What is Psychodrama?

Psychodrama uses drama to facilitate people’s growth and change in counseling. It uses monologues, role-plays, and dramatic presentations. Counselors can use it in individual or group counseling but typically use it in groups.

Psychodrama usually involves three stages: warm-up, action, and sharing. During the warm-up stage, a counselor has group members engage in introductions to get to know one another and build trust and safety. The action stage involves having one individual act out a scene from their life. This scene could be a particularly distressing memory, a time they felt a certain way, or an event that significantly impacted them and their mental health. Group members play active parts within the scene to help facilitate action. Finally, the sharing stage involves the counselor helping the individual process what happened during the action stage.

Psychodrama can be helpful for individuals experiencing grief, mood disorders, emotional problems, or trauma.

The techniques used can assist individuals in gaining a deeper understanding of themselves. It can help people develop social skills, self-confidence, and feelings of safety.

Ultimately, the goal of Psychodrama is to help people process emotions that result from life experiences.