Advanced Psychodrama Directing

The Arts in Psychotherapy, 2008

Dramatic Resonances is an advanced drama therapy technique that can be applied as an intervention in therapy, supervision, and training. Mostly used in group settings, the method is based on the creative responses that participants offer from within dramatic reality to an input posed from outside dramatic reality. The input may be a member's personal experience (memory, dream, etc.) or a non-personal narrative (tale, text, etc.). The approach has a strong ritualistic style and integrates elements from various sources-including the shamanic tradition and the Playback mode. This article describes the technique of Dramatic Resonances, its rationale and therapeutic value, while setting it in theoretical context.

2021

This chapter includes an overview of foundational psychodrama theories—action theory, catharsis, and surplus reality. The three phases of a psychodrama group (warm-up, enactment, and sharing) and the five elements of a psychodrama (stage, protagonist, director, auxiliary egos, and audience/group) are described. Morenean philosophy and sociometric theory are revisited as they relate to psychodrama. The similar elements of psychodrama theory and social work are underlined including the importance of mutual aid, spontaneity, creativity, empowerment, self-determination, interpersonal skills, relationships, group stages, and roles.

The Arts in Psychotherapy, 2012

There is a paucity of published work on how group process informs the teaching and practice of dramatherapy. This article investigates ideas on groups and group therapy from the fields of analytical psychology and group analysis, and goes on to develop these in the context and practice of dramatherapy. First, the phenomenon of regression in groups from Foulkesian and Jungian perspectives is addressed, highlighting contrasting theories on the potential and pitfalls of group experience. The idea of the 'matrix' as a multi-layered intersubjective field in the group (Foulkes) and/or the entirety of the unconscious (Jung) is explored, offering a background for discussion on the nature of interpersonal and intrapsychic connections. Sesame drama and movement therapy is referred to as an approach which introduces cultural symbols through fairy tale and myth, and offers the chance to explore these through dramatherapy methods. The moment when a group creates a 'montage' from images from a story offers an example of a 'constellation' of the group matrix, which can lead to different modes of expression. The article finishes by returning to broader questions of group therapy as set out by Jung, and examining these in light of the ritual enactment of myth.

In recent years, group work therapy has been expanded rapidly throughout the world in helping professionals. Psychodrama, as a form of group psychotherapy, has already shown the potential for bringing about positive change in participants for almost 80 years. However, while psychodrama is primarily a form of group psychotherapy, psychodrama practitioners and researchers have seldom recognized it as a group work. Hence, the connection between psychodrama and group process has rarely been addressed. This review examines the development of research in the connection between psychodrama and group process. An extensive literature search including books, reports, monographs and journal articles has been conducted. It is found that before the new century, psychodrama practitioners and researchers have largely ignored the group process. In addition, most research findings were not published in peer-review journals. Encouragingly, in the last ten years, most empirical studies of psychodrama have incorporated group process in their analysis or discussion. Moreover, most of these studies are reported in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is still a lack of research studies which examine the interaction of psychodrama and the group process. It is hoped that the results of this study will stimulate further research in this area and can increase the awareness among psychodrama practitioners, trainers, and researchers of the need to be equally cognizant of both psychodrama processes and group work.

Psychodrama has been shown to bring about positive change by reducing inhibition and promoting spontaneity. Most studies have focused on the psychotherapeutic effects of the enactment techniques. However, the nature of clients’ psychosocial schemas arising in enactments, in multi-session psychodrama groups, has not been explored. In this study, the schemas that arose in enactments in a three-day experiential psychodrama group were examined. An across case and within case approach was used with the video recorded group sessions. The data was analysed using qualitative descriptive methods and Young’s early maladaptive schema framework. The dominant themes were that of disconnection and rejection, and emotional inhibition. These findings lend support for psychodrama as a group psychotherapy treatment that can reduce inhibition and promote spontaneity.

Nafssaniat, 2019

The relationship between Drama and psychotherapy is strong and very old, then, Drama is still used for therapeutic purposes, as a self-cleaning of the sediment and ills. Recently, psychotherapy used dramatics methods for healing people. The concept: Drama is very vast, so, this is why we have presented an approach to identify in its relationship with other concepts such as the tragedy the catharsis spontaneity...etc. Also, we triedto clarify some different methods of psychotherapy which use dramatic technics like psychodrama whichKnownhigh prevalencein developed countries, and dramatherapy as aform oftherapeutictechniquesbased onDrama, which aims to treatindividuals or groups of psychological problems. So, it is veryimportantto usedramafor therapeutic purposesas well asaesthetic and educational. Drama have agreatabilityto modifybehaviorandimprove mood, So it's notsurprising thatpast civilizationsinterested by it andmake ita daily affair...

2021

The history and principles of trauma-informed practice in social work are presented while differentiating trauma-informed and trauma-focused practices. The practice of trauma-focused group therapy and trauma-focused psychodrama is outlined while acknowledging the recent calls for increased trauma content in graduate curriculums. Safety, play, and spontaneity are elevated as core elements in psychodrama’s effectiveness in working with trauma survivors. Psychodrama’s unique capacity for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is presented while outlining two trauma-focused psychodrama models—the Therapeutic Spiral Model and the Relational Trauma Repair Model.