PSYCHODRAMA

T.NITHIYANANDAM.,
Asst. Lecturer
KGNC

DEFINITION
Psychodrama is an action technique in group
therapy which allows clients to explore their
problems through role playing and other
dramatic devices to gain behavioral skills and
Insights.
(Or)
Psychodrama is a Therapeutic Discipline, which
uses Action methods, Sociometry, Role Training,
& Group Dynamics to Facilitate Constructive
change in the Lives Of Participants.

CREATION OF
PSYCHODRAMA
¤ Created in the 1930’s by J.L. Moreno and Further
Developed by his wife Ezra Toméan Moreno and
other followers.
¤ Role playing is an example of a psycho dramatic
method.
¤ The key feature of psychodrama is that it
provides an opportunity to try new solutions
and reactions to a given scenario. It is practice
for real life situations and to try new roles.
¤ This method helps promote creativity, problem
solving, communication, and self-awareness.

AIM OF PSYCHODRAMA
To Develop Greater Awareness to Patient about
his thought, feelings, Actions & of how they
Affect Others.

CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES
Creativity: Moreno believed that an essential feature
of therapy is to facilitate the clients creativity in
exploring themselves and discovering new coping skills
for life.
Spontaneity: The best way to encourage creativity is
through spontaneous exploratory activities. Moreno
sought to implement activities which fostered the
courage to improvise.
Working in the present moment: An important
element of psycho drama is to reinvent previously
experienced events and learn new reactions through
role playing.

Encounter: Group members must connect with
one another in a meaningful and genuine
manner.
Tele: Moreno referred to this as “the cement
which holds groups together.” Similar to the
concept of rapport.
Surplus Reality: Re-enactments of the clients
psychological world without the constraints of
reality.

Catharsis and Insight: Catharsis is the release
of emotions during psychodrama. Insights are
the cognitive shifts in awareness that are
produced by the catharsis.
Reality Testing: The testing of behaviors in
scenarios that would potentially not be
socially acceptable in a safe environment.
Role Theory: Moreno’s idea that we are all
actors engaging in improvisation in daily life
on the “stage of life.”

ADVANTAGES
 It Helps the Patient to define his Problem Clearly
 To Explore the Patient’s adaptive & maladaptive
Coping Responses to his Problem.
 To Identity Misperceptions, Unrealistic Goals, &
Distortions of Reality.

INDICATIONS
Advocates of this Method have Reported
Success with Treating Individual Patients
Groups of Patients with marital Discord
Groups of Alcoholics
Psychodrama is used in milieu therapy as a
form of group therapy & as a Diagnostic tool in
dealing with Problems with in the Social
System of the Therapeutic Community

ROLE OF PROTAGONIST
 Protagonist / Hero / Group Leader also
referred to as the psychodrama Director, the
group leader is the producer, the facilitator
and catalyst, observer and analyzer.
 The Director’s primary responsibility is to
help engage the group in improvisation and
creating an environment where spontaneity
is encouraged.

ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN
PSYCHODRAMA
 The Protagonist - The focus of the psycho dramatic
enactment. This individual presents the problem to be
explored. Group members should feel comfortable to
decline the role of protagonist or volunteer should they
desire too.
 The Auxiliary Egos - The supporting roles, usually
portraying significant people in the protagonists life.
 The Audience - The audience is the remainder of the
group who observe the enactment.
 The Stage - Area where the enactment takes place.
 The Director
 The Producer

PHASES OF PSYCHODRAMA
It’s the Action Dimension of Psychodrama that
Makes it more Effective than the more Passive
Modality of the Focus Group.
Classic psychodrama involves a series of phases
termed
 Warm-up
 Shaping & Presentation
 Sharing & Discussion

PHASE – I
WARM UP
Initial activities to build
group trust and
coherence.
For example : The group
leader may introduce the
purpose of the role-plays
and then interview each
group member about
potential scenarios that
they may wish to explore
through a dramatic
experience.
The goal is to foster
spontaneity and a
willingness to try new
behaviors and a sense of
playfulness.

PHASE – II
SHAPING & PRESENTATION
 The Action phase is engaging
the role-play scenario.
 The goal is to bring
awareness to feelings or
attitudes the scenario elicits
that perhaps the protagonist
was not previously aware of.
 Important to avoid
commentaries and instead
have the protagonist engage
in alternative responses to a
given scenario.

PHASE- III
SHARING & DISSCUSSING
Group members should
discuss how the enactment
affected them and avoid
analyzing the protagonist or
offering advice.
Sharing with the group
leads to bonding and a
sense that one is “not
alone”.
It takes courage to share so
the protagonist deserves to
be honored.

PSYCHODRAMA TECHNIQUES
Self-presentation: The protagonist introduces the
situation to be enacted.
Role Reversal: The protagonist plays the role of
someone other than themselves in their chosen
scenario. Considered one of the most powerful
tools in psychodrama.
Double: An auxiliary character plays the part of
the protagonists inner self.
Soliloquy: Protagonist imagines themselves in a
place where they are free to vocalize their
thoughts.

The Empty Chair: Jacob Moreno originated this
technique which was later adopted by the
Gestalt movement.
Mirror Technique: Aimed at fostering self-
reflection. Another member mirrors the actions
and gestures of the protagonist.
Future Projection: Enactments designed to help
group members work out future scenarios
about which they have concerns.
Role Training: A new reaction being tested by a
protagonist in order to experience how it feels
to act out a new behavior.

The Magic Shop: A warm-up technique in
which the participant imagines themselves in a
shop full of jars which contain different
personality traits. The participant then
expresses these qualities and then exchange
them for another.
Replay: Trying a scenario again.

PSYCHODRAMA AND GROUP
WORK IN SCHOOLS
Role-playing can be useful in schools and help
students to gain perspective and a way to
integrate emotions and creativity.
Some techniques in classical psychodrama are
too intense for children, adolescents, or a
school setting.
Role-reversal can help build empathy and is
an appropriate technique to employ with this
age group.

PSYCHODRAMA AND
MULTICULTURAL POPULATIONS
If English is not a participants native language the
participant is encouraged to speak in their native
language as this allows them to more fully
experience their emotions.
Afterwards the participant can summarize some
of their experience for the rest of the group.
If a group member is not comfortable with self
disclosure many of the techniques in
psychodrama would not be appropriate but there
is much to be gained as an audience member
observing the enactments of others.

EVALUATION OF
PSYCHODRAMA
Contributions and Strengths: Action oriented
approaches allows participants to experience a
given scenario in a mode other than simply
talking about it. Allows participants to see and
discover alternate ways of dealing with those
around them.
Integration with other Theories: Many of these
techniques can be employed and provide rich
material. For example Gestalt therapy
successfully incorporates the empty chair
technique.

Limitations: Group leaders must take caution
when dealing with a participant who has
significant disturbances and must consider the
safety of other group members. Has limited
value for participants who are very
uncomfortable with sharing and acting out
scenarios. These techniques may not be
appropriate for those with social anxieties or
reserved personalities.
Group leaders should have received training as
a safeguard for practicing these techniques.

NURSES RESPONSIBILITY
Coordinate the patients.
Throughout the therapy supervise the
patients.
Health Educate the patient.
Clarifies the patients doubts.
Motivate to perform the psychodrama in a
well manner.

PSYCHODRAMA

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