How can drama therapy support equity and social justice in education, clinical work and beyond?

Jessica Bleuer

Pronouns: She/Her

Assistant Professor, Creative Arts Therapies

Status: Assistant Professor

Research areas: Her research projects prioritize the resilience and knowledge of targeted groups, and current research includes: A Polycrisis Teaching Laboratory where educators strategize how to address sociopolitical and geopolitical tensions in university classrooms. Taking Drama Therapy Outdoors, where professionals explore the benefits of facilitating therapy in urban settings, parks and forested areas. And

Contact information

Email:

jessica.bleuer@concordia.ca

Website:

Drama Therapists Against White Supremacy Campaign

Biography

How can drama therapy support equity and social justice in education, clinical work and beyond?

Jessica Bleuer, MA, M.Ed., Ph.D., she/her/ella pronouns, is a Registered Drama Therapist, Graduate Program Director and Assistant professor in the MA Drama Therapy Program at Concordia University in Montreal. A past two-term Diversity Chair for the North American Drama Therapy Association, Jessica's teaching and research focuses on the geopolitical determinants of health. Jessica's research areas include: the mental health impacts of climate change; climate change emotions as barriers and allies to climate action; the uses arts-based methods and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to address various equity issues that include historical trauma, marginalized community activism, barriers to employment for newcomers, xenophobia, and the negative impacts of racism on people's sense of belonging, safety and general well being. She is passionate about community-based drama therapy and has co-developed Metabolizing Minutes: a community based drama therapy intervention that supports community members to process and respond creatively to enormity problems that impact health and wellbeing.

Her research projects prioritize the resilience and knowledge of targeted groups, and current research includes: A Polycrisis Teaching Laboratory where educators strategize how to address sociopolitical and geopolitical tensions in university classrooms. Taking Drama Therapy Outdoors, where professionals explore the benefits of facilitating therapy in urban settings, parks and forested areas. And Addressing sociopolitical/geopolitical hopelessness and paralysis: When the Climate Catastrophe, COVID, War, Genocide and State Repression enter the therapy space.

Jessica's multiple cultural identities, including her experiences as as a first generation Latina Canadian inform her work around equity and inclusion

Publications

Selected Publications

Bleuer, J., Oluouch, A.E., Wutapumitukew Lowry, A., Yong, B., Sweet, E., Kothare, E., Montgomery, M. & Dadzie, S. (2025). Wearing sunglasses to see more clearly: Drama therapy calls attention to the climate crisis, Drama Therapy Review, 11.1. 47-75.

Bleuer, J., Gersie, A. & Sajnani, N. (2025), Building bridges towards an eco-drama therapy. Drama Therapy Review, 11.1: 3-9.

Bleuer, J. (2025). Learning from Our Fish Out of Water Drama Therapists Adapting Across Culture: An Exploratory Study, Dramatherapy Journal, 46(1), 77-98. https://doi/org/10.1386/dj_00029_1

Bleuer, J. (in press). Breathing Through. A poem. In M. A. Górska & M Trakilović (Eds.), Political and Social Suffocations Volume 1. Utrecht, Utrecht University Press. §

Bleuer, J. (in press). Making Visible the Sociopolitical Suffocations of Racialized Microaggressions. In M. A. Górska & M Trakilović (Eds.), Political and Social Suffocations Volume II. Utrecht, Utrecht University Press.

Bleuer, J. (2024). Addressing Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions in Higher Education: Emotions and Sociopolitical Context Matter [Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University].

Bleuer, J. (2020). Theatre for Revolution orTheatre for Healing? Forum Theatre withLGBT2SIQ and Other Targeted Communities . In A.M. Fritz & K. Afary, CommunicationResearch on Expressive Arts and Narrative as Forms of Healing. LexingtonBooks.

Snow, S.& Bleuer, J. (2020). Chapter 7 : Ethnodramatherapy. In R. Emunah& D.R. Johnson (Eds.), CurrentApproaches in Drama Therapy. Springfield, Illinois, Charles C Thomas.

Bleuer,J. & Harnden, B. (2018). Translating drama therapy: Reflections on clinicalpractice with complex trauma. Drama TherapyReview, 4(2), 167-182.

Bleuer,J., Chin, M. & Sakamoto, I. (2018). Why theatre-based research works? Thepsychological theories behind the curtain. QualitativeResearch in Psychology: Creative Representations in Research, 15(2-3),395-411.

Bleuer, J. (2017). Confronting Islamophobic Violence & Discrimination.North American Drama Therapy Association Website. Retrieved from https://www.nadta.org/what-is-drama-therapy/confronting-islamophobic-violence-and-discrimination.pdf

Sajnani,N., Tomczk, P., Bleuer, J., Dokter, D., Carr, M. & Bilodeau, S. (2016). Guidelines oncultural response/ability in training, research, practice, supervision,advocacy and organizational change. DramaTherapy Review, 2(1), 141-147.

Bleuer, J., White,C., Jordan, D.E., Diaz, I., Anandampillai, S. (2016). Opposition to Homophobic & Transphobic Laws. North AmericanDrama Therapy Association Website. Retrieved from https://www.nadta.org/what-is-drama-therapy/opposition-to-homophobic-and-transphobic-laws-positi.pdf

Bleuer, J., White,C., Jordan, D.E., Diaz, I., Anandampillai, S. (2016). Black Lives Matter, North American Drama Therapy AssociationWebsite. Retrieved from https://www.nadta.org/about-nadta/black-lives-matter-2016-position-statement.pdf

Bleuer, J. (2016).Orlando & LGBT2SIQ Communities: Condolences & Outrage. North AmericanDrama Therapy Association Website. Retrieved fromhttps://www.nadta.org/about-nadta/orlando-and-lgbt2siq-communities-position-statement.pdf

Chin, M., Sakamoto,I., & Bleuer, J. (2014). The dynamics of show and tell: Arts-based methodsand language ideologies in community-based research. Journal of Community Practice, 22 (1-2), 256-273.