This article was written by Shannon McKenna, one of Inner Movement’s founding members.
Psychodrama is a group-based Creative Arts Therapy modality that uses guided dramatic scenes to explore the questions of life.
The modality sits at the crossroads of theatre and therapy, as it uses theatrical elements to work through current issues, past memories, and inner conflicts under the care of a trained facilitator. Because psychodrama has a highly structured approach and a high standard for training facilitators, no previous theatre experience is necessary for someone to participate.
A typical psychodrama session has three phases:
- Warm-Up: The session begins with activities, some like those of an improv class, that create a sense of safety and playfulness in the group.
- The Drama: Through a specific structured process, one group member volunteers and is chosen to explore meaningful material in their life as the protagonist. The facilitator functions as the director and leads the protagonist and other group members, who take roles such as family or parts of self, through a scene.
- Reflection: The sessions end with the group members reflecting on the drama and making connections to their own lives.
Psychodrama sessions can only be practiced by a trained and certified facilitator.
However, many of the techniques used in psychodrama have been adopted by other therapies. For example, gestalt therapy creator Fritz Perls adopted the “empty chair” technique while developing his practice. The study and mapping of group dynamics has also informed adjacent fields such as couples and family therapy and social work.
