Psychodrama is my preferred trauma-informed treatment modality when working in a group. It is fun, quirky, powerful, and effective! It bypasses our natural inclination to analyze, intellectualize, and otherwise attempt to control our emotional output to the world. Our bodies want to tell a story and psychodrama lets them do it!
Stage: this is the area where the magic will take place
Tele: intuition, or the gut feeling that tells us to do something- most of us have trained ourselves to ignore this
Role reversal: when the protagonist switches roles with the auxiliary so they can see their world from a different viewpoint
Mirror: the protagonist has someone take his/her place and steps out of his/her role so that he/she may walk around and observe the scene as if looking into a mirror.
Double: the director will double for the protagonist and the auxiliary and will encourage dialogue when the protagonist is stuck in order to express obscured feelings. The theory behind doubling is that we never received enough of it as a child, and therefore we are now stuck in our own drama
Psychodrama can be used to overcome trauma, to heal from eating disorders, to help with substance use disorders, to motivate people who feel stuck in life, can support couples seeking greater intimacy, and otherwise be used to assist individuals looking to gain insight! Check out #SeekingDepthToRecovery for upcoming #psychodrama retreats to support you on your journey!