RICA

Magical Experience Arts and Company, MEAC, has been at RICA for over 22 years.  In that time, RICA has gone through many changes.  MEAC has also changed and adapted to treat our clients.  When RICA added Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, DBT, to our treatment program MEAC began to make changes to incorporate DBT learning, mindfulness and terms into groups.

MEAC has made the changes to the group experience to account for DBT programming. Clients are asked to label an emotion they have been experiencing during the day. This is done to prepare clients to undergo the emotional story of the plays that are performed as part of MEAC. This exercise is also done to help clients focus not only on the story but also the emotions of the story. Clients are urged to be mindful of themselves during the experience and to take a step back if the experience is too much for them. This cue to be mindful often aids clients’ understanding of what it means to be mindful. In addition, in processing after the experience clients are often able to relate the experience to DBT themes and skills. This chance to describe feelings and behaviors draws a distinction between the latter two subjects that not all clients see. The non-judgmental depiction of how characters perform during the plays allows for clients to experience the story from more than one viewpoint.

As our facility has grown so has MEAC. The MEAC program continues to evolve as new plays are produced. Each new play adds to the experience different qualities that allow a diverse group of clients to connect with expression. With all these changes MEAC continues to provide a unique expressive therapy service that continues to enrich the program at RICA.

Jack Rose OTR/L RICA