A Study on the Therapeutic Function of Metalanguage in Drama Therapy: Its Potential as a Metacognitive Mechanism

This study aims to explore the therapeutic function of metalanguage in drama therapy from the perspective of metacognitive mechanisms.To achieve this, the researcher adopted a literature review methodology to systematically analyze key academic sources from both domestic and international studies, examining how metalanguage functions across emotional, cognitive, and social-relational domains.Furthermore, the study investigated how metalanguage interacts with core mechanisms of drama therapy such as aesthetic distance, role, projection, improvisation, and storytelling.It also theoretically discussed the ways in which these interactions contribute to clients' ego-identity, cognitive restructuring, and self-reflection.The results confirmed that metalanguage not only serves as a psychological therapeutic mechanism in drama therapy but also functions as a metacognitive mechanism that promotes higher-order thinking.Accordingly, this study suggests that interpreting metalanguage within the framework of its interaction with metacognition can expand the theoretical and practical potential of drama therapy.This perspective is significant in that it establishes a conceptual foundation and theoretical basis for a systematic understanding of the therapeutic