It can be hard to play
all the roles life
expects of us.

Personal Plays is a
safe space to rehearse…

And become the Hero
of your life’s story!

Young girl with tawny curly hair, a blue super hero mask and red boxing gloves with her arms raised up in a muscles position

It isn’t always easy to get the words out to express what you’re going through. You may not even know where to start or what the specific issue is. You just know something needs to change.

If you find yourself or a loved one lacking the words to express their feelings, talking in circles, getting stuck in an emotion, or overthinking their problems, drama therapy offers an effective and evidence based alternative to regular talk therapy which might help you overcome obstacles more quickly and return to a healthy path.

WHAT IS DRAMA THERAPY?

Drama therapy is a form of creative arts therapy that allow us to step into our lives and see it from different perspectives, like watching a movie or a play.

It is a playful and active approach to therapy that takes traditional therapy a step further. Through use of our imagination and creativity, we can work at a deep level to quickly foster greater awareness, self expression, and shifts in our lives.

How it works

WHO I WORK WITH

Kids and Teens

Image of young girl and boy on a lawn

KIDS AND TEENS

Providing children and teens the tools they need to express the struggles in their emotional and social worlds. Kids and teens may not want - or know how - to talk about what’s happening but they still need help!

LEARN MORE

College Students and Young adults

Two young men sitting on the ground in the woods talking

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

Empowering you to step out of anxiety, depression, and trauma as you overcome the challenges of your ever changing lives.

LEARN MORE

Women

Woman with dark brown hair and bangs in a teal shirt looking upwards and smiling

WOMEN

Allowing for creativity and spontaneity and experimenting with new roles helps you find your voice, assert your identity, and heal from psychological wounds that stand in your way.

LEARN MORE

ABOUT NADINE BERNARD

Image of Nadine Bernard, founder of Personal Plays drama therapyNadine is Registered as a Drama Therapist (RDT) through the North American Drama Therapy Association.  She holds a BA in English and Psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University, an MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver, and an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College. She has completed the coaching training program at ILCT (Institute for Life Coach Training), accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). In addition, she is a Board Certified Life Coach (BCC). She is passionate about stepping into new worlds, and believes each person deserves an audience for their unique life story.

MORE ABOUT NADINE

She is featured in the 2019 publication, and in the Drama Therapy Review 2020 

Bernard, Nadine, et al. "Introducing drama therapy during a pandemic: A clinical commentary." Drama Therapy Review 7.2 (2020): 299-308.

Bernard, Nadine. "A Personal Reflection: Psychodrama Training as a Method of Deepening the Actor's Craft." The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy 66.1 (2018): 147-149.

  Logo for the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama

WHERE IS NADINE?

Nadine is currently seeing clients in her private practice.  She can work with kids in person and adults in person or online using drama therapy, incorporating other creative arts therapy techniques.  In addition, she teaches Introduction to Drama Therapy in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Montclair State University.  She also is the Director of their touring production, Voices in the Crowd, a therapeutic, audience interactive ensemble which helps kids and teens explore issues of "Acceptance."  In the past, Nadine has served as a Life Coach for women going through various life transitions.  Nadine has led drama therapy sessions at the school Celebrate the Children, she has run therapeutic drama sessions for the CATS program for at risk youth, through the Bergen County Department of Family Guidance.   She has also run the Hero Workshop for kids with learning disabilities and Sibshop Montclair - which was a peer support groups for siblings of kids with disabilities, and she ran the Luna Fantasy Factory Theater Camp at Luna Stage, fostering socio-emotional skills through theater. Nadine is available for workshops tailored to your group, school, or agency.

Testimonials

Katie Thomas

“I have really enjoyed my experience with Life Coaching and with working with Nadine. She immediately made me comfortable with the process and helped me to create a road map of what we were going to work on. The journey has been incredible and so rewarding. Nadine is very compassionate, extremely thoughtful and very motivating. She has gently pushed me in the direction I have been wanting to go but haven’t been able to get to on my own.”

Katie Thomas
Brooklyn, NY

Stacy L

What I most appreciated about life coaching with Nadine was the perspective shift I received, the feeling of possibility beyond my stuckness, and the simple solutions and actions for moving forward in my career and family life. Nadine was present with me in a way that felt intimate and specific to my situation; I felt cared for and supported and listened to in a way that helped empower me to make changes.

Stacy L.
Bloomfield, NJ

Arianna Bullard

I had some coaching sessions with Nadine and she was wonderful. Nadine helped me put together a lot of pieces in my life and see them as interconnected. Then as we worked together I became less overwhelmed and felt like I could handle what was going on. Ultimately, I feel better about myself and know I can tackle everything that is going on.

Arianna Bullard
Bloomfield, NJ

Jade Newkirk

I just finished 8 weekly sessions with Nadine and they were invaluable. Nadine helped me navigate both the crowded contents of my head and my life’s latest challenges so I could successfully arrive at a truly focused vision for my immediate future. Together, we uncovered the strengths and abilities I had lying dormant within myself (as opposed to telling me what she thought I needed to do) and activated my truest passions and turned them into a clear direction for me to take my career in—while also putting them in context with my new role as a parent. Lots of gratitude for Nadine!

Jade Newkirk
Montclair, NJ

Sarah M

I have found that working with Nadine feels like sharing coffee with a wise friend – comfortable, open, and honest. Nadine is someone in whom you can easily confide even the most perplexing or daunting of situations, and she will hold you accountable for doing the challenging work of exploring aspects of your personality that contribute to your successes and failures. Nadine helped me to reshape some of my major, negative trains of thought that were limiting my potential for success and happiness. She has given me the tools I need to move forward in a more confident, self-assured manner in every aspect of my life. I am now gainfully and happily employed in a new job that is meaningful to me, and I am living in a new city that brings me endless joy. Kudos to Nadine and her life-coaching talents! She is exceptionally gifted, and the recent outcomes in my life are proof positive of her coaching skills.

Sarah M.
Washington, DC

Carolee

Nadine has a big heart and gives so much of herself. It is important to her to help people and projects succeed, and she brings vision and joy to this process. She’s very intuitive and is warm, thoughtful, deep and funny. She’s been a huge help in guiding me in my job search.

Carolee
Glen Ridge, NJ