Psychodrama with Children
What is psychodrama with children?
Psychodrama was developed during the first half of the 20th century by Jacob Moreno and despite being founded upon human spontaneity and play, it was used as therapy and education exclusively of adults for a long time. Currently in Europe there are several approaches, which adapt psychodrama for work with children. The experts in Cognitiva base their work on the approach developed in Germany by Alfons Aichinger.
Psychodrama with children can be carried out both in groups of children of similar age, as well as in individual sessions.
Psychodrama groups for children give children the opportunity to:
✓ Play out their conflicts, emotions, and experiences in shared play
✓ Try out new roles, without the confines of age or gender which are often present in a family environment
✓ Test boundaries and norms – which are obligatory, which are more flexible
✓ Recognize their own emotions and experiences, as well as those of others through communication and cooperation
✓ Get to know their strengths
✓ Explore their relationships with others
Instruments
Psychodrama groups with children use play, in which children have to create a common scenario and pick roles to try out. The children have fun during the play and at the same time develop their interpersonal skills in a safe environment.
Within the individual sessions, animal and human figurines, dolls, as well as other symbols are used, through which the child can work through their worries and problems.
Who are child psychodrama groups suitable for?
Child psychodrama groups are suitable for children aged 4-12. This age group is based on scientific evidence showing that the youngest age at which group experience has a positive effect is 4 years.
The individual sessions of psychodrama are suitable for children and adolescents aged 3-18, as well as adults.
Format and duration of psychodrama with children
Child psychodrama groups include between 4 and 6 children of similar age and continue for at least 10 sessions. Sessions take place once a week and are 1 hour long.
The individual psychodrama sessions last of 50 minutes, once a week. The number of sessions is determined based on the needs of the client, the essence of the problem presented, as well as the wishes of the client.