There's a positive link with psychodrama and addiction treatment



Early psychodrama stage in hospital in
 St. Louis, Mo.



Every so often, people want to know about the link between psychodrama and addiction treatment. Truth be told, addiction treatment centers have been pioneering the resurgence of psychodrama in the past 20 years and there is a growing body of material showing its effectiveness. 

Check with Tian Dayton who has books on trauma and addiction, Trauma and Addiction: Ending the Cycle of Pain Through Emotional Literacy, and has worked as a consultant for Caron Treatment Centers in Wernersville, Pa.

Mimi Cox, a clinical social worker and TEP in Richmond, Va., works with addiction and has adapted the Therapeutic Spiral Model for addiction & recovery issues. Find information on The Therapeutic Spiral Model here.

Robert Fuhlrodt's book, Psychodrama: Its Application to ACOA and Substance Abuse Treatment, is a classic. He now specializes in sex addiction and may have more current resources & info, for you.

Arlene Story is the main psychodramatist at The Refuge, a treatment center in Florida, and has lots of experience in addiction and psychodrama. We hosted her for a special traininng workshop for the Midwest Training Series here at Lake House Health & Learning Center a few years ago; training programs on addiction are always well attended.

I've been running an alcohol-and-other-drugs group in the local women's shelter for the past three years -- a program that just ended due to loss of funding. I'm in the process of writing an e-book on what I learned and what I did specifically for the domestic violence population for others  to adapt and use. Stay tuned!