At the core of psychodrama is a powerful premise: that spontaneity and anxiety are inversely related. Typically people think of this as knowing they will be more free to act once their anxiety is lowered, but, like a perfectly balanced see-saw, when one end is up the other is down, and vis-versa. Yes your spontaneity will rise when your anxiety is lowered, but the reverse is true. The more spontaneous you are the lower your anxiety. This is where using psychodrama and role-playing in therapy can have a tremendous asset in helping people overcoming anxiety.
A new solution to an old problem or an adequate solution to a new.
Jack was referred to me by a local therapist because he was anxious introverted and a recovering alcoholic. He tended to isolate and had a great many difficulties making friends, socializing and dating. In the group he was initially assigned auxiliary roles. He played the role in someone else's drama. After some time he was good at these prescribed roles and enjoyed being selected. He worked as a shift supervisor in a factory and had little interaction with people outside of his official job. In the group he learned he could be many kinds of people and experience different feelings in these roles.
