THE "RELUCTANT THERAPIST" AND THE "RELUCTANT AUDIENCE" TECHNIQUE IN PSYCHODRAMA

Abstract

The psychiatric literature is replete with examples of patient-produced

resistance to the therapeutic process and, particularly in psychoanalysis,

this problem and its various approaches form a substantial part of such literature. In psychodrama this problem is met and dealt with in a head-on, direct manner. The resistance is systematically acted out, in psychodramatic episodes and interaction with the therapist-director, the auxiliary ego therapist and the audience carrying the load of hostility, aggression and negative warm up. Resistance may take the form of hostile silence, refusal to participate in the preliminary interview or to portray a role own or that of another person involved in his problem inappropriate laughter, side remarks irrelevant to the situation to be portrayed, acts which ate destructive of a cohesive warming up process leading to an integrating action catharsis.