Improv for Therapists: Supercharging Rapport Development and Clinical Presence
In improv theatre, players take the stage to co-create characters, dialogue, and entire stories on the spot without pre-planning. In order to do this successfully, players must be able to skillfully attune to their scene partners while remaining keenly present, flexible, and spontaneous - skills that are key for us to harness as therapists.
To find success with this level of co-creation, improvisers are taught to deeply listen for the information their partner(s) are providing them through both verbal and non-verbal offers, and they then respond by adding new information to the scene that corresponds to what came before. Information is rapidly exchanged, and a story unfolds. Skillful improvisers are deeply in sync, and make this process look like magic. They have learned to remain present, respond spontaneously, pick-up subtle offers from their scene partners, adapt on the fly, and to take just the right amount of risk. Mastering the art of improv takes lots of practice, and any improviser worth their salt will tell you that making mistakes - and learning how to use the knowledge you gain from them - is an essential part of the process.
Even before considering the benefits of using improv during sessions with clients - chances are good that you can already see how the process of improvising – and what it requires to be good at it - mirrors so many of the things that make us a good therapist. (Spoiler alert for a later blog: Improv is great to use with clients and has a great number of therapeutic benefits!)
We all know that therapy goes so much deeper than an exchange of words. Good therapy relies on us being present, holding space, deeply attuning, and being able to meet our clients where they are – no matter what information they share. It requires flexibility and spontaneity and an ability to find a therapeutic “flow state” with our clients that enables us to be present and connected in a way that supports therapeutic growth.
When I started taking improv classes years ago during graduate school, I reflected – like many of my classmates – that improv taught a lot of valuable life skills about communication, presence, and what it means to deeply listen. And that these skills were useful both during class and shows, but off the stage as well.
As a soon-to-be clinician, I wanted to start integrating these lessons in the therapy room – both for myself as a therapist, and as a tool for my clients. The impact spoke for itself, and my trajectory was forever changed.
If you’re looking for something new as a therapist, whether that is concrete tools or new frameworks to hold onto or ground into – stick around. I’ll roll out a lot of good tips, tricks, and improv pedagogy to guide you along the way!
-Lacy