CV

Education

• Ph.D in Psychology, University College Dublin, 2027 (expected)
• M.Psych Sc., University College Dublin, 2024
• H. Dip. (Psychology), Trinity College Dublin, 2023
• B. A. (Dramatherapy), Nürtingen-Geislingen University, 2021

Relevant work experience

• Teaching Assistant & Occasional Lecturer - since Sept’ 2023
  • School of Psychology, University College Dublin
  • Lectures in Intro to Psychology, and Child Development. Seminars and tutorials on statistics and research methods.
• Research Assistant & Occasional Lecturer - 2021-2024
  • Institute for Research and Development in the Arts Therapies, Nürtingen-Geislingen University
  • Research on the literature in the field of dramatherapy. Seminars in research methods in dramatherapy.
  • Supervisor: Johannes Junker
• Research Assistant - Sept’ 2023 - Aug’ 2024
  • European Association of Palliative Care
  • Evaluation of research dissemination activities in EU-funded palliative care research projects.
  • Supervisor: Prof. Suzanne Guerin & Dr. Cathy Payne
• Research Assistant - June - Sept’ 2023
  • Infant and Child Research Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin
  • Assisted in observational coding of various child and parent behaviors.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Jean Quigley and Dr. Elizabeth Nixon

Latest publications

Find the full list here.

A head taller: A meta-analysis on the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood

Constien, T., Moran, S., Rooney, B., & Downes, M. (2026). A head taller: A meta-analysis on the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood. Developmental Review, 79, 101249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2026.101249

Client experiences of drama therapy: A systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis

Constien, T., Khanna, A., & Wiberg, A. (2025). Client experiences of drama therapy: A systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 12(3), 311–337. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000300

Facilitators and barriers of dramatherapy for individuals affected by poverty: An instrumental case study

Habaal, Y., & Constien, T. (2024). Facilitators and barriers of dramatherapy for individuals affected by poverty: An instrumental case study. Dramatherapy, 45(Diasporas in Dramatherapy), 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1386/dj_00015_1

Playfulness in times of extreme adverse conditions: A theoretical model and case illustrations

Feniger-Schaal, R., Constien, T., & Orkibi, H. (2024). Playfulness in times of extreme adverse conditions: A theoretical model and case illustrations. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1446. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03936-z

Open dramatherapy: Embracing Open Science in the further development of our field

Constien, T. (2024). Open dramatherapy: Embracing Open Science in the further development of our field. Dramatherapy, 44(1), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1386/dj_00009_1

Recent talks

Find the full list here.

Nurturing a Research-Confident and Capable Dramatherapy Profession

January 19, 2026

Talk at Annual Conference of the British Association of Dramatherapy, Online

Let’s Play: Toddlers’ Pretend Play and Executive Functions

August 28, 2025

Poster at Lancaster International Conference on Infant and Early Child Development, Lancaster, UK

Toddlers’ Executive Development and Pretend Play - A Protocol Poster

November 15, 2024

Poster at Annual Psychology Conference - Psychological Society Ireland, Athlone, Ireland

Adults Play Too! Playfulness and its role in dramatherapy

September 13, 2024

Talk at 17^th European Arts Therapies Conference, Ghent, Belgium

Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Client Experiences of Dramatherapy

October 27, 2023

Poster at 6^th Annual Conference of the Scientific Association of Creative Arts Therapies e.V., HKS Ottersberg, Germany

Honors and awards

• Best Lightening Talk
  • December 2024
  • Children’s Research Network (Ireland)
• Graduates’ Prize in Psychology
  • June 2023
  • Trinity College Dublin
• Young Arts Therapies Research Award
  • October 2021
  • Scientific Association for the Creative Arts Therapies (WFKT)
• Scholarship
  • January 2020
  • German Academic Scholarship Foundation
• Deutschlandstipendium
  • September 2019
  • Nürtingen-Geislingen University