Psychodrama Practice in Clinical Social Work with Individuals

Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, & Sociometry, 2002

In this article, the authors combine psychodrama and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in applied group settings. They illustrate the application of some CBT techniques that they found helpful in the three phases of psychodrama with college students and patients diagnosed with mood, substance abuse, anxiety, and personality disorders. Although both CBT and psychodrama models stress the discovery process through Socratic questioning, the use of certain structured CBT techniques (e.g., the Dysfunctional Thought Record) provides additional ways of stimulating the development of self-reflection and problem-solving skills. Key words: CBT and psychodrama, CBT techniques, cognitive behavior therapy and psychodrama, psychodrama and CBT ALTHOUGH TRADITIONAL PSYCHODRAMA is conceptualized in terms of three main techniques-warm up, action, and sharing-there is no dearth of techniques that may be applied in those three phases (see Treadwell, Stein, and Kumar, 1988, 1990). The versatility of psychodrama stems from the variety of techniques that have been borrowed or adapted from various individual and group psychotherapy modalities. With the increasing popularity of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, especially those developed by Beck and his colleagues (see Beck J, 1995: Beck, A. T., Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979) in the treatment of anxiety and depression in individual psychotherapy,

2014

This project follows an exploratory methodology in a naturalistic context, which aims to investigate the helpful factors of psychodrama. The project includes process (HAT, Change Interview) and outcome (PQ, CORE-OM & SAI-R) measures and is divided in the following 4 studies: 1) Development of the Helpful Aspects of Psychodrama Content Analysis System (HAPCAS); 2) How does Psychodrama help clients?; 3) How does Individual change occur in psychodrama? (HSCED); and 4) Group change patterns. The current presentation focuses on the first study, where we discuss the development of the Helpful Aspects of Psychodrama Content Analysis System (HAPCAS), an adaptation of HAETCAS which is meant to categorize session events based on action, impact and context. This study shows that the majority of impact and context categories of HAETCAS were found in HAT data and therefore are potentially applicable to psychodrama. When it comes to action, the results suggest the inclusion of categories specific to psychodrama, revealing the theoretical aspects of this therapeutic model.

Social Work with Groups, 2021

sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this book are included in the book's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the book's Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. To the future generations of psychodramatists and social workers may the contents of this book enliven your practice and enhance the lives of those you serve Series Preface We are pleased to introduce you to this New Springer Nature psychodrama book series titled, Psychodrama in Counselling, Coaching and Education, edited by Jochen Becker-Ebel and by Scott Giacomucci (who is also the author of the first book in the series). The series situates psychodrama practice and research in Asia and beyond in a global context. It provides a unique and innovative resource for the latest developments in the field, nurturing a comprehensive and encompassing publication venue for humanistic psychodrama and sociodrama in therapy, coaching, and education. The series publishes peer-reviewed volumes related to therapy, psychotherapy, counselling, coaching, human resource development, organizational dynamics, education, and training. This series will annually publish two monographs, edited volumes, and/or textbooks. The rich tradition of Dr. Moreno's methods, including sociometry, psychodrama, and sociodrama, has been primarily disseminated through private postgraduate training institutes over the past 100 years of its existence. This academic book series brings the creativity and innovation of these experiential approaches more fully into academia with publications included in academic databases freely accessible to thousands of individual students, researchers, and professors. The series reflects on cultural creativity and new developments beyond Dr. Jacob L. Moreno in the second century of the existence of psychodrama. The editors, with the assistance of distinguished scholars from Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Turkey, and USA specializing in a variety of disciplinary and thematic areas, welcome proposals that are related to the above-mentioned wide-ranging psychodrama studies. Books in this series will also emphasize the unique histories and methodologies emerging in international psychodrama communities. The platform created by this series highlights psychodrama practice wisdom from around the world in the English language, making it more accessible for a wide audience. Additionally, this book series will include books that systematically integrate psychodrama philosophy and practice into other established fields of group psychotherapy, social work, counseling, psychology, coaching, trauma theory, education, and organizational development. vii viii Series Preface The series promotes the understanding of psychodramatic and sociometric tools which are relevant for counselors, supervisors, trainers, educators, creative arts therapists, group workers, and community or organizational leaders. The series will appeal to researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in the behavioral, social, medical, psychological, and business sciences as well as leaders in education, the corporate world, and politics. As series editors, we would like to extend our gratitude to Springer Nature, Mrs. Satvinder Kaur, and her team, for believing in the creativity and strength of psychodrama. This series will serve to promote the methods of sociometry and psychodrama in multidisciplinary contexts to ultimately enhance the provision of social services, psychotherapy, education, scholarship, and research throughout the world.

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.

The Arts in Psychotherapy, 1997

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama, 2021

This chapter will briefly introduce further methods that Moreno created related to psychodrama, as well as other approaches similar to psychodrama but developed by others. Social microscopy and sociodrama will be outlined pertaining to Moreno’s additional dramatic approaches. Axiodrama, monodrama, autodrama, ethnodrama, bibliodrama, and teledrama each will be introduced as other dramatic approaches based on psychodrama. Drama therapy, gestalt therapy, Playback Theater, Theater of the Oppressed, Internal Family SystemsTherapy, Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor Therapy, and family/systemic constellations will each be briefly presented with their similarities and differences to psychodrama.

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama, 2021

This introductory chapter provides context for the content covered in the rest of the book. Background on the evolution of the book and increased social work attention to psychodrama is offered while also defining the basic concepts of sociometry, psychodrama, and social work with groups. The importance of considering differences between cultures, populations, and countries is highlighted, especially as it relates to scope of practice of the social work field which varies between countries. Specifics of chapter topics are overviewed with suggestions to the reader on how to approach this book. Though the book explicitly focuses on social work, many other professionals will find this publication useful including group therapists, counselors, psychologists, creative arts therapists, psychodramatists, community workers, supervisors, and professors.

Collegium antropologicum, 2011

Modern history of short-term group psychotherapy dates back to the late 1950-ies. From then to present day, this psychotherapeutic method has been used in various forms, from dynamic-oriented to cognitive behavioural psychotherapies. Although it has always been considered rather controversial, due its cost-effectiveness, it has been capturing more and more popularity. This paper presents the specificities of first session short-term psychotherapy psychodrama group through session work with two examined groups: a group of 20 adult women who suffer from mild or moderate forms of unipolar depression and a group of 20 students of the School of Medicine in Zagreb without any psychiatric symptomatology. The results indicate the high importance of having structure in first psychodrama session, of relating it with the previously thoroughly conducted, initial, clinical, interviews, and of the clarity and focus in terms of determining the goals of therapy, especially in a clinical context. Th...

Telangana Journal of Psychiatry, 2020

Aim: To understand the attitude and knowledge of mental health professionals towards psychodrama. Materials and Methods: Knowledge and attitude towards psychodrama was studied during a basic psychodrama workshop for 30 mental health professionals, which included psychiatrists, residents of psychiatry, psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses. A specially designed 10 item questionnaire was used for a pre and post-test which evaluated on various aspects of psychodrama to know the attitude and knowledge towards this unique therapeutic tool. Participants were asked to rate their experience of the psychodrama session. Written informed consent was taken from all participants. Results and Discussion: Results showed that in all 10 questions there was a marked, positive change in the post test results. The 3 hours basic course made an impact on attitude and knowledge of psychodrama of all participants. The acceptance of the session, by the participants, delivered an average score of 7.8 on a 10 point scale. Conclusion: Mental health professionals must necessarily undergo workshops on psychodrama in order to bring about positive and impactful results in their clinical applications, which would go a long way in effective clinical therapies. Psychodrama with proper training can have a wide range of clinical applications in various psychiatric settings.

Group

This article is a short exposition of the philosophical underpinnings of psychodrama and group psychotherapy and the inherent difficulties in determining them. The written materials that explain the underlying philosophy of psychodrama are, generally, uncritical in a philosophical sense, of Moreno's ideas. There is little discussion and no apparent general recognition of where these written materials fit within larger philosophical traditions. Arguments as to which philosophical frameworks could be said to underlie psychodrama are presented. This article proposes that the philosophical underpinnings of psychodrama are still revolutionary and inadequately explicated. Aspects of the narrative journey the author experienced while writing this article are included.

2016

The purpose of this study was to explore Adlerian psychotherapists’ perspectives on using psychodrama in the treatment of neurotic clients, its therapeutic value, and the training requirements to implement a psychodramatic intervention. The study explored whether and how the use of psychodrama affected therapists, clients, and the therapeutic process. Forty-five Adlerian psychotherapists attended a single psychodrama workshop designed to train them to implement a psychodramatic intervention previously used in a pilot study. Following the workshop, 21 participants implemented the psychodramatic intervention with 42 clients previously assessed as neurotic. Following the workshop and implementation of the psychodramatic intervention, participants completed a survey questionnaire that evaluated the intervention’s feasibility, effectiveness, and value. Participants were interviewed about their experience. The qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, revealing the...

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama, 2021

This chapter presents the histories of sociometry, psychodrama, and group psychotherapy while also outlining the history of Jacob L. Moreno, their founder. Major events from Moreno’s life are covered as they relate to the development of his philosophy and the practice of his triadic system, sociometry, psychodrama, and group psychotherapy. The popularity and decline of Moreno’s methods throughout their history are highlighted while offering insights into these historical trends in the USA and globally. Connections are drawn between Moreno’s history and the history of social work while also framing him as a social worker due to the nature of his philosophy, theory, and practice. A comprehensive timeline is offered which depicts the parallel timelines of psychodrama, social work, group therapy, psychology, and society.

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama, 2021

Advanced psychodrama directing techniques are presented in this chapter. These advanced interventions offer a depiction of the level of clinical sophistication demonstrated by expert psychodrama directors. The awareness of group sociometry within the psychodrama enactment is described while portraying the multiple layers of object relations activated for participants in a psychodrama session. Advanced techniques for involving audience group members and deepening the emotional involvement of auxiliary role players are discussed. Also included in this chapter are an overview of clinical role assignments, facilitating moments of multiple protagonists, and constructively using projective identification in the group process. Content from the Therapeutic Spiral Model is offered, specifically the practice of prescribing strengths-based roles and considerations for safely facilitating scenes with trauma-based roles. Multiple strategies are offered for de-roling when more emotionally charged...

PLOS ONE, 2019

Background Psychodrama is an experiential psychotherapy in which guided role-play is used to gain insights and work on personal and interpersonal problems and possible solutions. Despite the wealth of literature describing clinical work, psychodrama intervention research is relatively scarce compared to other psychotherapies and psychological interventions. Objective For this reason we implemented the integrative approach to systematic review that authorizes the combination of publications with diverse methodologies and all types of participants, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes. Our aim was to produce a comprehensive summary of psychodrama intervention research in the last decade that critically evaluates methodological issues to inform future studies. Methods We searched four major electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMEd, Scopus by Elsevier, and Web of Science) for peer-reviewed articles on psychodrama interventions published in English between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2017. The quality of qualitative and mixed methods studies was assessed on the basis of pre-established guidelines, and the risk of bias was assessed for all quantitative randomized control studies, consistent with the PRISMA protocol.