Action Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy: A Review

Authors

  • DANIEL J. WIENER Author
  • LAURIE PELS-ROULIER Author

Keywords:

action methods

Abstract

Action methods, the therapist-initiated tasks that engage clients in physical activity and in taking on dramatic roles, are used in a number of marriage and family therapy approaches. In this review article, the authors present a wide range of important and representative action methods and occasionally offer brief descriptions of how the methods are implemented. They distinguish psychodrama-influenced techniques from those differing in their underlying premises, structure, design, and implementation.
They classify action methods by whether they are dramatic, that is, when the activity is understood by the participants as involving some intentional pretense.

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Published

2025-03-14