Psychodrama is a form of expressive therapy developed by Jacob L. Moreno in the early 1900s. Considered one of the most renowned social scientists of the time, Moreno took great interest in the role of spontaneous theater and founded the Theater of Spontaneity in Vienna, Austria. There, he developed psychodrama as one of the earliest examples of group therapy. Moreno’s vision of psychodrama sought to serve as the next step after psychoanalysis through the dramatization of personal events or thoughts. The individual can directly interact with and overcome their inner conflicts. With the use of a variety of techniques, psychodrama can help individuals make important progress in their emotional development and regulation and open the doors for all those involved to make connections and insights into their own lives.

Spontaneous Healing

Often when we react emotionally, it is just that: a reaction. We might not even know why we’re irritated or what provoked our anger. We just feel mad or upset, and we may be driven to push that negativity out in harmful ways. We may lash out at others or abuse substances to feel better. When our emotions get the best of us, we disassociate from our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. What if there was a better, healthier way to get in touch with our emotions before we let our feelings create even more tension?

Into the Subconscious

Moreno thought that the ability to respond to a situation in the moment through creativity and innate impulses could help individuals deal with problems in their daily lives. As a clinical practice, Moreno’s techniques are used today to help facilitate healing from emotional traumas and PTSD. The therapy of psychodrama relies on a group to partake and act out scenes. Still, each scene generally focuses on one particular patient as the protagonist and their own past traumatic memories or inner conflicts.

There are several techniques used in psychodrama.

Mirroring Technique

In a psychodrama session, the facilitator first asks the protagonist to act out an experience. Then, another member of the group takes their place and acts out the same scene, assuming the protagonist’s role. This gives the individual the chance to see the scene, including themselves, from an outside perspective. Experiencing trauma as an outsider offers a great opportunity for healing, perhaps by allowing the protagonist to dissociate from their feelings and personal view and see things from a broader perspective. It will enable them to reflect on their own behavior and better understand how their actions affect those around them. Whatever may or may not arise during the session, the experience brings a broader perspective than our points of view.

Doubling Technique

In a psychodrama session, the facilitator first asks the protagonist to act out an experience. Then, another member of the group takes their place and acts out the same scene, assuming the protagonist’s role. This gives the individual the chance to see the scene, including themselves, from an outside perspective. Experiencing trauma as an outsider offers a great opportunity for healing, perhaps by allowing the protagonist to dissociate from their feelings and personal view and see things from a broader perspective. It will enable them to reflect on their own behavior and better understand how their actions affect those around them. Whatever may or may not arise during the session, the experience brings a broader perspective than our points of view.

Role Switching

In a psychodrama session, the facilitator first asks the protagonist to act out an experience. Then, another member of the group takes their place and acts out the same scene, assuming the protagonist’s role. This gives the individual the chance to see the scene, including themselves, from an outside perspective. Experiencing trauma as an outsider offers a great opportunity for healing, perhaps by allowing the protagonist to dissociate from their feelings and personal view and see things from a broader perspective. It will enable them to reflect on their own behavior and better understand how their actions affect those around them. Whatever may or may not arise during the session, the experience brings a broader perspective than our points of view.

Soliloquy Technique

Finally, soliloquy allows the protagonist to speak their thoughts out loud. When we go about our daily lives, we sometimes find ourselves overthinking every interaction we have. We often hold back our feelings or true nature to fit into our culture, respect our customs, or align with our self-image or the way others perceive us. Before a thought ever makes it off the tongue, we subject it to all kinds of cognitive processes to make sure it won’t cause any harm, embarrass us, or offend others. Removing those filters and refinements can help us speak from the heart and express what we truly feel. Often when thinking out loud, such as during a soliloquy, you may even hear inner truths from your voice before you were even aware of them in your mind.

Trauma manifests itself in hidden ways in our lives. We may experience stressful, emotionally challenging, or traumatic events, but we don’t deserve those events to dictate the rest of our lives. Psychodrama is a form of group therapy that involves acting out scenes related to your inner conflicts or traumas. At Safe Harbor, we believe in a multifaceted approach to healing. Our psychodrama directors aim to create a safe space to gain insight into our troubles and overcome our traumas by developing the ability to adapt to life situations creatively. We understand how difficult your inner turmoil can be. No one deserves to suffer through addiction and mental illness alone. Safe Harbor aims to address the emotional and mental complications that often exist alongside addiction. Our goal is to help you on your path to recovery through behavioral therapy, holistic practices, loving support and an aim to heal the entire person. To learn more, call us today at (833) 580-1473.

START YOUR JOURNEY WITH
SAFE HARBOR HOUSE

(310) 861-4157

Contact Us Today

Verify Your Insurance

Index