Jason Butler receives 2012 NADTA Teaching Excellence Award

Concordia PhD student and Drama Therapy instructor Jason Butler received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award at the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) Conference in November 2012. The award, "in recognition of outstanding dedication to education in the field of drama therapy through teaching and mentorship," was presented to both Jason and Saphira Linden from Omega Theater in Boston. Jason held a Limited Term Appointment in Drama Therapy with the Department of Creative Arts Therapies from 2009-2012. As part of Concordia's Individualized Program, Jason is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in the examination of experiential learning and the education of drama therapists. His research is supervised by Dr. Miranda D'Amico in the Department of Education; Dr.  Stephen Snow in the Department of Creative Arts Therapies and Dr. Warren Linds from the Department of Applied Human Sciences are members of his Supervisory Committee. 

Along with an MA in Drama Therapy he also holds an MA in Educational Counselling. He is a graduate of the Institute for Developmental Transformations and is currently the training director for Developmental Transformations in Montreal.  He has given extensive workshops and presentations on GLBTQ issues and how they apply to the therapeutic relationship within drama therapy. He has also presented on chronic mental illness and the ability of drama therapy to target positive and negative symptoms of psychotic illnesses. While directing a program for homeless individuals with mental illness, he worked with groups to create and perform eight original therapeutic theatre productions.