Psychodrama, Psychotherapy and the Holistic Approach
Psychodrama, psychotherapy and the holistic approach
by Karen Carnabucci
artwork by Susan Aaron
The philosophy of psychodrama entails a view of people as capable of a magnificent creative process, a celebration of scores of roles. -Adam Blatner, MD
What is the holistic approach?
One of the greatest illusions is that the human is a vehicle that can be repaired by specialized mechanics.
But we are not machines. We are highly complex and fluid beings affected by ancestral and genetic heritage, patterns of thinking, trauma, family dynamics, food and mealtime habits, social associations, toxic substances and cultural mandates as well as the mysteries of life that we can’t explain.
As a broadly descriptive term, the holistic approach views the person as a whole person of ”mind, body, spirit” rather than a collection of symptoms or a single role. Psychodrama and its related action methods recognize these complexities and work with them in psychotherapy.
By seeing the person as a multi-dimensional being who is living in a multi-dimensional world, we are able to attend to his or her many parts of self “ the physical, cognitive, spiritual and emotional“ so that the person, rather than the symptoms that show imbalance in the person, is given attention.
With psychodrama, we are able to embody and experience our relationship with the “other“ whether the other is a part of our selves or a person, place or thing. With psychodrama, we can talk directly to our mother, father, sibling, lover, boss or neighbor rather than talk about them. We can time travel to the past and say what we did not say and do what we could not do the first time around. We can revisit the past and improvise new endings to painful situations, and we can imagine a new future by stepping into one or more possibilities.
The newest of neurobiology research tells us we are changed by experience. So, as we consciously experience these new dimensions of life with the help of the psychodrama director, we not only appreciate the exquisite design of the self but also touch its innate healing ability.
The holistic approach and psychodrama emphasize partnership with the person in the healing process, and the person takes active responsibility for co-creating personal growth. In fact, co-creation and collaboration have been the bywords of Dr. J.L. Moreno, the man who first developed psychodrama, long before such language became in vogue in today’s treatment discussions.
In the 21st century, we observe a growing interest in complementary healing methods. People, particularly those who have experienced unpleasant side effects from medications for depression and anxiety, want to learn about alternatives. Others, who are aware that traditional talk psychotherapy has both advantages and limits, are seeking choices that recognize the analytical side of the brain while delving in to the complexities of the whole of the human being.
A way of being
The holistic approach is a way of being. Choice-making skills learned in the psychodramatic group can be employed in the world at large. Role training with role play allows the person to shift into new roles: the socially anxious teen eases into making friends, the depressed woman imagines a future time when she is vital and happy and literally steps into a future to experience her startling vivacious self, the man with a troubled history with alcohol practices saying ‘no’ to alcohol and the friends who tempt him to the corner tavern. Each scene is improvised with the help of the psychotherapist-director and each scene is unique to the person seeking help and the moment. One-size-fits-all solutions are discarded, and we know there are many answers and experiences that suit a person at a particular point in life.
How do you?
It’s best when the practitioner engages in reflective exploration to build rapport and generate creative energy, inquiring in several ways and in several words, “What does healing mean to you?” and “How do you heal?” As the practitioner recognizes the limitations of advice, he or she approaches each individual’s struggle with creativity and openness to spontaneity rather than rigidity.
In a psychotherapy setting, it is important that the healing practitioner respects the necessity of support beyond the therapy room. It would be impossible to expect the practitioner to maintain expertise in dozens of areas. However, it is not unrealistic to have the practitioner see himself or herself as part of the team, professionals and others, who bring complementary skills.
Because holism embraces not only the connections of the systems within the human but also the systems interacting with the human in a treatment setting, the practitioner is challenged to recognize unhealthy outside systems that may infect the person, even in subtle ways.
This means the practitioner must be scrupulously honest regarding his or her own deficits and the necessity not only for professional supervision and collegial conversation but also ongoing personal development and self care.
Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP offers alternative psychotherapy, training & classes in Lancaster, PA, and is the author of “Show and Tell Psychodrama”, “Healing Eating Disorders with Psychodrama” and “Integrating Psychodrama and Systemic Constellation”.