IMPLOSIVE PSYCHODRAMA

Abstract

The use of psychodrama as a therapeutic method has been fully described by Moreno (1946, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1966). Generally speaking, the aim of psychodrama is to arouse and sustain a patient's spontaneous emotional reactions during a dramatic event. However, since the inception of psychodrama as a therapeutic regimen, some practitioners have chosen to view the specific procedures in a different light than Moreno's unique metatheory of roles, spontaneity, and creativity. For example, Gonen (1971) has discussed the nature of drama itself, particularly in terms of classical Aristotelian and modern psychodrama. Issues relating to the therapeutic rationales of analytic ego psychology have also been offered by Polansky and Harkins (1969) as another theoretical approach. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the application of the theoretical framework of implosive therapy to the practice of psychodrama.