Exploring theatre of the oppressed in family therapy clinical work and supervision

Abstract

Augusto Boal's theatre of the oppressed (TOTO) techniques have been used in education, health, welfare, and prison systems world-wide. However, the link between family therapy clinical supervision and training and TOTO has not been explored, either in Australia or overseas. This innovative action research project explores the ways family therapists and supervisors apply these theatre techniques in their everyday practice. Employing a group-based, cooperative inquiry method, 12 experienced family therapists from the Bouverie Centre, Melbourne, reflected on what these techniques have to offer family therapists and counsellors, applied these theatre techniques in their work, and contrasted TOTO with other action techniques used by family therapists. The researchers found that TOTO provided a safe and grounded process that brings 'action' into both therapy and supervision in ways that enable clients, families, students, and therapists to explore their own agency in a range of settings.

Promoting Personal Growth through Experiential Learning: The Case of Expressive Arts Therapy for Lecturers in Thailand

“…The benefits of experiential learning through the use of the expressive arts include within academic programs: improving self-awareness, developing conceptualization skills, and processing countertransference (Turry, 2001 ). Some other benefits include: self-care and stress reduction (Deaver and Shiflett, 2011 ), an improved supervisory relationship (Scheiby, 2001 ), self-awareness on the part of the student (Austin and Dvorkin, 2001 ), empathic attunement (Cooper, 2001 ), and a sense of empowerment as a future therapist (Proctor et al, 2008 ). For example, Ko ( 2014 ), who examined the experience of six native Korean expressive arts therapy students (four in art therapy and two in dance/movement therapy) in a movement-based program at a Korean university, reported that there was a reduction in perceived authoritarianism paired with an enhancement of verbal sharing with their clinical supervisor.…”

Special Issue: Australian Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

“…The final three papers in this issue present varied approaches to qualitative research. A particularly novel action research approach is taken by Proctor, Perlesz, Moloney, McIlwaine, and O'Neill () in studying the application of Theatre of the Oppressed methods (Boal, ) in family therapy clinical work and supervision. Proctor and her colleagues explored ways of teaching family therapists and supervisors to apply these theatre techniques in their everyday practice and documented this process using a group‐based, cooperative inquiry method of action research.…”