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Alternative Therapies: Part Two

© Catherine Radler

Here is another alternative therapeutic which I found quite interesting and beneficial to all individuals. This is the second part of an ongoing series of "different" treatment approaches. I welcome your comments and if there are any approaches you would like to see explored on this site, please feel free to let me know! Psychodrama is a proces that utilizes creativity to externally represent a client's inner self and struggles. The theories behind psychodrama, which included sociometry and role playing, were developed in the 1920's by Dr. Jacob L. Moreno. It is believed that Dr. Moreno formulated his ideas by watching children playing and interacting near his Vienna home. Moreno wished to create a type of therapy that would allow for the client's creativity and spontaneity to come through and become an intricate part of the sesions. In his early formulation of psychodrama, Moreno created what he called the "Theater of Spontaneity". This theater was a place where groups of people would go to release their frustrations, aggression, and so forth, free of constraints of typical therapies. The techniques that are involved in using psychodrama make it adaptable and flexible enough to use in various situations. Alcohol and drug counseling, eating disorders, families, personality disorders and domestic violence groups are just some of the populations that can participate in psychodramatic therapy. The communication style of the deaf community make the use of psychodrama beneficial when used in group psychotherapy and social skills training groups. While individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may communicate by using sign language, that is not the extent of the communication skills. Using facial gestures and the whole body are intricate parts of story telling and communicationg with others. Swink(1985) reports that while psychodrama is not commonly used with deaf patients, more psychodramatists are realizing the benefits. Clients who are deaf can utilize all of their senses and creativity in a safe environment to try out new roles and skills. The basic outline of a psychodramatic therapy session requires only a conflict, the group, the psychodramatist and some kind of staging area. A real life situation that the group decides on , such as a problem with a loved one or a boss, becomes the theme of the psychodrama. One member of the group, or several members, are called the protagonist and focus on the situation. Other group members, called auxiliary egos, play other roles relevant to the situation. These other roles may be the protagonist's relative, friend or even an aspect of the individual's inner self. The trained psychodramatist is called the director and directs the action by setting up the scene and may make suggestions as to how to make the scene more direct or intense. The group members are essential in a psychodrama and members are expected to participate in some way during the session. Group members who do not physically participate are required to show empathy for the protagonist.

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