Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a method of psychotherapy which explores, through action, the problems of people. It is a group working method, in which each person becomes a therapeutic agent for others in the psychodrama group. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, psychodrama has strong elements of theater, often conducted on a stage with props.
Psychological Uses
In psychodrama, participants explore internal conflicts through acting out their emotions and interpersonal interactions on stage. The acting becomes a replacement for the typical 'couch' that psychotherapists use to talk to their patients. A given psychodrama session (typically 90 minutes to 2 hours) focuses principally on a single participant, known as a protagonist. Protagonists examine their relationships by interacting with the other actors and the leader, known as the director. This is done using specific techniques, including doubling, role reversals, mirrors, soliloquy, and sociometry.
Psychodrama attempts to create an internal restructuring of dysfunctional mindsets with other people, and it challenges the participants to discover new answers to some situations and become more spontaneous and independent. There are over 10,000 practitioners internationally.
External links
- Extensive bibliography about psychodrama at The American National Psychodrama Organization
- Papers on psychodrama