Maria Fernanda Del Real Jaime attended the NADTA conference at Niagara Falls last October. She moved from Mexico to Montreal in 2021 and was accepted into Concordia University but had to postpone her start date by a year due to financial difficulties: ‘International students face tuition fees that are more than three times higher than those for local students.’ Additionally, she delayed her university start date to study full-time in the government’s francisation program. Fernanda believes that learning the language is essential for better integrating into Quebec’s culture.
Despite having earned an academic excellence scholarship, Fernanda faced additional financial burdens in late 2022 when a close family member in her home country had a serious health issue resulting in global aphasia and hemiplegia. She contributed in the support of the necessary therapies while also finding the means to travel abroad to provide care for this family member. The skills that she is learning as a drama therapist will help people in situations like her family member and will help her live up to her potential as a practitioner.
Fernanda shares that she gained skills and insight during the conference she attended in Niagara Falls. She brings a unique cultural perspective to the field and an integrative approach to healing: ‘I would love for others to recognize the transformative power of drama therapy in fostering empathy, support, and perspective. I hope to inspire others to appreciate the emotional, spiritual, and practical dimensions of this therapeutic approach, and to understand the value of integrating arts therapies in diverse settings, from hospitals to community-based emotional care.’
Since 2016, Fernanda has worked with the ‘Alba Emoting methodology’ – a system developed by Susana Bloch that, through simple respiratory-postural-facial patterns, allows a person to feel, express, and recognize emotions with all their strength and purity, promoting psychological, emotional, and physical balance. Through this and other methodologies, Fernanda hopes to empower individuals to connect deeply with their emotions, facilitate healing, and foster resilience as a drama therapist.
We appreciate Fernanda for sharing her story with us. Students like her bring energy and wisdom to our growing field!
