Psychological problems such as depression, insomnia, behavioral problems, etc. are major concerns in today’s stressful world. While there are several treatments involving drugs to control these problems there are also high risks of several side effects. Currently, psychotherapy is an emerging treatment technique for mental or emotional disorders. As of today, there are as many as 400 types of psychotherapies.
However, today psychologists have formulated “a combination of therapies which is a mixture of metaphysics, religion and pseudoscientific “insights.” As a result of several combinations and their success rates, there are still controversies and disagreements over what constitutes successful therapy (Carroll, 2007). This paper intends to discuss the techniques of psychodrama which is one of the most common psychotherapies used today.
Psychodrama is a form of therapy that makes use of dramatic action, real-life situations, problems, concerns, wishes and dreams, and the highest aspirations of people, groups, systems, and organizations. It was developed by Jacob L. Moreno in the 1930s. Psychodrama is gaining much popularity and is expanding significantly. As of now, there are more than 12,000 professionals around the world who are practicing psychodrama successfully. Additionally, there are more than 20 psychodrama organizations around the world and a number of these organizations bring out various aspects of their research in various journals.
Most of the psychotherapies are backed up by various theories and are the same in the case of psychodrama. It has a strong supporting theory of personality and a conception of human nature (Blatner, 2007). This therapy in general it is used as a group work method wherein each person in the group may become a therapeutic agent for each other.
As the name suggests psychodrama has strong elements of theater, which is mostly done on a stage where props can be used and the audience participate with the dramatic action. The leading actor is called the protagonist. The auxiliary is the third basic element in psychodrama after the director and the protagonist portrays a family member, friend, or some other person. In fact, Gestalt therapy makes use of psychodrama in the form of monodrama, in the absence of auxiliaries (Blatner, 2007). The main role of the audience is playing some roles of the drama which aids the protagonist.
Psychodrama’s prime function is to generate some spontaneity in a significant and functional manner. In fact, it is suggested by many who practice psychodrama that it is only through generating this kind of spontaneity any system or organization can bring in creative, and develop new solutions to various problems. One of the main people involved in such a play is a psychodrama director who is a well-trained person (The American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, 2008).
Psychodramatic methods are best appreciated as being a complex of principles and procedures that are engraved in a larger, eclectic technique to psychotherapy, and not as a stand-alone system capable of managing all the phases of diagnosis and treatment. In reality, it can be said that no single approach to psychotherapy is capable of providing a complete solution to a problem. Most therapists are going ahead with the eclectic, integrative, or multimodal approach that has become the emerging trend (Corsini, 2000).
In brief, it can be said that psychodrama provides an experiential approach for understanding how to put together the best insights of psychology into life. There exist mental flexibility that comes with the ability to take roles, shift roles, and more by design produce long-lasting role relationships. Once individuals learn to identify and respond to a greater range of possibilities, they evolve to a new type and level of consciousness.
This can be explained more clearly using an example. If a person approaches a psychotherapist with a prolonged case of depression, the first step is to completely understand the person’s case history. Based on his requirement the therapist formulates a drama where he involves many other people to play different roles including the patient. It is through the play the patient learns to handle different problems in real-life situations. While these techniques have helped several people to overcome psychological problems, it has been proven that it is not possible to say which technique is the best applicable to a person. A combination of various therapies may be required for different patients with different needs.
Reference
Blatner, A. (2007) Psychodrama, In: Current Psychotherapies, 6th edition, Wadsworth Publishing.
Carroll, R.T. (2007) (New Age) psychotherapies. Web.
Corsini, R.J. and Wedding, D. (2000) Current Psychotherapies, 6th edition, Wadsworth Publishing.
The American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, (2008) Psychodrama. Web.