|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Chyela Rowe, Ph.D., RDT/BCT
She/Her
I am excited to serve the NADTA as Board President. I have held many roles in the drama therapy collective since 2000 - including president-elect, education chair, and research committee member. Professional settings have included schools, medical and mental health hospitals, neuro-rehab, community, arts in health, research, leadership coaching, organizational consulting, and graduate research training. With a leadership perspective based in systems theories within the NADTA CHED framework, my goal as a leader of the NADTA over the next two years is to support economic stability, governance, and succession planning in service of sustainable organizational flourishing. This work is guided by a vision for the NADTA to foster professional growth and continued learning that honors the cultures, therapeutic skills, artistry, research, scholarship, and humanity of every member.
|
|
|
Abbie Truax, MA, LCAT, RDT
She/They
Abbie Truax, MA, LCAT, RDT is a graduate of Lesley University, and is currently serving as the clinical supervisor of Trinity Place Shelter, where she works with LGBTQIA+ youth who are experiencing housing insecurity. She is currently on the board of directors for the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) as the President-Elect, is a member of the NADTA Cultural Equity Humility and Diversity Committee, and has most notably presented research on creative arts therapy and harm reduction at the 2022 New York State Department of Health Ending the Epidemic Summit and World AIDS Day. She is also a dedicated supervisor to drama therapists and allied professionals, and has experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, and mission-driven development.
|
| |
|
Emily Faith, MA, LPC, RDT
She/Her
Emily P. Faith (she/her), MA, LPC, RDT, is a multidisciplinary artist and licensed drama therapist dedicated to the intersection of mental wellness and the performing arts. With over a decade of experience performing and teaching across the U.S., Emily now calls Dallas, TX home, where she founded a women-focused nonprofit theater and established a private practice. She earned her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Drama Therapy from Lesley University (’21), where her research concentrated on supporting the mental wellness of performing artists. She is actively engaged in the CoActive Therapeutic Theatre Model (CoATT), and aided in the facilitation of the 18-month research study, a collaboration with Lesley University, UMASS Mind, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She previously served the NADTA as Communications Chair, before stepping into her role as Vice President. Emily is a proud board member of the Laughter League, a national nonprofit dedicated to medical clowning, and Arts Mission Oak Cliff, an arts organization in Dallas, TX.
|
| |
|
Lisa Moreno, M.Ed., M.A., LPC, RDT, NCC, IPT-CST
She/Her
Lisa Moreno, M.Ed., M.A., LPC, RDT, NCC, CSC, IPT-CST, is in private practice in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. She collaborates with multiple agencies to promote mental health and artistic expression. Lisa is an advocate for expressive arts, strength-based, and body-centered approaches and is committed to promoting trauma-sensitive, grief-conscious practices, as well as the intentional use of the arts as tools for expression and healing. Lisa has served on the Board of Directors as the Central Region Representative and is now assuming the role of Secretary. She is committed to building upon the work previously undertaken to ensure clear, consistent, and effective communication with the membership. She hopes that this partnership will strengthen collaboration, enhance transparency, and support meaningful engagement among members, thereby advancing the shared mission of the organization.
|
| |
|
Ana Bess Moyer Bell, MA, MHC-A, RDT/BCT
She/Her
Ana Bess is a drama therapist, playwright, and harm reduction activist. She has nearly a decade of experience as the founding Executive Director of the national nonprofit 2nd Act. During her tenure, she built expertise in nonprofit administration, fundraising, program development and scaling, financial management, and strategic planning. She is recognized for integrating creative practices with evidence-based strategies, establishing herself as a sought-after consultant in the nonprofit and public health sectors. Under her leadership, 2nd Act gained national recognition for its innovative public health approaches. Her first play, Four Legs to Stand On, was used by Senator Elizabeth Warren in Congress to advocate for youth treatment legislation and cited by Rhode Island Governor Daniel J. McKee as influencing the signing of the nation’s first Overdose Prevention Site bill. She also developed Act II, a play exploring addiction recovery, commissioned by Trinity Repertory Company and produced as a public health initiative by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Currently, Ana Bess teaches in the Expressive Therapies Graduate Program at Lesley University and serves as a consultant for multiple nonprofits and state agencies, helping organizations develop sustainable strategies for impactful therapeutic programming.
TBD
|
Ramon Guitart, LPC, RDT
HE/HIM/EL
Ramon Guitart, LPC, RDT, is a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Drama Therapist who currently serves as the Chair of the Cultural Humility, Equity, and Diversity (CHED) committee for NADTA. With over 15 years of experience working with underserved populations, he has built a clinical practice that includes high-acuity settings such as correctional facilities, children’s hospitals, and memory care units, and he is now in private practice. As the founder of Rumbo Creative Arts Therapy & Counseling and a host on Drama Therapy Radio, Ramon draws on his background as an actor, director, and playwright to facilitate diversity and resilience groups and to promote systemic equity. He remains committed to utilizing action-based modalities and the power of metaphor to support social justice and healing within various communities.
|
|
|
Erica Craig-Mann, PhD, LCSW, RDT/BCT
She/Her
Erica Craig-Mann (she/her), a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Drama Therapist/Board Certified Trainer, earned her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Arizona and her Master's of Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She completed her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Antioch University in 2025. Her research has centered around intersectional opportunities between the fields of drama therapy and counseling. Erica has over 20 years’ experience in clinical practice with children, adolescents and adults. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, as well as in schools, and maintains a private practice, Playspace: Drama Therapy Atlanta. In addition, she has taught courses in creative arts therapy and mental health counseling at Emory University, Lesley University, and Antioch University. She resides in Atlanta, GA. Erica earned her RDT in 2008 as an alternative training student, and found the process quite daunting. She is excited to take on this role as training chair to support future drama therapists. This is Erica’s first time serving on the NADTA board.
|
Nicole Ventura, MA, LPC, RDT
She/Her
Nicole Ventura (she/her), MA, LPC, RDT, is a trauma-centered psychotherapist, drama therapist, and developmental transformations (DvT) practitioner specializing in acute trauma, abuse, and stress-related conditions. She owns Dramatic Action Therapy, a private practice in New Haven, CT, and offers both in-person and virtual support. Nicole’s clinical approach blends embodied and direct therapeutic methods, allowing clients to engage with experiences in the past while finding their voice in the present. Her work emphasizes empowerment, desensitization to painful memories, and the development of healthy coping strategies--always with a splash of humor. Her professional background spans work with children, adolescents, and adults across diverse settings, including schools, community agencies, and clinical treatment centers. Nicole has facilitated numerous consultations and trainings on trauma-informed care, stress management, and creative healing practices, reaching both mental health professionals and community organizations. Passionate, organized, and creative, Nicole is committed to helping individuals and communities grow through the transformative power of the dramatic arts.
Akhila Khanna, MA,LCAT, RDT
She/Her
Akhila Khanna is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Registered Drama Therapist from New Delhi, India, currently working with adults in acute inpatient psychiatry at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. She compliments her clinical practice with a Research Assistantship at the NYC Health + Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine department, where she integrates the arts into system-wide social prescribing strategies. Akhila currently serves as the Vice President of Drama-Therapy India, clinical researcher for the Foundation for Arts and Health India and the Research Chair for the North American Drama Therapy Association, building evidence based repositories of drama-therapy practices across a continuum of global mental healthcare. She has previously been a researcher with the Theatre and Health Lab at New York University, where she earned her MA in Drama Therapy. Currently pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Public Health at the City University of New York (CUNY), Akhila is passionate (and deeply curious) about recognizing and reimagining arts and cultural spaces as public health resources for communities they are embedded within.
Melissa Killian, RDT
|
Jessica Elwart-Konkel, LCAT, RDT
She/Her
Jess is a Registered Drama Therapist with over a decade of clinical experience and currently serves as Membership Chair for the North American Drama Therapy Association. In this role, she is dedicated to cultivating meaningful connection across the field, expanding access to professional development, and strengthening communication between NADTA and its members. She envisions a membership culture that is engaged, supported, and collaborative—one that reflects the creativity, care, and evolving needs of drama therapy professionals.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
Cindy Coady, MA, RDT
She/Her
With over 20 years of dedicated work in supporting children and families, Cindy has served in various impactful roles. Her career spans clinical, educational, and leadership positions, each reinforcing her commitment to empowering families. She has worked as a clinician in a trauma clinic and on the reunification team at the Department of Social Services in Boston, MA. As a Director of CPE and a private practice clinician, consultant, and trainer, Cindy has developed expertise in therapeutic intervention and guidance. Additionally, she has taught in the Social Integration Program at CSMB and served as a teacher and practicum coordinator in the Drama Therapy program at Concordia University. Her diverse experience enriches her approach, providing families with compassionate, knowledgeable support tailored to their unique needs.
|
| |
|
Michelle Davenport, MA, RDT/BCT, CTRS
She/Her
Michelle is the Recreational Therapy Director at Andrus Children’s Center in Yonkers, NY. She is getting her PhD in Recreational Therapy with her research in Arts-Based Research, DEI, and therapeutic performance. Her dream is to start a Drama Therapy Masters program in her home state in Indiana. She is the recipient of the 2019 NADTA Performance Award.
|
| |
|
Carmen White, Ph.D., RDT/BCT
Monica Lopez Gamboa, MA, LCAT, RDT
She/Her
Monica is a Filipino licensed creative arts therapist and registered drama therapist under the North American Drama Therapy Association. Monica received her master’s degree in drama therapy from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She served as the former research assistant of the Theatre and Health Lab and coordinator for the World Alliance of Drama Therapy. Monica is a published researcher, clinician at Montefiore Medical Center, and instructor at The Arts in Health Institute Philippines.
|
| |
|
Cass Manalastas, MA, LMHC, RDT
THeY/She
Cass Manalastas is a Filipino drama therapist and licensed mental health counselor currently located in Olympia, WA. Cass graduated from Antioch University Seattle with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Drama Therapy in 2019, and served on the student committee for NADTA during their academic journey. They have served children, adolescents and adults in community mental health, education, tribal and military settings, specializing in clinical issues like depression, anxiety, complex trauma, developmental issues, and identity confusion and exploration. She also recently starting teaching at Antioch University Seattle as an adjunct faculty member for clinical training and ethics. Cass is passionate about role theory, storytelling, self-revelatory theatre, and the use of creative arts approaches to move towards mental health wellness. Cass also loves musical theatre and participates in local community theatre in South Puget Sound. When she is not being creative, she loves to spend time laughing with her husband and animals (she has a tiny urban farm!), daydreaming about Philippine beaches, and cooking her next comfort meal.
Aary Renee
Jordan D. Stewart, M.Div, MPhil., PhD Candidate (ABD)
He/Him
Jordan Stewart (He/Him) is an artist, minister, educator, and currently a PhD Candidate in Educational Theatre with a focus in Drama Therapy at New York University. His work centers on Drama Therapy and Applied Theatre for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Jordan is a founding member of the HBCU Initiative within the NADTA and a current member of CHED. Jordan believes in making Drama Therapy more accessible throughout the world. As a current Alternative Track Student Representative, his goal is to make sure all student voices are heard and supported through advocacy, justice, and social change within the Drama Therapy community.
|
|
