At the intersection: Role Theory and the schizophrenia spectrum

Clients with severe and persistent mental illnesses are often subject to biased definitions of health and wellness in western psychiatry. Therefore, the playspace becomes a site of potential for the client and the therapist to engage in a collaborative process of understanding and responsiveness. The following commentary outlines an individual drama therapy process that uses a flexible version of the role profile assessment; this intervention supports a client's nuanced self-exploration. It also provides a shared language for the drama therapist to better understand their client's inner reality in contrast to the repetitive, reductive narrative of the chronically mentally ill patient.

Automated summary

Clients with severe and persistent mental illnesses often face biased definitions of health and wellness in western psychiatry. The playspace can serve as a potential site for collaboration between the client and therapist, enabling a better understanding and responsiveness. The use of a flexible version of the role profile assessment in individual drama therapy process facilitates nuanced self-exploration for the client, providing the drama therapist with a shared language to understand the client's inner reality in contrast to the repetitive and reductive narrative of chronically mentally ill patients.