Janine Oxley

Janine Oxley - Drama Practitioner

Prior to this role, I worked for over 30 years with children and young people as a teacher and youth worker. As a drama teacher my approach was always person centred, concerned with identifying each individual’s needs and engaging with these despite the restrictions often imposed by a school environment. I have extensive experience working with groups and individuals and have worked with families on specific areas such as the transition from primary to secondary school.

As a therapeutic mentor, I love working creatively and use a range of approaches combining drama, art, and music.  Accessing their creativity and channelling this though spontaneous improvisation and other creative activities, I believe enables young people to explore situations that trigger anxiety in a safe and containing environment; this approach can also facilitate a non-threatening experience of decision-making, where alternative scenarios can be explored or rehearsed to help prepare a young person for real-life situations. 

Most recently, I have worked with a number of children and young people with ASD, PDA and ADHD and have found the narratives explored through drama have helped in challenging fixed thinking and decreasing anxiety and lack of confidence around change and making decisions.

I am also trained to deliver Therapeuitc Life Story Work (TLSW) which complements my previous experience working with children, young people and their families.