While treatment of the severely mentally ill has become increasingly humanized over the years, the caregivers — families, friends, and even mental healthcare professionals — have long struggled alone. Caring for and supporting those with severe mental illness typically engenders fear, isolation, and hopelessness in family members, who are very often their sole caregivers. Whether their loved ones are living in an inpatient institution, the home, or in a residential facility, clinicians working with caregivers must move beyond the traditional model of talk therapy. Instead, they need useful, actionable interventions to provide caregivers with ongoing emotional support. Similarly, classroom instructors preparing cross-discipline mental healthcare workers need real-life examples to motivate and inspire students and trainees.
In this documentary, you will see how Dr. Stephen Snow’s Drama Therapy-based technique of Playback Theater provides caregivers with a literal stage for expression, support and connection. Poignant images, voiceovers, and live demonstrations of this powerful technique will add depth to your understanding of caregivers’ needs. This video is an essential tool for teaching or training in the fields of social work, community mental health, counseling, and other mental healthcare professions.
