Improv for Mental Health Practitioners
Why So Many Therapists & Social Workers End Up Here
We didn't set out to become a destination for mental health practitioners. It just kept happening.
Therapists, counselors, and social workers started showing up in our class series — quietly at first, then in numbers that were hard to ignore. They came for different reasons. Some were burned out and looking for something restorative. Some were curious about play as a therapeutic modality. Some just wanted a space where they could be a student again rather than the one holding the room.
What they found surprised them. And most of them came back.
If you work in mental health, there's a good chance improv has something specific to offer you — both as a practitioner and as a human being who spends a lot of professional energy holding space for others.
What the Research Says
The therapeutic benefits of improv are increasingly well-documented. This isn't anecdotal: there’s a growing body of peer-reviewed research that mental health practitioners are well-positioned to appreciate:
A pilot study published in the Journal of Mental Health found that a brief improv-based group intervention produced significant reductions in anxiety and depression and improved self-esteem in adult psychiatric patients. A 2022 randomized controlled trial found that participants doing improv exercises showed significant decreases in both depression and anxiety scores compared to a control group. University of Michigan researchers found that improv classes reduce social anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, two variables central to many presenting concerns in therapy. And a controlled trial published in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health found significant improvements in creativity and psychological well-being following a six-week improv intervention.
Psychology Today has called the "Yes, And" principle of improv the heartbeat of effective therapy, noting that the best therapists operate with the same improvisational responsiveness that makes great performers.
What Improv Offers Mental Health Practitioners
A practice that replenishes rather than depletes The emotional labor of therapeutic work is real. Improv is genuinely restorative. It activates joy, connection, and spontaneity in a way that few other practices do. Many of our practitioner students describe it as the one place in their week where they get to be fully present without any professional responsibility.
Deepened presence and attunement Improv trains the same capacities that make great therapists: deep listening, staying present in uncertainty, noticing nonverbal cues, and responding to what's actually happening rather than what you expected. Regular improv practice sharpens these skills in ways that translate directly into the therapy room.
A felt experience of play and spontaneity Many therapists work with clients on anxiety, rigidity, self-judgment, and fear of the unknown and recommend play as a therapeutic tool. Improv gives you a direct, embodied experience of that work yourself. You'll understand it differently when you've lived it.
Community outside the professional role Our classes attract people from all walks of life. For practitioners who spend their days in a defined professional role, the experience of simply being a person in a room — laughing, failing, trying again — is often more valuable than they expected.
Two Ways to Participate
Join a Regular Class Series Our ongoing improv class series are open to everyone, including mental health professionals. Classes run in 2-month cycles at our SW Portland studio and are designed for all levels and no performance or acting experience is required or needed. Many of our practitioner students join a series and never leave.
Dedicated Practitioner Workshops We also offer workshops designed specifically for mental health professionals. In these, we explore the intersection of applied improvisation and therapeutic practice. These sessions go deeper into how improv principles relate to presence, attunement, play therapy, and working with clients who struggle with anxiety, self-judgment, or social connection.
Practitioner workshops run just twice during the year, so join the waitlist below to be notified when the next session opens for registration.
What Recent Participants Are Saying
“David is a phenomenal teacher and his class series was so much fun. I took the class as a way to express myself and gain some fluidity in my interpersonal interactions in general, and at my job. I came away with an abundance of tools for acting and interacting.”
— Julie Osburne Associate Professional Counselor, Live True Counseling, Portland
“Brilliant raining, ground, AND playground! David is wonderful. This class invites people to let go, to play, and become aware on a deeper level… It also makes you more aware, present, and confident in other aspects of life! And it's fun!”
— Erin Mahone, MS, LPC, Pulse Wellness Cooperative, Portland
A Note on CEUs
We do not currently offer Continuing Education Units for our practitioner workshops — but we are actively exploring accreditation through Oregon licensing boards. Join the waitlist below and you'll be the first to know when CEU-accredited sessions become available.
About Your Trainer
David Koff is the founder of Change Through Play. He's been a professional actor and improviser for over 30 years. For the past decade, he’s facilitated applied improvisation workshops, working at the intersection of unscripted work, mental wellness, and human development. He’s trained business leaders, educators, attorneys, recovering addicts, and a quietly growing community of mental health professionals.
Learn more about David and our team
Ready to Join Us?
Whether you're ready to jump into a class series or want to be notified about our next dedicated practitioner workshop, we'd love to welcome you.
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Join the Practitioner Waitlist
Change Through Play Improv & Training Studio is located at 4905 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Portland, OR 97225. We serve therapists, counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals across Portland, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and the surrounding area.