Hi, I’m Michela,👋

A licensed Drama Therapist (MA) based in Hamburg, working in English with children aged 5 to 11 and their families.

I specialise in helping children build emotional coping skills - through storytelling, role-play and creative play, not talking about feelings on a couch.

My work sits at the intersection of drama therapy and social-emotional learning. Each Quest course gives children real tools to reach for when things get hard. And gives families shared language to use at home.

I didn’t arrive at this work by accident…

Michela sitting on a sofa with one hand on her head. She is wearing a watch and jeans, and has bare feet. The sofa has a decorative pillow and the background features a brick wall. The image has a teal checkered border.

The Story that led me to Drama Therapy

Years ago, I experienced my own trauma - a near fatal accident that ended my acting career before it had really begun. I was exhausted, in chronic pain, and completely disconnected from myself. I didnt have the tools to process what happened.

Drama therapy changed that for me - not as a student, but as a client.

That experience is what makes me attuned to the children I work with. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed and not have the language for it. I know what it feels like to need someone who truly gets it. Thats what I bring into every session.

Cursive signature handwriting that says Michela Nordmann-Netherlands
Michela sitting on a couch, smiling, wearing a black top and jeans with a watch on her wrist.

8 Yrs

1000+

MA

8 Years of experience working in therapeutic, educational and community spaces.

Worked with 1000+ students as a social and emotional learning specialist.

HPCSA registered, with a Masters Degree in Drama Therapy

Research

My masters research examined whether a drama therapy-informed social and emotional learning program could support children’s development during one of the most disruptive period in recent history - their return to school following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings shaped everything about how I work. Children don’t need more talk. They need structured, creative, embodied experiences that help them understand and regulate whats happening inside them.

That research is the foundation of every Quest program I run.

Through my journey I have learnt 3 core truths that greatly impact the work that I do. 

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    Your child is not their behaviour.

    If your child keeps exploding, shutting down, or falling apart in ways you don’t understand, that doesn’t mean something is wrong with them.

    The meltdowns, the outbursts, the tears over something that seems small, these are signals not personality traits. They are not who your child is. They are patterns. And patterns can change.

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    It’s not too late to learn

    Most of us were never taught how to handle big feelings, express ourselves clearly, or set boundaries. 

    Now, we are left navigating adult life without the important emotional tools we need to have thriving relationships with others and ourselves. 

    But it’s too late… 

    Recognising and naming our feelings, or expressing them safely, are skills. 

    And like any skill, you can learn them.

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    Healing impacts everyone around you

    When one person starts to change, it sends ripples through their relationships. Families shift. Friendships deepen. Even if others don’t change, you relate to them differently. That’s the power of this work. 

    I hope that every person I work with leaves therapy a little better than they were and that they become an example of someone who is healing to those around them. 

    It just takes one person to begin the change. And then the family, relationships, and community are stronger for it.

Here’s what makes the Drama Therapy work I do different

Most talk therapies focus on analysing your thoughts. Drama therapy helps you experience change.

It’s not about performing. It’s about practicing how to respond differently in real life. This work lets you try on new ways of being, before taking them into the world.

If that sounds like the next step you’ve been looking for, I’d love to support you on your journey. 

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Text slide outlining why drama therapy is a creative therapy style that explores topics through storytelling, roleplay, and reflection, including your emotional patterns, roles, and personal desires.

Let’s Find Your Next Step

Just getting curious?

Follow along on Instagram for ideas, insights, and upcoming events.

Michela sitting on a rug in a living room, wearing a black top and jeans, smiling and looking away, with a trunk and books in the background.

Thinking about therapy?

Let’s connect for a free 15-minute intro call.

You can ask questions, learn more about what we can unpack in sessions, and see if we’re a fit.

Close-up of hands typing on a laptop keyboard booking their free introduction session with therapy with michela, she is wearing a white shirt and jeans.

Ready to dive deep?

Explore my 10-session transformation package, a focused, guided journey over 10 weeks where we unpack and reshape one core area of your life. Or sign up for ongoing 1-on-1 sessions.

michela smiling at a laptop on an online therapy session with an international therapy client.

Planning a group workshop or event?​​

I create custom events, workshops, or programs for schools, teams, and community spaces. Let’s collaborate on something impactful.