Ravindra Ranasinha is a Drama Therapist based in Moratuwa with more than two decades of experience using drama as a powerful therapeutic tool for personal growth, emotional healing, and psychological well-being.

Over the past 25 years, he has conducted Drama Therapy programs across Sri Lanka, working with children, adults, families, and communities from diverse backgrounds. His work focuses on helping individuals overcome trauma, emotional challenges, and personal difficulties, empowering them to rediscover resilience, confidence, and the joy of living.

A significant part of his practice is dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy. Through carefully designed therapeutic experiences, participants are encouraged to express themselves, develop social and emotional skills, and realize their unique potential.

Ravindra believes that drama is one of the most effective alternative approaches to healing the mind, body, and spirit. By creating safe and creative spaces for self-expression, Drama Therapy enables individuals to release suppressed emotions, gain deeper self-awareness, and build meaningful connections with others.

His approach is deeply influenced by the Asian philosophies of Zen and Tao, which encourage individuals to discover the strength, wisdom, and healing resources that already exist within themselves. Through this integration of therapeutic drama and contemplative philosophy, Ravindra’s work guides people toward inner transformation, emotional balance, and a more fulfilling life.

Currently, he is a director at the Research Institute for Dramatherapy.

Those who wish to experience the healing benefits of Drama Therapy are invited to contact us and arrange an appointment.

We take individual and group sessions.

Mobile: 0094719839507

Email: ravindraranasinha@gmail.com

Postal Addres: 1/20 A, Ariyawansa Lane, Moratumulla, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Newedubooksl

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The History of Dramatherapy as a Formal Scholarly Discipline

in Sri Lanka

by Dr Janet Le Valley

Sri Lanka has a very rich history of creative arts, in general, and Dramatherapy, in particular. Our ancient Bali and Thovil rituals, as well as some very dramatic Buddhist rituals, for example, are intentionally therapeutic, making use of masks, dance, ritual movement, collective family and community engagement, role play, archetypal and cultural symbols, deities and demons, paranormal negotiation by session facilitators with the conflictive and troublesome forces that further pathology in the patient and disturb family and community relationships.

As a formal scholarly discipline, however, Dramatherapy is new in Sri Lanka. Ravindra Ranasinha is Sri Lanka’s highly acclaimed Dramatherapy pioneer, having done Dramatherapy with children, adolescents, adults and families, and individuals struggling with the challenges of PTSD, Autism, Down Syndrome, psychological and emotional and behavioural disorders, family dysfunction, schizophrenia, and movement instability, in Sri Lanka, India, among Tibetans in exile, and being a respected and valuable consultant in an international network ranging from USA and Canada to Hong Kong and India. He has worked with Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Native and Allopathic medical professionals, as well as Educational and rehabilitation projects and institutions.

His doctoral research established the efficacy of dynamic meditation in a Dramatherapy context in the enhancement of potential in adults with Down Syndrome. He published Dramatherapy in Sri Lanka (2013) and Dramatherapy in a Counselling Context  (2013) in Sinhalese, as well. This book introduced Sri Lanka to dramatherapy, as a scholarly discipline. This was followed in 2014 by How Schools Abuse and Fail Children: Dramatherapy to Heal Emotionally Traumatized School Children in Sri Lanka, a book that included case studies in the application of dramatherapy to the field of Education. In 2105 he published Creative Arts Therapies for Autistic Children: A Sourcebook for Clinicians, Teachers and Parents. This book had contributions by international authorities, and is an exciting treasure chest of resources and scholarly dialogue.

In 2014, Ravindra graduated 16 students and interdisciplinary professionals from Sri Lanka’s first certificate program in Dramatherapy. It was sponsored by Samutthana the King’s College London Resource Centre for Trauma, Displacement and Mental Health, and various experts and scholars assisted with instruction.

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