Bringing a path to life: the integration of narrative therapy and playback theater in individual therapy

Abstract

Processing the life story is vital to a human’s development, providing individuals with resources and promoting adaptation to changes throughout the life course. Narrative therapy is a main approach in psychotherapy that is found to positively affect individuals’ psychological well-being and mental health. This paper in the Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie (ZPS) presents the ways narrative therapy is integrated with role play and playback theatre in individual therapy sessions. Dramatic roles from different periods of one’s life are explored simultaneously as part of the therapeutic process to create a concrete and integrative representation of one’s life story. A case study illustrates the integration of narrative therapy, role reversal, and playback theater techniques in one-on-one sessions.