Basic Psychodrama Directing Elements and Interventions for Trauma

This chapter covers psychodrama’s foundational elements and clinical interventions. The five elements and three phases of a psychodrama group will be outlined. The process of selecting a protagonist, contracting for the session, and setting a scene will be summarized. Basic psychodrama interventions and directing techniques will be described, including enrolling and interviewing roles, doubling, the mirror position, and role reversal. Facilitation considerations related to the climax of the psychodrama, integration, and closure will be outlined, as well as the de-rolling process and group sharing. The core interventions and processes within psychodrama practice will be articulated with their utility in treating complex trauma.