psychodrama
Psychodrama can sound like a strange word...so what does it mean ?
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psycho - refers to the mind as in psychological. For some it may also refer to the soul and spirit as in psyche. It does not mean a ‘disturbed’ mind, rather it refers to any state of mind.
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drama - refers to an emotional event or a set of circumstances. However, the drama in psychodrama is not fictional. Nor does it refer to a person who seeks out drama or who behaves in some way that is out of control. Rather it comes from the real lived experiences of each person.
Psychodrama Psychotherapy is not a performance then or acting of any kind. It is an exploration of real life situations and the 'drama' being explored lies in the true joy and despair of our lives.
It uses creative action as a way of exploring our interpersonal relations and inner worlds. The participants in Psychodrama, whether it is one-to-one or in a group, are "active agents ... working to change their lives" (Casson, 2004).
Psychodrama is an accredited psychotherapy
with the UKCP and similar bodies in over 100 countries all around the world and has been developed over the past 80 years.
CREATIVE ACTION
The images on this page show some of the ways in which creative action uses objects and chairs to symbolize aspects of a person and/or others in their life. Please note that these images are representative of psychodrama sessions and do not show confidential work.
Using objects and a miniature theatre in indivudual therapy to explore a parent-child relationship
Mapping out a life situation in a psychodrama group,using fabrics and objects
LIFE-STORIES
We are all familiar with the way in which our experiences with others become woven into the unique story we know about our life.The word story is not used here to mean that it is made up or fanciful, rather it refers to the inner and shared narratives we each have about our own unique felt sense of our life.
The story we weave through sharing our lives, dreaming and memory helps us to make sense of who we are and to find meaning in all that happens to us and those we love.
In Psychodrama it is possible to explore life situations by symbolizing the different inner experiences of a person and others in their life through the use of objects such as fabrics, stones, figures and cards. When in a group, the group members can take the role of these aspects of self or others so that the person can interact with them..This process enables the person to interact more fully and spontaneously with the different aspects of self and facilitates a compassionate and whole experience of themselves.
