Group Psychoanalytic Psychodrama

Psychoanalytic/ psychodynamic Psychodrama is a method used in psychotherapy. People use dramatization, theatrical elements, and role-playing to explore issues and solve personal problems. In a group psychodrama session, the person enacting an issue in their personal life becomes the protagonist. Other members of the psychodrama group may become auxiliaries. They support the protagonist in playing other roles in the scene. With the aid of psychoanalysis, the therapist assists in facilitating the progression of the scene. Also, the therapist identifies unconscious internal conflicts. These may be resolved during the drama. Psychodrama explains how the experiences presented in the drama are repetitions of prior experiences in personal life. This may allow resolving unconscious hidden issues. 

Psychodrama quick info:

• In Psychodrama individuals can act/ play their problems
• One person acts, but the others collaborate
• It’s an opportunity to physically show the situation a person is in
• Creates Insight, Exploration and understanding
• Sessions are weekly for 10 sesisons
• Minimum age for this group is 18 years 

Issues Treated By Psychoanalytic Psychodrama

Psychoanalytic psychodrama is aimed at people who have difficulties in being able to represent, to symbolise, to dream, to put into words their life experiences and internal conflicts.

Group psychoanalytic Psychodrama may be helpful in circumstances such as, but not limited to:

• Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
• Social anxiety
• Loneliness and withdrawal
• Feelings of losing touch with reality
• Feelings of failure
• General dissatisfaction with yourself or your life
• Inability to concentrate and feelings of tension or irritability
• Feelings of unhappiness, sadness and depression
• Worries and anxieties
• Nightmares
• Persistent feelings of being persecuted, blamed or taken advantage of
• Pervasive feelings of hate or contempt; being inferior; being disliked and rejected by others; disliking yourself

Example of a group session:

A person has difficulties getting a job. This person then goes through dialogues or roleplaying. In this case the psychotherapist or a group member may represent an employer. 

The role-playing may help with the issue. However, the combination of psychodrama and psychoanalysis goes even further. With this the person will be able to develop an insight into what his fantasized image of an employer represents in terms of displacement of his anxiety, and the person will be able to make progress toward recovery.