How Does it Work?

The children of refugees have to deal with a range of complex challenges: the loss of family members, leaving friends and family behind, racism, bullying, being marginalised, language difficulties, constant relocation, disability, lack of medical help. It’s no wonder they are traumatised.

If this sounds like an massive ask to address even some of these issues, you’d be right. But better to do something than nothing. Other organisations campaign for system change at government level and for funding. Treehouse Theatre is at the practical end of the solution: actually helping refugee children in a hands on way.

The goals for trauma recovery fall into 4 categories (these goals were developed generally by Judith Herman in 1993)

1. Do the children feel more safe as a result of the program?

2. Do they feel more attached – to school, classmates, Australia – as a result of the program

3. Has the program given them more a sense of purpose in their lives?

4. Do they have more dignity about who they are and where they have come from?

There is now strong evidence, both research based and observationally that the Treehouse Theatre program impacts all four categories positively.

Clinical Methodology

The Treehouse Theatre program is a trauma recovery initiative designed for teenage refugees newly arrived in Australia. Grounded in evidence-based practices, the program harnesses the transformative power of storytelling and drama therapy to address trauma
symptom severity, emotional distress, and attention difficulties. Research shows that drama therapy can significantly enhance emotional regulation, build confidence, and improve
inhibitory control in adolescent refugees.

The program draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles, specifically Exposure Therapy models, and Narrative Therapy. These methods are anchored in the trauma recovery goals outlined by Judith Herman (1993):

Safety
Attachment
Purpose
Dignity

• Exposure Therapy: By revisiting trauma memories through storytelling and rehearsals, participants move these experiences from the emotional centres of the brain to the cognitive areas, helping to reframe the trauma as part of their past.
• Outsider Witnessing: Stories are first shared within the group, then publicly performed. The immediate feedback—audience laughter, gasps, and tears—provides social validation and
  fosters community acceptance.
• Psycho-Social Education: Students learn practical strategies for managing anxiety and depression, including emotional check-ins, body scanning techniques, and relaxation exercises. These concepts are often integrated into the performance scripts themselves, reinforcing the learning process.

The efficacy of the program is confirmed by feedback from participants, by observation by
teachers and by the evaluation carried out by STARTTS.