Drama Within Psychodrama and Experiential Therapy

Introduction It is through direct experience that we come to know ourselves. It is through full engagement in life that all our senses, feelings and thoughts come into play. Doing is knowing but from the point of view of how information is stored by the brain, all our life is a classroom. Often it is the emotional content of a given event or teaching that determines the impact of a particular learning experience. Early learning forms the basis for later learning. What we accept as true about ourselves early in life becomes the foundation upon which we build the beliefs about ourselves that we carry into adolescence and adulthood. What we are told about ourselves while we are young, either through verbal messages or the emotional atmosphere, tends to form the beginnings of our own personal mythology. The brain stores memories in clusters called cell assemblies, as interconnected or associated events. The activity of learning actually builds up and pares down cells, leaving a biological trail through the brain: in a period of from five to ten seconds, an event of one-half second has produced a structural or physical change in the brain. Not surprisingly, rich memories it can also work on the social, family and private rituals that connect the deeper self with the social self, the soul with the body. Such moments of transition, validation, bonding and deep connection are rites of passage we seek a feeling of connectedness through mood-altering substances or through the brain-chemical high of compulsive behavior. Eventually, we may experience a spiritual crisis in which we lose our inner sense of being a part of something larger than ourselves. Rituals in longstanding cultures are, in some sense, scripted psychodramatic events. We can use psychodrama in a similar way to ritualize or concretize an important passage, event or stage by naming it, setting the scene and moving through it in the way that we need to have it in order to mark the situation. What You Will Find In This Book Psychodrama is one of the most flexible and adaptable treatment modalities in use today. The Drama Within makes psychodramatic theory and technique easily accessible to the therapist working experientially because it is simply laid out to help you adapt action techniques to your particular needs. You will find information, both instructive and cautionary, to help you direct psychodramas that are effective and safe. Part I, Understanding Psychodrama, explores the history and theory of psychodramaand#151how it came to be, why it works. In Part II, Drama Games, you will learn step-by-step methods to safely structure drama games for a wide variety of clients and situations. Part III, Psychodrama In The Treatment Of Trauma And Addiction, addresses these issues directly and explores the growing use of experiential methods in the addictions field. The Glossary in the back of the book will help you become familiar with the terms used in this book. I have tDayton, Tian is the author of 'Drama Within Psychodrama and Experiential Therapy' with ISBN 9781558742963 and ISBN 1558742964.