Sydney

The three stages of the double, the mirror and role reversal, from birth to approximately 5 years, describe Moreno’s foundational sequence for human development. The corresponding techniques of doubling, mirroring and role reversal emerged from Moreno’s theatrical experiments with role playing and spontaneity in the 1920s. At that time, he knew that his psychodramatic methods worked, but not why they worked. His subsequent insight was that the therapeutic effectiveness of these techniques is because they “are profoundly related to the dynamics of human growth” (Moreno 1952 in Fox, 1987:136).

The art of psychodrama comes to fruition in the work of the director. The director functions to bring about the close-to-real-life portrayal of the protagonist’s subjective world, so that it becomes a springboard for their spontaneity, insight and creative intervention. In this regard, the director can be viewed as having three inter-related functions: the producer, the social investigator and the therapeutic guide.

In this workshop, we will focus on the function of the therapeutic guide, including identifying therapeutic interventions, managing auxiliaries, selecting what to respond to and why, and identifying the underlying principles involved, all the while remaining responsive to whatever is occurring on the psychodrama stage.

Galileo (b.1564) said, “You cannot teach people anything. You can only help them discover it within themselves”. As a method of self-discovery, psychodrama works because it is guided by principles that capture fundamental aspects of human nature. Specifically, the potency of psychodrama emerges whenever attention is paid to four areas of human existence: the living nature of the group, the flow of spontaneity, embodied action and the ritual power of theatre. Each of these areas implicitly captures something that people respond to, but in combination they create a therapeutic theatre where participants’ inner life or spirit is sustained and nourished.

The best way to understand the power of psychodrama is to experience it.

These evenings are designed to give you an opportunity to experience psychodrama in a safe and gentle environment. Each session will be directed by an experienced psychodramatist with time available for questions about the method and its applications.

Come and join in or sit and watch as the drama unfolds. Experience the power of action methods and gain new perspectives on the way we relate in today’s world.

As human beings, we regularly find ourselves at our growing edge. It may be the edge of awareness, the edge of our skill, the edge of what we can tolerate. This involves a dance between the inner forces that undermine the natural need for growth, and the ability to hold oneself in the unknown and stay open to what might be emerging.  In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to explore your growing edge, your role development, your process of learning and what you would like to develop further, both at work and in life.