Drama therapy

techniques

Prathiksha.s
2nd msc psychology
 Metaphor through action

● Behaviors, problems, and emotions can be represented

metaphorically

● Allowing for symbolic understanding

● Certain set of behaviors looked as a “role,” such as the role of

mother, victim, student, or hero.

● These roles can be played out in a dramatic situation, leading

to a greater understanding of the role as helpful or harmful,
safe or dangerous.
 Concrete embodiment

● Abstract to become concrete through the body.

● Acting out an idea or an experience allows it to
become “more real” so it can dealt
● It can be through feeling rather than only through
thought.
● Embodiment allows clients to “experience” or “re-
experience” in order to learn, to practice new
behaviors, or to experiment with how to change old
behaviors.
● This is particularly important for clients who are
kinesthetic or visual learners.
 Distancing

● Projection of yourself into a situation but still

protecting yourself, playing a rote or character
similar, to you but not you

● Ex : pretending to be great abandoned in the

forest allows the client to explore and express the
feelings of being punished or emotionally
abandoned
 Dramatic projection

● Projection involves the placing

of aspects of ourselves or our
feelings into other people or
things.

● Usually it is an unconscious
process, aspects of projection
are present in our everyday life.
Transitional Space/Play

● It is the imaginary world that is created when we play or

imagine together in a safe, trusting environment.

● It is a timeless space in which anything we can imagine can exist.

● It is created jointly by the therapist and the clients playing

together and believing in the possible.
 Incorporating the other Arts

● Drama therapists use music, movement, song,

dance, poetry, writing, drawing, sculpture,
mask making, puppetry, and other arts with
their drama therapy activities.

● This is one reason drama therapists are

required to have training in the other creative
arts therapies
Thankyou !