Spontaneity Training for Therapists
Spontaneity Training includes:
Summary
- Therapeutic uses of theatre improvisation
- Principles of improvisation as story telling/going on an adventure/co-creating a new reality
- Warm-ups and Learning the Basics of Improv: Demonstration of Games and Exercises
- Demonstration of Applying Improv to MFT Training
1. Therapeutic uses of theater improvisation:
- For personal growth/ enjoyment of the therapist
- As action methods in Individual, Group, Marital and Family therapies
- In training therapists
- To enhance relationship skills for non-client populations
2. Principles of improvisation as storytelling/going on an adventure/co- creating a new reality by:
- letting imagination work freely
- paying attention to others
- accepting offers
- advancing the action
- using reincorporation
- utilizing status shifts
- making others look good
- giving up over-control
3. Warm-ups and Learning the Basics of Improv: Demonstration of Games and Exercises
(Note that participation is voluntary and that players should respect physical limitations of themselves and of others):
- Mirror Exercise- Two players, A and B, stand facing each other,
maintaining eye contact and moving simultaneously as mirror images.
First A leads, then B; finally the couple moves mutually without leadership.
- Tug of War- Two or more players create the struggle of tug-of-war
using an imaginary rope.
- Presents- Two players face each other; one holds out his/her
hands in a gesture of offering a present from open palms. It is important
that the giver have no preconceived notion of what the present is, but
simply offers in a neutral way. The receiver allows a present to appear
in the imagination and plays with (mimes) it to make the giver look
good.
- Yes, But- Player A makes a statement (e.g., "Let's go
out for Chinese food."). Player B says "Yes, but..."
and goes on to "block" A's statement (e.g., "Yes, but
I'm not hungry."). A then says "Yes, but..." blocking
B's statement, etc. Can also be played in a group with Player C blocking
B, D blocking C, etc. around the group circle.
- Yes, And- The same as Yes, But, except that A and B begin their
statements with "Yes, and..." accepting (validating) each
other's offer and advancing the action (adding to the idea(s) offered
by the other player). As with Yes, But, this game can be played in a
group circle.
- Giving Character- A player makes her partner an offer that
endows him with some emotional, physical, or occupational trait. The
partner accepts the offer by enacting a character with that trait.
- Status Games- A series of games that teach Status cues, conflict
and transfer. "Status" refers to relative social positioning
that reflects power and importance, not necessarily corresponding to
formally recognized standing, rank or prestige.
- Status Party- Each player is first asked to privately create a character with:
i. Reading Status- demonstrating postural, behavioral and verbal cues that indicate status.
ii. Status Conflict- a role-play in which two players both attempt to play higher or play lower status than the other.
iii. Status Transfer- a role-play in which the status hierarchy at the end reverses that at the beginning of the scene.
i. a fictional name,
ii. occupation, and
iii. life ambition.
Everyone then mills around the room as their character, greeting and briefly interacting with other characters while assuming a variety of status positions: (benevolent high, oppressive high, friendly equal, shy equal, submissive low, hurt low, etc.).
4. Demonstration of Applying Improv to MFT Training
- Hidden Pecking Order- Each of the players in a 3- or 4-person
scene privately assigns self a status rank before interacting in a scene.
- Unknown Status- Players are privately assigned instructions
as to the status hierarchy of everyone in a 3- or 4-person scene.
- Simulated Family Therapy sessions with status shifts by the
therapist.
- Tag Improv- Other group members frequently replace ("tag out") the players during a Simulated Family Therapy session.