One form of therapy that my clients report is surprisingly insightful and helpful is embodied therapy forms such as psychodrama and sculpting. Although traditionally used in groups, both of these forms can be adapted to individual work.
My specialization in training for counseling psychology was in drama therapy. I sought this training because many years prior, during my time as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, I joined a group of students called “Action Dialogues.” This group used Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to facilitate conversations on race and racism on campus. While working in this group, I was struck by the power of sculpting images and (re)enacting scenes to generate empathy, compassion, and deep understanding in ways that discussion and readings did not.
Everyone speaks the language of sculpted images, and interpretation of said images opens discussions in creative ways that offer more that one answer or perspective. In sculpting, moving, and acting we use a more basic part of our brains than the part that speaks and reasons. It’s more closely linked with the seat of our emotions and attachment bonds, and as a result it offers insight into our emotional world that is often surprising, novel, or enlightening.
With this being said, embodied work is always an invitation and never a requirement! A client’s comfort and preferences always guide the work at Every Body Heals Therapy.