Olivia Candocia

Olivia is currently a clinical and drama therapist intern at Effective Artistry. She has ten years of experience teaching theater and social-emotional skills to preschoolers to teens. She attended Accademia dell’ Arte (“Clown College”) in Tuscany, Italy. Olivia incorporates her extensive experience in theater by helping clients write and perform scenes, poems, and characters that enable them to explore and deconstruct the stories of our lives. As a selective mute for the first eight years of her life, Olivia struggled speaking up in school and was often misunderstood. She found a safe way to express herself through writing and performing her own plays for friends and family. Now, after immersing herself in theater for well over two decades, she specializes in helping others explore and express themselves through Drama Therapy techniques such as role play, improv, games, movement, poetry, and more. Olivia understands that finding the words to describe one’s experience or emotions isn’t always easy, but has a roster of tools and applications to help encourage openness and bravery from her clients. Olivia’s therapeutic approach is much like a dance; by taking turns leading and following, she helps clients access parts of themselves that they may not have otherwise known. She will take things moment by moment, checking in frequently to ensure their safety and goals are in mind at all times. If you’re unsure about drama therapy, Olivia is also versed in talk therapy and is open to combining talk and drama therapy. Olivia will collaborate with you on a treatment plan that works best for you. She looks forward to hearing your story.