Psychotherapy and improvisation have much in common and both require a certain “atmosphere” to be present if they are to succeed.
First, there must be trust. All the “players” need to know they can depend on each other, that everyone has everyone else’s best interest in mind. It is a space of discernment but not judgment. Whatever ideas are put forward must be respected, considered, and where relevant, amplified. If this trust is securely in place, all participants can “let go” and move beyond their usual, defensive modes of protecting themselves and find something new and unexpected.
Second, there must be keen listening. Participants must first hear the rhythms and spaces offered by others before more actively jumping in. This is an egalitarian space. Someone may be “leading” at any given moment, but no one is the ultimate leader. Players constantly add their particular “expertise,” everyone drawing from a co-created space in between them, in an effort to make a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts
Third, there must be playfulness. Play implies absorption in the moment. There is a deep commitment to the suspension of the normal “rules” of life in the name of allowing new, shared possibilities to arise. This can mean momentarily taking on new, unexpected roles in the name of moving an important theme forward. The process requires a sense of humour and an ability to laugh at oneself specifically and life’s absurdities more generally.
Finally, there must be a willingness to leap whole heartedly into the exchange, a courage to try again and again and not shrink back for any length of time, even when the going gets rough. This is a different kind of trust – a trust in the process itself, where sometimes the only encouragement that can be offered is, “keep going!.”
When psychotherapy becomes improvisational, an inspiring energy is available. Creative solutions arise for old, stuck problems. Parts of the client that have been forced to the margins become engaged and enlivened. Something new and authentic becomes possible. Change happens.
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