Coaching and Psychodrama

by Phoebe Atkinson

Coaching and Psychodrama practitioners strive to bring a strength-based approach when working with their clients. Each discipline incorporates helpful methods to challenge distorted or negative aspects of the individual’s belief systems and behavior as well.  Dr. Jacob Levy Moreno, founder of psychodrama, can be credited with being the critical creative source for the ideas and techniques of the human potential movement which inform the guiding principles of every coach training.  Many of the principles and techniques used in coaching are based on the theories and techniques created by Dr. Moreno. It has been well documented that many of the humanistic theorists learned with and from Moreno and were greatly influenced by his ideas and concepts

Both professions focus on supporting individuals to make positive change.  In coaching, the change is directed, purposeful and future focused action. In psychodrama, the change is healing and integrative, helping the individual to resolve past trauma and issues from the past, explore the present and move into the future in a way that aligns with their values. Both professions spotlight a person’s whole life—relational, emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological.

Psychodramatist Jonathan Fox has said that Psychodrama is ‘action centered and comprehensively tries to integrate all the dimensions of living into itself.” Coach trainer Ken Abrams says describes coaching as “a question-based, vision-based inquiry for potential – focusing on the present and future.”

Both coaching and psychodrama hold a humanistic lens viewing the client as creative, resourceful, and whole. Central to this idea is self determination – in that they see the client as capable of creating their desired future. The coach works as co-creator and is responsible for the process – while the client owns the results! The same is true in working in psychodrama as the clinician partners with the client to activate the healing center within them.

Coaching and psychodrama intersect in the following areas:

• Theory (motivation, act hunger, role theory, learning theory, change theory)
• Philosophy and General Principles (spontaneity/creativity, guiding principles)
• Ethics (each has a Code of Ethics)
• Approach to human development and change (mirror, double, auxiliary, role reversal in psychodrama and in coaching: stages, phases, values, needs)
• Skills and certification requirements (learning and demonstrating core competencies)
• Nature of the relationship between coach and coachee or director and protagonist (coaching stance, co-creative, positive regard, wholeness, capacity building)

Formally speaking, a goal is a desired future state. Therapists, coaches, educators and trainers can learn how to incorporate experiential methods from psychodrama and sociodrama to help their clients actualize their goals. By adding action methods such as psychodrama to the wisdom of coaching and therapy – practitioners can open up possibilities and expand their toolkit; adapting and designing powerful strategies to help improve client outcomes – whiile at the same time increase their own engagement in the process.

Phoebe Atkinson, LCSW-R, TEP. She is a faculty memeber of WBI Positive Psychology Couching Ceritification Program and is an executive coach with the Executive Leadership Program at Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership.