I studied English and drama at Edgehill College (now University) and following a PGCE at Manchester University, began my professional life as a secondary school teacher in Northampton in 1983, where I taught drama and dance.

I moved back to Yorkshire in 1986 and taught drama in a large Children’s Home in Leeds. This was my first experience of working with traumatised children, and I wish that supervision had been available then, as it would have helped me understand the overwhelming feelings and chaos around me.

I trained as a Dramatherapist, and was able to bring a more therapeutic and trauma- informed way of working into my workplace. The Children’s Home closed in 1989 and I moved  into a multi-agency team, where I worked for over 20 years. The team was based within the community and received referrals from local schools. I worked with school staff, parents and children and other agencies, using my knowledge as a teacher and therapist.

During this time, I completed my training as a supervisor, and began to offer supervision to other therapists and school staff.

Following the closure of the MAST team, I worked for Northpoint; a school counselling service as a therapist to staff, parents and children.

Since 2016, I have run a private practice – Dragonfly therapy, supervision and therapy and offer training and supervision to therapists and school staff. I work in a number of schools, with a range of staff. I believe that supervision is essential to a healthy working practice, and provides a necessary space to think clearly without judgement. I wish that I had been able to have supervision all those years ago, because it would have helped me understand so much more about what was going on for the child and what their behaviour was trying to communicate, and would have helped me realise that some of the challenges weren’t personal. Supervision helps to put the child at the heart of the work, but allows a space to reflect, learn and process the ripples which emanate from it.

 Publications.

Dix, A (1999) Creative Therapy with Children who dissociate. Dramatherapy, vol 21 no 3

Dix, A. (2001) All Our Children   Dramatherapy, vol.23 No1, Spring 2001, pp22-4

Whizzing and whirring: dramatherapy and ADHD

All the better to see you with: healing metaphors in a case of sexual abuse.

in Dramatherapy with Children, Young People and Schools (2012) eds Leigh, L., Gresch, I., Dix,A.,Haythorne, D.  Routledge

Telling Stories: Dramatherapy and theatre -in-education with boys who have experienced domestic violence. (2015) Dramatherapy Journal Routledge

Little-mouse Finds a Safe Place (2016) Ann Dix      Worth Publishing Ltd

The shame in the home. Ann Dix  BACP Children& Young People Journal. December 2016

Becoming visible: identifying and empowering girls on the autistic spectrum through dramatherapy in Dramatherapy and Autism (2017) ed Haythorne,D., & Seymour,A.  Routledge