THE USE OF PSYCHODRAMA IN THE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC

Abstract

Psychodrama has many uses in the psychiatric clinic. Among these is the ease with which material that is too threatening or too "close" to the patient can be blunted or softened by making it ego alien. Patients who are having difficulty in discussing deep personal material will often find it much easier to discuss such material if it is presented as relating to a fictional person. Projection such as this will often permit a patient to discuss deep personalized feelings and to work through these feelings, but still maintain the conscious phantasy that they are not talking of themselves. Needless to say, of course, if the material is too ego alien the personal significance of the material will be lost to the patient and no therapy will take place