We recently had the chance to connect with Krista Verrastro and have shared our conversation below.
Krista, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
I always start the day by stretching and telling myself affirmations to get myself in a good headspace. Then I usually read, meditate, and/or practice French in Duolingo while sipping my daily morning green tea by a window to get some sunlight. Joyful movement and resistance training often follow that.
I am fortunate to be self-employed and to have a schedule that allows me to have a leisurely morning to do these activities during the week. After ending work with clients, I try really hard to relax for the rest of the night because I can be a bit of a workaholic if I’m not careful. I usually spend the weeknights watching TV or movies or connecting with loved ones.
The weekends tend to have a lot more outdoor time in them, with my weekend mornings usually being filled with hikes. I love checking out different trails for some novelty. Other activities that I sometimes do on weekends: going to a museum, going to a theater performance, going out to eat, playing board games, or socializing with friends.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a drama therapist, which means I use theater techniques in therapy. I have been doing this in private practice since 2016. I blend drama therapy with talk therapy and EMDR therapy. I work best with people who feel used, abused, neglected, or rejected. I also do coaching, workshops, presentations, supervision, and consultation. My approach in all of this is trauma, anti-oppression, and intersectionality informed. I do therapy with residents of Maryland and do coaching with residents from anywhere. Some workshops are in person while others are online, which is also true of the presentations and trainings I lead. Supervision services are for drama therapy students and professionals. Consultation is for a variety of people in the mental health field as well as people who are seeking to become drama therapists.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I’m still very much the same as I was as a child in the sense that I have always been extremely creative, imaginative, and playful. However, how much of these traits I have showed the world has ebbed and flowed because of expectations from others.
For example, I consistently dyed my hair bright colors from my teen years into my mid-20’s and only stopped doing so because I got the message from people that it might come off as unprofessional once I started working with clients. I was also afraid to wear jeans to work for years because of messages I received about it possibly being seen as unprofessional. I have gotten more comfortable expressing myself in the ways I prefer, even in professional settings, because time in the field has helped me feel secure in my positive reputation and I want to be a role model of authenticity. I have visible tattoos, wear jeans sometimes, and wear whatever quirky thing I might want to. The only reason I don’t dye my hair bright colors these days is because of the time and money investment in keeping up with it!
Drama therapy was fitting for me to pursue as a playful person since it often involves playfulness, but even despite that there have been times I felt the need to sort of dulled my playfulness to appear more professional. I have gotten more comfortable bringing out my playfulness in my work for the same reasons mentioned above.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Being bullied as a child was extremely painful but made me who I am. Feeling so alone during that time is what made me want to be a therapist to help others not feel so alone, and it also motivated me to strive to always be compassionate. I often felt defective and unlovable because of feeling so different from others. In time, I learned that my uniqueness is a good thing. Healing came from a variety of sources: years of my own therapy, self-exploration while I was learning to be a therapist, ongoing studies of psychology and self-improvement, and surrounding myself with people who understand and value me. One of my favorite songs, A Good Thing by Monica Richards, captures how I’ve felt about feeling different: “There’s something strange about you, but that’s a good thing… your strangeness turns to strength and it all becomes so clear.” My uniqueness went from feeling like a curse or burden to feeling like a good thing. I now use that uniqueness to inspire others to be their unique selves.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yup! As mentioned earlier, there were times that I dulled myself to ensure that I appeared professional. I never stopped being myself completely, luckily. I was just a more reserved version at times. I have become more and more authentic over time and aspire to help others do the same.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I don’t believe in fate or destiny, but sometimes it really does feel like I’m doing what I was meant to do. When I found drama therapy in my teen years, it made so much sense to put my love of theater and love of helping people together. I think I’m good at what I do and get confirmation of that constantly from colleagues and clients. It gives me purpose to help people, and I get to do it in a way that’s fun and engaging!
It hasn’t always been an easy path since drama therapy is still not always known or understood by people, but I’m glad that I followed my heart in pursuing it. I love the connections it helps people make with themselves and others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kristaverrastro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristaverrastrotherapy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristaverrastrotherapy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristaverrastrotherapy
Image Credits
Just the photo of me was done by Balance Photography. Everything else was by me.
