Psychodrama is an effective action method done in a group therapy setting that explores the human psyche through dramatic enactment. Clients focus on personal areas of concern in their lives — whether past, present, or future. Participants are able to experience, understand, and overcome obstacles in their lives to make desired changes.
Cost: $100 for 2.5 hours. 72 hour cancellation required. We will prepare receipts for you to submit to insurance companies, but many will not cover a session of this type or length, especially if you do not have a mental health diagnosis.
Time: First Thursday of each month, 6:30pm-9:00pm – Please contact us to register – GROUP IS CURRENTLY CLOSED. FOR MORE PSYCHODRAMA OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT PCS in Scottsdale.
Once a month Dr. Marlo co-facilitates a 2.5 hour Psychodrama group with Marcie Edmonds in Ahwatukee. Psychodrama incorporates many actions methods and is an extremely powerful tool, especially when it is wielded expertly by such a talented practitioner.
Action methods are a variety of exercises designed to get you “out of your head” and “into your body” to solve problems. Most of the problems we have started because of some sort of action, so it only makes sense that we use actions to generate the solutions. Also, most of the grief that we experience comes from relationships that we have with other people, so, again, it makes sense that we have other people around when we try to work our way through our pain.
During the sessions, you may be asked to get out of your chair, walk around the room, stand a distance from an item to illustrate how interested you are in the item, or select a colored cloth to represent a feeling that you have. You may be asked to select someone from the group to play a member of your family who insulted you and you may be asked by someone else to do the same for them. We may talk to empty chairs, yell, cry, scream, or even use strong language during the course of our sessions, but it will all be very orchestrated, purposeful, and healing.
Some people will be very comfortable with the exercises and they will dive right in. Others will feel somewhat awkward and hesitant to try the suggestions. Everyone gets to participate at whatever level with which they feel comfortable. You may decline any activity or any exercise. You may skip one activity, but participate in the next, it is completely up to you. You will know what’s right for you and we will honor your instincts.
Action methods are very powerful and can sometimes cause people to make a great deal of progress very quickly. Be sure to give yourself permission after our sessions to spend some quiet time just thinking about what happened. You may want to write in a journal, spend some time alone, or even take a nap. Going to work right after our sessions, without a break, is not advisable.
Who Can Benefit – What Problems Respond Well to Action Methods?
Trauma
Fighting
Grief & Loss
Poor Communication
Low Self-Esteem
Lack of Motivation
Anger
Bad Habits
Unhappy Childhood
Self-Sabotage
Repetitious Behavior
Marcie Edmonds, MC, LPC
Marcie is a licensed professional counselor. She is certified by the Western Institute of Psychodrama as a focused action therapist. She provides psychodrama workshops and groups throughout Arizona. She also has a private practice in Phoenix, providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy. Marcie is a well respected clinician bringing with her tremendous warmth and compassion.
