ways to support him with this, and I was in awe of how she entered into his world and found the 'hook' to build trust and excitement for dramatherapy time. From that moment, Josh couldn't wait for his sessions and would eagerly wait for them from the moment he got into school. I believe this quality time has seen him thrive in many areas of self-awareness and self-perception.
Year 6 teacher, ASD Unit - July 2020
I will eternally be grateful to Sonia for helping me move past a traumatic childhood memory using EMDR. I think a lot of us think it is impossible to heal but I now know it is possible with the right treatment and therapist. Sonia is a facilitator for healing, and I highly recommend her as a therapist.
Client , January 24
The availability and support throughout the placement have been incredible. Your knowledge base, presence, and guidance have been a privilege to witness and be a part of.
GAM Student, April 22
I appreciated the level of care, insight, and passion that my supervisor brought throughout the process.
GAM Student, April 22
SERVICES:
Dramatherapy
No sessions available
Currently working as a freelancer in Primary and Secondary Schools for
EMDR Therapy
Online sessions available
Session fee: £50
Get in touch to discuss the suitability of the referral.
Clinical Supervision
Face-to-face/online sessions available
Self-funded sessions fee: £45
Paid by institution fee: £50