Psychodrama works because it gets people moving, talking, and involved in their treatment. Groups meet use drama to act out scenarios and work through problems.
Many people have never heard of psychodrama therapy; it wasn’t until I started on my career path that I was first exposed to it. It is a new form of psychotherapy treatment and aims to build self-worth and strengthen relationships.
Programs can be held for 2-5 days, and even weekly for several months. It helps individuals find themselves as it answers life questions of “Who am I?” and “What next?” There are many therapeutic benefits to psychodrama. Here are 12 reasons psychodrama works.
1. Teaches Problem Solving
Acting out future or past situations with others can help you solve problems together. You will have the opportunity to help other people answer questions beyond your own.
2. Opens Perspective on Situations
We all see the world differently. When you experience a situation together, everyone is going to have a different story to tell. A fresh view might be the one thing you need to understand parts of your life.
3. Prepares for Future Settings
Acting out scenarios is a way to prepare you for future situations by providing the tools needed to successfully conquer it.
4. Makes it Easier to Discuss the Past
I often wonder how I could ever explain my past. There are so many layers to my story that words are not always enough. Psychodrama therapy goes beyond words. It allows you to share the past in an entirely different way, and that makes it so much easier.
5. Allows You to Re-examine the Past
The past can be painful, but we often have to return to it to move forward in life. Re-examining the past can be a healing experience that will open your eyes to a different view.
6. Creates Several Scenarios for Present Choices
In the early years of recovery, I often asked myself, “What now?” and “Where do I go from here?” You can take your questions to psychodrama therapy, and everyone can act out several scenarios. As you watch the situations played out in front of you, you can decide what to do next.
7. Boosts Self-Esteem
Recovering from an addiction means starting over. You struggle to put the pieces of your life back together, and self-esteem is often the first thing to go. Working with others, building relationships, and healing wounds are ways psychodrama therapy repairs damaged self-esteem.
8. Gets Patients Involved in Their Own Therapy
You literally get to work through your problems and struggles; you are in control of the story.
9. Creates a Safe Environment to Work through Problems
Psychodrama therapy is a safe place to express yourself through movement, words, and emotions. At first it will feel awkward, but as you watch others perform, you will begin to get comfortable with who you are and who the people are around you.
10. Connects People Together
Life experiences bond humans together, and performing situations is a way to create memories.
11. Helps Patients Understand Each other on a Deeper Level
When someone shares a story with you, you imagine it in your mind, but what if you could live it? As you act out the parts of someone else’s life, you get to see how it played out.
12. Is an Entertaining Way to Bring Experiences to Life
Psychodrama therapy is fun. It gets your body moving, your emotions flowing, and your brain working hard. You will cry, laugh, and feel angry, and at the end you will be happy you came. You will look forward to the days you get to act, develop friendships, and answer life questions in a creative way. Psychodrama therapy is a way to heal, feel, and grow as an individual.