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EXPERIENTIAL INTERVENTIONS

“It was in Laurie’s experiential group where I learned the most about myself. It created
a safe environment where I could actually see how what I was doing hindered my
progress so I could grasp Laurie’s observations and practice a solution…” - Client

At the core of experiential learning is the philosophy that we learn best by direct and purposeful contact with a learning experience (learning by doing), where all actions happen in the present moment followed by guided reflection. I specialize and am continually trained in two such experiential interventions: "Adventure-based" Counseling and Psychodrama. 

  • ​"​​Adventure-based" counseling uses purposeful activities with elements of play that include problem-solving tasks designed to intentionally target and reveal specific group or individual struggles. The process helps connect detrimental behaviors to the feelings that drive them as they are experienced (in the present) with the opportunity to then apply new skills such as DBT to cope with the experienced distress. These DBT skills may have been introduced in a treatment setting but not yet integrated/internalized.

 

  • The key to this experiential intervention is in the use of metaphors transferred to real-life situations, connecting the session's constructed "adventure" to an actual life experience. 

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  • Psychodrama is rooted in psychology but includes elements of theater and sociology.  Originated in improvisational theater by J.L. Moreno, it is effective in helping the client investigate and gain insight into their life and experiences in a tangible way. It is a method of exploring inner processes via dramatization of the emotional conflict rather than simply talking through it. Under my direction, the client has the opportunity to re-enact past unfinished situations through spontaneous actions such as role play, doubling, role-reversal, soliloquy and mirroring. The process promotes reflection on how the past incident is played out in the present and to more deeply understand particular life situations. 

  • The experiential process of "learning by doing" facilitates a direct path to self-awareness and is especially effective for individuals in your practice who feel detached from their emotions and struggle to “be in touch”.

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