Psychodrama as training for sensory communication. Forms, types and techniques of psychodrama in narcology

The psychodrama method is widely used in addiction medicine and psychiatry, as it is an excellent tool for searching, understanding, analyzing personal problems and creating ways to solve them.

Psychodrama by Jacob Moreno - what is it?

Jacob Moreno (1889-1974) was a physician who specialized in group psychotherapy. He is famous for having invented a new method of psychological counseling and treatment - psychodrama. Psychodrama dates back to 1921, when Dr. Moreno first presented a theatrical production with the participation of guest actors. After the initial failure of the production, the doctor continued in-depth study and improvement of the new method, founded an entire institute in the USA for the implementation of psychodrama and received a patent for the invention.

Having moved to America, Jacob Moreno began to open centers for the treatment of people with various psychological difficulties and diseases, uniting them in groups and recording “lessons” on tape. The doctor had many students, so over the last century the method of psychodrama has spread widely throughout the world, and in our time it is used on all continents without exception. Congresses and conferences of Moreno's followers are regularly held, books and scientific articles on the method of psychodrama are published. So what is it, what is the essence of the method?

Classical psychodrama is a group therapeutic therapy, the main tool of which is dramatic improvisation. This helps to study in detail what is going on in a person’s soul, to understand what the prerequisites for certain problems are.

Any person lives in a society, so it is in a group that many of his problems can be solved. Jacob Moreno was not satisfied with the patient’s usual visit to a psychotherapist and a calm narrative about his difficulties: only the active participation of the person, his loved ones, family and friends, and the recreation of life situations will help him understand himself and understand where the “root of evil” is hidden.

In contrast to the classical psychodrama invented by Dr. Moreno, now there is such a variety as monodrama, or individual work with the patient to reveal his potential and increase the craving for adequate worldview and behavior. And yet, group therapy is more often used, which for many decades has allowed people with psychological difficulties to heal.
On the video about what psychodrama is:

Who will it help?

Psychodrama is actively used in treatment:

Corrections of deviations in behavior (deviant behavior);
Neuroses and psychopathy of borderline forms (not requiring more active intervention).

Forms, types and techniques of psychodrama in narcology

As already mentioned, there are two types of psychodrama - classical (group) and individual, or monodrama. As a rule, for drug addicts and people suffering from alcoholism, a group method is used with a group size of 6-9 people. In a smaller group there will be too few spectators; in a smaller group it is too difficult for the director to track different individual reactions.

All group participants must be heterogeneous in experience, gender, abilities, etc., but classes are also allowed in a homogeneous group (for example, among alcoholics with approximately the same life history).

The group can be:

Open – The goal is for each participant to gain independence at a fast pace.
Closed – participants act more unitedly, using a collective approach.

There are such forms of psychodrama:

Protagonist centered. The method is focused on the main character, who is helped by the director, presenter, and partners to show a real situation from his own life (or a fictional situation). The result is re-experiencing and awareness of the problem.
Topic centered. It is usually used in a newly created group, where a problem (topic) that is relevant to everyone is selected, which is played out individually by each participant (often used among alcoholics).
Directed towards a group. The main “actor” describes a situation that is relevant to all members of the group. An example is a group of drug addicts who stole money from home or lost their jobs because of their addiction.
Group centered. Group members sort out relationships and common difficulties among themselves.

The main techniques used in psychodrama are:

Monologue, or self-presentation. This is the simplest technique, which is composed of a series of role-playing actions, where the protagonist portrays himself or another person. He is the only participant trying to convey to the audience his problem and point of view on it.
Double. The protagonist is joined by an understudy who follows the monologue and helps solve the problem as soon as the protagonist runs out of thoughts and speaks about the unsaid. The double represents the inner voice of the protagonist, his subpersonality.
Exchange of roles. In psychodrama, this technique is very important; it allows you to see yourself from the outside and learn to understand other people.
Image or mirror. The protagonist watches how other members of the group try to portray him, seeing themselves through the eyes of other people.

Thus, psychodrama uses some techniques that are inherent in other methods of group psychotherapy for alcoholism and drug addiction (in particular, the 12 steps), but there are also unique techniques.
On the video of psychodrama techniques:

Basic elements

The whole group, according to Moreno, is an open system, a whole organism. To measure events occurring in a group, the concept of “sociometry” was introduced, which reflects the search for a partner or several partners in a group suitable for analyzing a particular situation. Sociometry is the basis, the basis of work in psychodrama, like some of its other basic elements:

Roles, role-playing games. In psychodrama, unlike a regular theatrical production, there is no set plot; it is created by the group members along the way. This brings the psychodrama technique as close as possible to life itself. Patients choose all roles themselves, and the therapist helps them and praises them.
Spontaneity. All reactions of people in a group are unintentional, unpredictable. Initially, many participants in the performance may be complex, as they are afraid of that very spontaneity in feelings and emotions. But after gaining freedom of expression, they will quickly get rid of their addiction.
Tele. The concept was taken from Freud, or rather combines two Freudian terms (transference, countertransference). Together, the result is a kind of empathy by the doctor for the feelings, the state of the addict, as well as taking emotions “personally” between all group members.
Catharsis. According to the translation from Greek, this word means purification through suffering. In psychodrama, catharsis is the experience of a problem and subsequent healing that the main participants of the group undergo during a theatrical performance
Insight. It means a sharp understanding of the problem, a sudden change of view, which will help get rid of the existing problem.

Stages of conducting classes

In the psychodrama method there are four main periods, following each other. The steps for carrying out the action are described below.

Distribution of roles, or preparation

At this stage, the psychotherapist distributes roles and selects types. An important goal is to create a better atmosphere and start work in the right, optimal direction, as well as maintain the good mood of the group members until the very end of the performance and stimulate improvisation.

Warm-up, warm-up

The protagonist enters the “stage”, the necessary material for discussion is given, and a preliminary assessment of the problem occurs.

Warming up includes three substages:

Liberation of group members;
Increased spontaneity in actions;
Focusing opinions and thoughts on a specific issue.

During the warm-up phase, addicts perform some exercises that will help them perform their roles better in the future. Auxiliary techniques for achieving warm-up goals can be improvisation, living sculptures, etc.

Psychodramatic action

A group member talks about a situation that worries him (for example, a family quarrel over drug addiction). This will be the central plot in the upcoming action. The narrator speaks in detail about the situation and its participants. Next, group members act out the action of the psychodrama, working through real situations and words. It is here that the basic techniques of psychodrama are used - monologue, double and others.

Discussion

At the final stage, group members analyze the “performance” they have just completed. Initially, the audience speaks out - those who did not take part in the drama. Then the protagonist and other members of the “troupe” talk about feelings and emotions. The psychotherapist concludes the discussion with his vision of the situation.

Basic exercises from the course

Typically, the duration of a general psychodrama session for addicts (drug addiction, alcoholism) is about 50 minutes, but real meetings can be longer or shorter in time. The approximate time frame is from 15 minutes to 4 hours, while the duration of individual exercises is not regulated.

The following exercises (examples) can be used within the steps described above:

Empty chair. The protagonist interacts with the antagonist, periodically changing roles with him, while sitting on a chair that rises above other people to realize strength and significance.
Personification. A person endows himself with qualities that he lacks and tries to act out the situation with new personal characteristics.
Return to the past. Pictures from the past are recreated during the performance, and then analyzed in detail by the participants. The “step into the future” exercise can be done similarly.
Talking behind your back. The protagonist sits on a chair with his back to the others and listens as they discuss him.

One of the most effective and interesting methods of group psychotherapy is psychodrama. Many people mistakenly believe that this technique is akin to a theater lesson, however, this is not entirely true. Psychodrama is a role-playing of significant events, during which the necessary conditions are created for the spontaneous expression of feelings. The term "psychodrama" is derived from two Greek words psyche - soul and drama - action.

Psychodrama, as a method of psychotherapy, is built on the study and analysis of actions under the guidance of an experienced psychotherapist to solve a wide range of psychological problems, both in adults and children.

The foundations of psychodrama were laid by Jacob Moreno in the 20s of the 20th century. What positively distinguishes this method from classical psychotherapy is that it is much more effective in helping people who have difficulty describing their feelings and emotions to open up.

The purpose of psychodrama is to work out both the internal problems of the individual and his relationship with the social environment (sociodrama). An interesting fact is that from the very beginning, psychodrama and sociodrama were successfully used by teachers to solve problems in children's groups, which confirmed the safety and wide possibilities of the methodology - from developing creative abilities to resolving complex internal emotional conflicts.

Methods of psychoanalytic psychodrama

As a result of the role-playing game of psychodrama, spontaneous disclosure of the deep feelings of the participants occurs to a much greater extent than when using other methods of psychotherapy.

Psychodrama methods combine perfectly with other techniques and enhance their effect.

Group psychodrama- group members jointly choose a hero (protagonist) and a topic that is relevant to everyone. Then the hero plays out the situation with the involvement of other participants in the roles of both himself and important people from his reference environment. After acting out the situation, participants give emotional responses, share their impressions and discoveries. It is important to note that this process is not a judgment of the participants' actions, but rather allows them to reveal their own feelings. Considering the importance of this stage, group psychodrama in Moscow at the Alliance Central Medical Center is carried out only by highly qualified specialists.
Individual psychodrama- or, as it is also called, “monodrama” is a type of individual psychotherapy. This technique is also used in other therapeutic approaches, such as Gestalt therapy. Gestalt and psychodrama are the most effective and popular techniques, successfully practiced by specialists at our center.

Principles of psychodrama

roles and role-playing games(participants choose the most important and relevant topic for everyone and distribute roles);
spontaneity (psychodrama always follows an unintentional and unspecified scenario);
body (the process of perceiving what is happening between all participants in the process);
catharsis and insight(the patient’s awareness of his problem through the experiences of all participants).

Psychodrama, unlike theater, always takes place without a pre-planned script, and it is this emerging spontaneity that helps many patients as a result of psychodrama psychotherapy, including getting rid of internal pressures and the neuroses caused by them.

Child psychodrama is also becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of neurotic disorders in children, as well as for the development of creativity and social skills.

Techniques for conducting psychodrama

Psychodrama is a unique tool because it includes a huge number of techniques developed for a wide variety of situations. The basic techniques of psychodrama were described in detail by the wife of Jacob Moreno.

There are also key techniques that are suitable for most situations, which can be combined and adjusted by experienced specialists of the Alliance Center for the specific situation of each client:

monologue technique;
self-presentation technique;
double technique.

The psychodrama procedure includes

warm-up stage (choice of topic, group mood, distribution of roles);
stage of action (in accordance with the technique recommended by the leader);
sharing stage (exchange of emotions between participants).

The psychodrama method, carried out at the Alliance Center for Medical Treatment, has an unlimited range of applications: from the formation and development of unique personal qualities to serious psychotherapeutic work in case of clinical problems. The results of work, including with family relationships, treatment of addictions, building effective social relationships, show the highest results. We are proud that we can offer our clients the best psychodrama specialists with full psychotherapeutic education.

Psychodrama is both a psychotherapeutic technique and a psychological counseling mechanism developed by Ya. Moreno. In classical psychodrama, the mechanism of dramatic improvisation is used to explore the inner life of the subject. The work of individuals who complete their own actions through theatricalization, dramatic expression and role-playing is the basis of the psychodrama method.

Psychodrama as a method of psychotherapy is used as individual practice (monodrama) and in group action. The psychodrama technique involves the use of verbal communications and non-verbal interaction. The session is based on acting out several scenes that can depict, for example, the client’s memories of certain events of the past, some unfinished situations, his dreams or fantasies, etc. Such scenes can either be close to reality, or can bring out the internal processes of the psyche. With the help of stage acting out his own moments of life, the subject gets the opportunity to acquire abilities that will be useful to him in the future.

Psychodrama method

Psychodrama is a psychotherapeutic practice that is a role-playing game. In the process of such a game, dramatic improvisation occurs, facilitating the exploration of the inner world of the subjects and creating conditions for the spontaneous expression of feelings that are closely related to the most significant problems.

Group psychodrama is based on game norms.

The concept of psychodrama as a correctional technique arose as a result of an experiment conducted by Ya. L. Moreno. This experiment was later called “spontaneous theater.” Moreno first thought about the therapeutic component of play techniques when he saw how children walking in Vienna parks acted out their own fantasies. In the course of experiments in playing out situations, Moreno noticed that spontaneity arises, creativity is produced, and true emotional contact arises, connecting the participants in the situation, the so-called catharsis, which helps individuals achieve creative activity and insight.

Group psychodrama provides the subject with the role of a hero in the game. The content of the game should focus on personality problems, which promotes the free expression of one’s own feelings in improvisations guided by the therapist. Participants in psychodrama carefully observe events and compare the actions taking place on the play stage with their own difficulties.

The goal of psychodrama is to diagnose and corrective influence on inadequate attitudes and emotional responses, their elimination, deepening self-knowledge and developing social perception.

Psychodrama helps to reveal deep-seated emotions in a much richer and more effective configuration than other techniques based on a verbal description of experience allow.

In the process of psychodrama, the individual finds effective methods for solving problems of a psychological nature at various levels: from everyday to existential. The subject, with the help of the therapist and participants, reproduces significant life events in a dramatic act, plays out scenes that are relevant to his problem situation. All scenes are played in accordance with the “here and now” principle, in other words, they do not depend on the time of occurrence of situations. The action is structured in such a way as to facilitate the specification of the problem situation. New roles, alternative reactions, and affective behavioral styles are analyzed, and more fruitful problem-solving models are searched and tested in practice. The physical actions on which psychodrama is built increase the possibility of using such a significant source of knowledge of one’s own person and others as signals of non-verbal behavior.

Psychodrama is aimed at helping those individuals who have difficulty verbally expressing feelings and life experiences. In the process of psychodrama, the subject is simultaneously the main character of the situation being played out, its creator, a researcher of himself and his own life.

Children's psychodrama is widely used in cases of deviant behavior to eliminate inadequate emotional reactions and develop social perception skills.

Types of psychodrama were proposed by A. Voltman, such as puppet dramatization and biodrama. A characteristic feature of biodrama is the distribution of animal roles among children. Voltman believed that it is easier for a child, especially in the preschool age, to play the role of some animal than to play himself, comrades or relatives. Puppet dramatization involves adults acting out in front of a child states or conflict situations that are significant to him through a puppet show. Puppet dramatizations are recommended for use with children with whom communication is difficult and who are in the preschool and preschool age periods.

There are other types of psychodrama. For example, one of the individuals participating in a group therapy session dramatizes or talks about life events. In this case, improvisation and the friendly attitude of the group play a key role.

Psychodrama methods can be used as independent psychotherapeutic techniques, but at the same time, it is more effective when used in conjunction with other therapeutic methods of group practice, for example, group discussion.

Psychodrama in psychotherapy prevents excessive rationalization, helps the subject show emotions that are difficult to express verbally, and promotes the achievement of awareness. This method, as a component of group practice, is widely used in the process of correctional work with emotional disorders, treatment of certain psychosomatic diseases, and in family psychocorrectional work.

Of great importance in psychodramatic practice is the effect of catharsis, which arises as a result of the reaction of internal conflicts revealed in the process of the psychodramatic act.

Elements of psychodrama are quite popular in other psychotherapeutic areas, for example, in Gestalt therapy or behavior-oriented therapy.

Gestalt and psychodrama are among the most prioritized and popular today. After all, they have been tested by time, have an established theoretical basis and practical basis, and are widely practiced in many countries. It is also important that the areas of use of psychodramatic methods and the Gestalt approach have practically no boundaries. They can be equally effectively used both in psychological practices and in social work. The versatility of these techniques allows them to be used in individual work with subjects and in group work, regardless of the number of participants.

Gestalt and psychodrama are not just methods of psychotherapy or a set of techniques used in trainings. Mainly, it is a way of thinking, the practice of everyday comprehension of one’s own living here and now, which contributes to the formation of personality.

The objectives of psychodrama include creative rethinking of one’s own conflicts, the formation of more advanced and adequate aspects of an individual’s self-knowledge, overcoming destructive behavioral patterns and styles of emotional response, and the development of new adequate behavioral reactions and models of emotional response.

Classic psychodrama sessions contain 5 key positions. In the first position is the protagonist, that is, the first player who portrays the hero in the psychodramatic act, the leading actor, who demonstrates his own problems. The second position is occupied by the director or facilitator. With its help, the protagonist revives his own current reality. In other words, the director is an individual who helps the client analyze his own problems, creates the right atmosphere in the group and distributes roles between participants. The third position is occupied by auxiliary selves, which are other members of the group who play secondary roles and enhance the actions of the director. The main functions of the auxiliary “I” include playing out the roles necessary for the protagonist to realize his plan, helping the protagonist understand his perception of relationships with other characters, demonstrating relationships unconscious to the protagonist, helping the protagonist in the transition from a dramatic act to real life. In the fourth position are the spectators, who are members of the group who do not directly participate in the psychodramatic act, but participate in further discussion of the situation upon completion of its performance. The scene is in fifth position. A stage is a place in a room or other space where stage action is performed.

Psychodrama Moreno

The development of group methods of psychotherapy as a separate therapeutic direction is closely connected with the name of Ya. Moreno. Psychodramatic practice has been successfully used over the past few decades in almost all European countries and the United States.

The core concepts of psychodramatic practice include: roles and various role-playing games, body, spontaneity, insight and catharsis.

It is necessary to comprehend the fundamental difference between psychodramatic practice as a method of therapy and the theatrical form of acting out role images. If in the theater absolutely all roles are distributed and painted by the author, then in psychodramatic practices they do not imply any predetermined scenario.

In psychodrama, all participants themselves recreate the scenario as the plot develops and have no idea what this may lead to. The roles participating in the scenario are chosen and shared among themselves. The therapist simply explains the main rules and, within their limits, encourages all improvisation and spontaneity.

The concept of “body” is akin to transfer (transfer) of S. Freud. By transference analysis, Freud meant one of the technical tools of the practice of psychoanalysis, through which he tried to describe the patient’s personality and identify the causes that provoke the occurrence of neurosis. And coretransference means the process of empathy () by a psychotherapist with the client’s feelings and emotional states.

Moreno, in his own method, combines under one concept “body” transference and countertransference, which characterize the mutually directed process of empathy - psychotherapist-patient and between all participants in the psychodrama. Along with this, in psychodrama, transference and countertransference are used not so much for the ability to characterize the personality of the subject, but for the purpose of therapeutic influence for his self-disclosure and victory over certain complexes and neuroses, to strengthen the group process.

By spontaneity he meant the naturalness (unintentionality) of response and perception. Many clients are too caught up in their own psychological defense mechanisms and standards of behavior. Finding such spontaneity and naturalness helps individuals effectively free themselves from their own complexes and, as a result, from neuroses. In order for individuals to gain spontaneity, the psychotherapist should only push them to act “here and now” without imposing his own scenario of role-playing game.

Catharsis in ancient Greek tragedy meant the so-called purification, illumination through suffering. In psychoanalysis, Freud used the concept of catharsis in the sense of uncovering the causes of neuroses through intense emotional disturbances and the resulting relief, that is, healing. In a psychodramatic scenario, catharsis must be experienced not only by the protagonist and all participants in a particular storyline, but also by all other individuals who do not participate in a particular situation, but are spectators. For Y. Moreno, the process of catharsis is the key task of the participants in the psychodramatic process and empathetic spectators. It has a psychotherapeutic effect on them.

The concept of insight, translated from English, means “unexpected insight” and means an unexpected understanding of the subject’s own problems or a modification of the view of one’s own person, expanding the possibilities for solving problems. Insight usually occurs due to catharsis. The atmosphere and dynamic action of psychodrama should lead subjects to catharsis, and through it, to insight.

A psychodrama session consists of explaining to the group the meaning and core tasks of psychodramatic practice, describing the stages of implementation. The practical implementation of psychodrama contains several stages and three stages of organization of the psychodrama itself.

Today, children's psychodrama is gaining particular popularity to treat their neurotic behavior. Play in psychodrama is not only a symbolic play out of conflicts, but also an active processing of experience. In psychodrama, real work is being done to overcome and resolve conflict situations. In the gameplay, kids feel and experience themselves as a creative design engineer, creator, co-creator of their own life. Psychodrama provides an opportunity for children to be “born again,” as it were, into a more satisfying life.
Children's psychodrama is focused on the creation of a creative and natural personality, so it is not limited to the elimination of disorders, it sees its own key task in promoting the development of an expressive, creative personality. Children's psychodrama serves to stimulate and support spontaneity, naturalness and creative activity in children.

Psychodrama techniques

Today there is an entire institute of psychodrama, the purpose of which is to assist in the development and application of various techniques and tools of psychodrama in various fields of activity, for example, in psychotherapy or education. Therefore, psychodramatic practice is characterized by significant technical equipment. Most techniques were developed and put into practice in one specific situation. However, there are also universal techniques that do not depend on the content of the problem situation.

As a rule, at the beginning of work, the technique of introducing yourself is used. It allows the subject to introduce himself or portray significant personalities in short scenes. This technique can be performed in a monologue or in the form of an interview. The presentation in it is aimed at providing information about the true behavior of the subject, and not about his fantasies regarding himself. In this case, the subject himself decides what information to provide, which contributes to a feeling of security. Entering into a psychodramatic act through this technique increases the warm-up effect and provides the opportunity to concentrate on the problem.

The technique of playing a role involves recognizing and being in the role. Mainly, it is performed by the auxiliary “I”, assisting the protagonist in setting up a plot from his own life.

The double technique involves the auxiliary “I” playing the role of the protagonist. In this case, the “double” is recommended to be located behind and slightly to the side of the protagonist. At the beginning of the process, he should try to become a kind of shadow of the protagonist and, with the help of movements and manner of speaking, gets used to the state of the protagonist. At the same time, the auxiliary “I” receives feedback from the protagonist, is guided by it and adjusts its own behavior accordingly. After this, the “double” tries to deepen his own understanding and express a meaningful aspect that is not demonstrated by the protagonist. The prototype, in turn, can either accept the proposed variation or ignore it. He may also disagree and express disagreement in a calm manner or with violent emotional reactions. At the end of this technique, the remaining participants connect to discuss the actions of the “double”.

In many modern countries, the Institute of Psychodrama provides the opportunity to study and apply all kinds of techniques for further use in practice.

Psychodrama training

The training involves three stages and the use of exercises.

Psychodrama exercises can set various goals: from the so-called warm-up to practicing role-playing skills. Exercises can be used to liberate participants, for example, they use elements of group gymnastics or pantomime in pairs or threes.

At the first stage, the main burden falls on the director. Here, its tasks include: achieving liberation of participants, overcoming motor tightness, encouraging, stimulating the emergence of spontaneity in non-verbal verbal manifestations of emotions, focusing the attention of participants on solving a common goal.
Psychodrama exercises help the group acquire looseness, naturalness and spontaneity. Moreover, the faster they acquire such states, the more effective the process of psychodrama will be established.

After the subjects acquire a certain amount of relaxedness, naturalness and the creation of an active creative environment as a result of a well-executed warm-up, the second stage of therapy begins - the main part of psychodramatic practice.
First, the presenter identifies the protagonist and asks him to choose a situation, topic or problem that is important to him, and to introduce everyone to the general idea of the plot that the protagonist wants to play out. The director draws the attention of the participants that the protagonist presents only the general direction, and the immediate development of actions should be spontaneous in psychodrama. After this, the protagonist needs to select partners who will be his auxiliary “I” and explain the tasks to them. Then the protagonist directly plays out the intended plot.
At the final stage of psychodrama, there is a joint discussion of the actions and analysis of the behavior of the protagonist and other participants. All participants in the process should participate in such a discussion.

Psychodrama can be considered as a method of group psychotherapy, which is a role-playing game, during which the necessary conditions are created for the spontaneous expression of emotions related to the patient’s significant problems. Psychodrama as a therapeutic psychotherapeutic method was created and developed by Moreno based on the experience of his theatrical experiment, “spontaneous theater”, the original goal of which was not related to psychotherapy and was the development and implementation of creative

human potential, his creativity in the “theater of life”. Intrapersonal and interpersonal changes achieved by participants in the “spontaneous theater” served as the basis for the further development of psychodrama as a therapeutic method.

Moreno assumed that a person has a natural ability to play and, through the use of various roles, has the opportunity to experiment with realistic and unrealistic life roles, creatively working through his own problems and conflicts. In the course of playing out situations, spontaneity, creativity, a genuine emotional connection between the participants in the situation, and catharsis arise, which contribute to the development of creative activity and the achievement of insight. All this creates a favorable basis for creative rethinking of one’s own problems and conflicts, developing a deeper and more adequate

self-understanding, overcoming unconstructive behavioral stereotypes and ways of emotional response, the formation of new, adequate behavior and new ways of emotional response.

The classic psychodrama procedure requires the following participants: protagonist, therapist, therapist assistants, and spectators. The protagonist is the patient (subject), the main performer who presents his problems, the therapist (director, conductor, facilitator) is the organizer of the role-playing game, helping the patient explore his problems. The functions are

rapport consists of organizing psychodramatic action, space, creating an atmosphere of trust, stimulating participants to spontaneity, preparing the protagonist and the entire group for role-playing (“warm-up”), identifying the patient’s problems and experiences, commenting, etc.

The process of psychodrama includes three main phases: initial or preparatory (the “warm-up” phase), the actual psychodramatic action; discussion (providing feedback and emotional exchange to the protagonist).

In the initial phase there is a selection of the protagonist, obtaining diagnostic material (information about the protagonist and the situation), a preliminary discussion of the problem and the situation itself with the protagonist, preparation of the protagonist and other participants, organization of the space and the psychodramatic action itself. In this phase, various auxiliary techniques are used: discussion, “living sculptures,” improvisation, acting out situations that do not relate to anyone personally (fairy tales, fantastic situations, etc.).

Second phase- actual acting out of a role-playing situation or psychodramatic action. During it, the patient can achieve catharsis and become aware of his true feelings, relationships, problem settings and conflicts. A number of techniques also help to facilitate these processes - “mirror”, “doubles”, “other selves”, monologue, dialogue, “building the future”, “test of reality”, etc.

Third phase- the discussion or integration phase is the final one. In this phase, the group (and supporting characters and spectators) provides the protagonist with two types of feedback: role and identification.

Role feedback is feedback “from a role.” It is provided by those group members who played auxiliary roles; they talk about their experiences and states that arose in the process of psychodramatic interaction with the protagonist, that is, about what they felt while being in the role of people significant to the protagonist.

During group psychotherapy, psychodrama can be most effectively used in combination with other methods: group discussion, psycho-gymnastics, etc. A separate group lesson can be devoted to psychodramatic enactment, but most often psychodrama naturally enters into the group discussion process, for example, a patient in a group discussion talks about her family conflicts and her own experiences and problems related to this. It should be noted that the true essence of these conflicts, as a rule, is not realized by the patient and is difficult to verbalize. In this case, the patient can be asked to play out this situation psychodramatically, choosing from among the group members auxiliary characters who will play members of his family - participants in the conflict.

Psychology knows many methods of group psychotherapy. One of them is the psychodrama method. This is a theatrical reenactment of problematic situations that helps people better understand their own personality and the characteristics of other people. At the same time, this is an excellent way to open up. Psychodrama helps a person change perception, self-perception, attitude, self-attitude, behavior. As a result, the productivity of the individual’s life and his relationships increases.

The founder of the method is American psychiatrist, psychologist, sociologist Jacob Levy Moreno. The scientist himself perceived psychodrama not only as a method of psychotherapy and creativity, but also as a separate form of art, a philosophy of life.

The theory of psychodrama is one of the most vague in psychology. The founder did not leave clear instructions, descriptions, theses, regulations, or rules. There is not even a general definition for the term "psychodrama". Attempts to study the method and structure the theory are still ongoing.

Psychodrama - role-playing, games with elements of improvisation, close to theatrical performances. The basis of the method is children's games. Psychodrama makes adults return to childhood, give free rein to their imagination, and surrender to the game. There are no restrictions in the game. There you can shout, behave cheekily or, on the contrary, be weak - after all, this is a mask, a role.

The psychodrama method is used to restore family, work, love, and friendship relationships. Psychodrama is a universal way of stabilizing and harmonizing the state of a group and its individual participants.

The structure of psychodrama

The founder of the method identified three main components of successful sociodrama: role theory, spontaneity theory, sociometry. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Role theory

In the theory of psychodrama, the role is:

habitual human behavior;
experience consisting of personal, social and cultural elements;
a form of behavior or functioning that a person adopts at a specific point in time in response to a specific situation.

People play many roles in real life. Moreno divided them into categories:

Psychosomatic: everything related to the body. For example, the role of a person eating food.
Mental: everything that determines emotions and states. For example, the role of the sufferer.
Social roles. Characterize a person’s behavior in relationships with other people.
Integrative roles. They mean everything that is on the spiritual, supra-individual level. For example, the role of a loving person, a believer, a creator.

Normally, a person plays each of these roles. Only the ratio and expression of the roles changes. But they develop gradually, along with human development. Jumps from one level to another cause personal deformations and pathologies.

Some roles are conserved and become stereotypical behavior for the individual.

Spontaneity theory

Creativity, a reaction to new conditions or a new reaction to old situations. This is an energy impulse that either comes out or is suppressed. Psychodrama teaches the constructive expression and control of spontaneity. We are talking about creativity in all its manifestations, including a creative approach to life.

Sociometry

Types of relationships from the perspective of psychodrama

The theory of psychodrama considers three types of relationships: transference, empathy, body:

Transference involves endowing another person with one’s negative, undesirable qualities. The perception of the other person in this case is inadequate.
Empathy (feeling) implies the ability to imagine oneself in the role of another person. There is a cognitive and emotional component involved. Empathy is achieved by playing the role of another. It helps to see the situation through the eyes of another person.
Body – adequate perception of each other by the participants, mutual understanding, mutual feeling. Understanding attraction or repulsion from each other.

A sign of mental health is adequate self-perception, perception of others and their relationship to a person, interaction with others based on empathy and the body.

Psychodrama practice

Psychodrama can be carried out as individual therapy, but it is better to use this method for group work.

Conditions

The optimal group size is 6-9 people. However, there are cases of successful practice in halls of up to 100 people.
It is better to make the composition of the group “motley”. At the same time, you need to be attentive to the little things, to prevent possible problems caused by large differences in age, social status or mental state. Homogeneity of composition is justified only in groups of a narrow focus, for example, for anonymous drug addicts. In other cases, heterogeneity helps to recreate the situations of society as realistically as possible.
The duration of one lesson and course is set individually, but in any case, regularity and consistency are important. When choosing a time frame, you need to remember to maintain a sense of group cohesion, the relevance of experiences from the previous session, and the ability to solve all group and individual problems. Average therapy option: meetings once a week, session length – 1.5-2 hours.
The type of group is determined individually: completely open, completely closed, with the possibility of exit, with the possibility of entry, with the impossibility of exit, with the impossibility of entry.
It is important to communicate on a first-name basis and use real names.

In addition, it is mandatory to observe two main principles of classes: confidentiality and non-judgmental judgments. Information cannot be taken outside the group; the words and actions of participants cannot be evaluated.

In the process of classes, random participants must become a single social organism. The organizer’s task is to create an atmosphere of trust, openness, and mutual assistance. In this regard, it is important to regularly study group problems, sociometry, and sociogram analysis.

Positions and elements

Classical psychodrama distinguishes 5 components: protagonist, presenter, auxiliary selves, audience, stage. Let's look at them in more detail:

The protagonist is the main subject of the lesson. The problems of this participant are dealt with first. The group member himself, who has been awarded the role of protagonist, is also an actor, director, and playwright. With the help of other participants, he reproduces personal experience, understands himself and his environment. There is only one limitation: do not exert physical influence on other participants. The rest is complete freedom of creativity.
Leader, organizer of the group. Encourages activity, guides, helps. He is a therapist, a director, and a catalyst at the same time. The leader observes, evaluates, plans, organizes games and scenes.
Auxiliary selves are the participants that the protagonist has chosen to play roles in his scenario. Auxiliary selves act as psychotherapists, mediators between the presenter and the protagonist, real or imaginary people, including projections and transferences of the protagonist. They improvise, but the direction of movement is dictated by the protagonist and presenter.
Spectators are participants who are not involved in the games. They are just watching from the sidelines.
The stage is the place where the action takes place. Again, there are no rules: a circle drawn in chalk, a semicircle of people or chairs, a real stage in the theater.

At the request of the protagonist and presenter, any decorative elements can be used: makeup, chairs, flowers, books, clothes, jewelry, etc. You can add any surroundings if the protagonist needs it to play out his problems.

Presenter's personality

The presenter is a permanent person. In some cases, two presenters are selected and agree among themselves on the distribution of work. Not every person is suitable for this role.

Requirements for the personality of the presenter:

knowledge and understanding of the theory of psychodrama, its methods;
sincerity;
openness;
masculinity, determination;
rich fantasy;
the ability to quickly and adequately respond to unforeseen situations;
vision of the group's potential, positive attitude, persistence of beliefs;
and the success of the group;
the ability to inspire, inspire;
the ability to win someone over and encourage you to tell something secret;
the ability to support, stimulate, provoke;
risk appetite.

Spontaneity and creativity lead to personal change. The presenter must possess these qualities himself and encourage spontaneity and creativity in other participants.

Phases of psychodrama

Each session has 3 components: warm-up, action, sharing:

Warming up involves creating a trusting atmosphere, exercises to unite the group, and getting participants into the mood to discuss personal problems. At this stage, group members determine what they want to talk about today.
The main part involves defining the scene and theme, the protagonist entering the stage, selecting a specific situation from recent ones, discussing expectations from the work, and the game itself.
Sharing – discussion, reflection, exchange of emotions, feelings, experiences, associations. It is important to avoid judgment and interpretation of everything that happens. At this stage, the protagonist leaves the role, gains emotional balance, and understands that he is not alone in the problem. Other participants also understand the prevalence of their difficulties. Sharing must be carried out in a circle.

The last stage contributes to additional unity of the group.

Psychodrama techniques

In the classical theory of psychodrama techniques there are three:

Duplication. Participants from among the spectators sometimes join the game and portray the alter ego of the main character. They voice suppressed thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires. The protagonist confirms or denies what was said. If he confirms, he independently repeats the words of the understudy.
Mirror. The protagonist becomes an observer, and another participant from the secondary selves is chosen to take his role. He copies the behavior, speech, facial expressions, gestures, and poses of the protagonist. With the permission or on the initiative of the presenter, he focuses attention on some features of the protagonist. He, in turn, has the opportunity to look at himself from the outside, independently understand problems and mistakes.
Exchange of roles. For a while, the protagonist switches roles with one of the auxiliary selves. You can change more than once. This helps the protagonist feel the other person, see the world through his eyes and understand his attitude.

These are just basic techniques. In modern practice there are many more of them, and a combination of methods is allowed. Each technique has its own characteristics and contraindications. A person who has the appropriate education and is well versed in theory and practice has the right to use psychodrama.

Afterword

The psychodrama method is one of the fading methods. It is being used less and less. Perhaps the fact is that psychodrama requires not only extensive professional knowledge and rich experience, but also highly developed intuition, creativity, spontaneity, and imagination.