Improv Group Therapy
“Mindfulness is teaching our minds to stay in the present moment where past and future fears do not live.” ~ Karen Wallace and Patrick Lewis, authors of Trauma Informed Teaching through Play Art Narrative
For counseling students, school counselors, and experienced clinicians looking to incorporate creative, effective interventions in their work, embracing openness and playfulness is extremely helpful in a variety of therapeutic settings to engage left and right brain, stay present, take bold risks, and fail spectacularly (and live to laugh about it). Using improvisational techniques in counseling to reduce anxiety and depression is effective because there is a significant connection between the skills necessary to self-regulate and the basic principles of improvisation: acceptance, commitment, curiosity, and discovery. Incorporating these objectives in therapy groups provide supportive ways to practice letting go, relinquish control, and share your generosity with others. Applying these techniques in therapy groups with clients who struggle with social anxiety and fears of rejection can reduce negative self-talk, promote creativity and joy, find meaningful connections with others, develop skills in team building, and strengthen non-verbal communication. By adopting interventions that stress the importance of focusing on others, reframing conflict and negotiation as collaboration, and demonstrating leadership by sharing and affirming, counselors can help clients identify coping skills with cost-effective, brief interventions suited for a variety of populations and organizations. The line between wellness and improvisation isn’t hard to imagine if you think of it that way. Here are 8 things to remember:
* Say Yes. Most people are familiar with improv’s #1 “rule”, Yes, and. That’s because it’s so easy to understand and practice. Agree with the premise your scene partner offers. Saying yes is important because you both start from a place of mutual agreement. If you start here you are very quickly moving forward together to explore and discover.
* Listen. I mean actively listen. The best way to practice this is to use exercises which require participants to repeat the last thing their scene partner just said to them. They don’t need to deliver it with the same tone or attitude, but it aligns both people in a stated goal, belief, or plan to move the scene forward, explore and discover together.
* Focus on Others. Another popular principle is that your #1 goal is to make your partner look great. That’s it, your first (and perhaps only) priority. If everyone is on board with that goal, everyone will be supported and celebrated. Being vulnerable and trustworthy with others in the group is crucial. Once trust has been developed through mutual support, you’ll notice people really coming through for each other. That said, in groups, one bad apple can spoil the bunch, so member screening is very important. For more information, please see the Association for Specialists in Group Work’s Guiding Principles for Group Work. Guiding Section C: Guidelines for Pre-Group Planning, and C.7 Member Screening, in particular.
* The Game. This is an esoteric term used by improv nerds (like me) to describe what drives the scene. But very simply, game refers to whatever you’re “playing with” in the scene. It could be a weird relationship (muffin and muffin tin), a weird goal (training to be the #1 introvert in the world), or something else like an unexpected desire or expectation that you and others are mining for silliness and absurdity.
* Take Up Space. This one goes out to the shy and quiet participants! You belong in this group. Use your voice, use your body, your contribution matters too. For people who still feel scared, please see above.
* Commit. Don’t half-ass it. If you make a choice, play it hard. Don’t slink away because you suddenly feel sheepish about that choice. If you commit, your fellow players will rally around you.
* Don't Worry About Being Cool. No joke, if you’re practicing improv, you’re gonna like a big goober. Get used to it. The part about improv that is so liberating is the feeling of being able to PLAY. Looking silly is absolutely part of that. It also helps you to shed those nagging thoughts of perfectionism and pleasing others. Get out there and goof it up!