[ThingWithFeathers]

Just wondering about other people's experience with role playing with their t? How did it go for you? Are you comfortable role playing or do you find it difficult?

I'm really uncomfortable and embarrassed when role playing, my anxiety kicks into overdrive and my voice and body go all shakey. But I can see the benefits of using them in t sometimes, like for me now. I've just got to overcome the fear.

[PinkFlamingo99]

It bothers me. I feel stupid.

OMG do people actually do that?!! No way, not me, never, uh uh. Shudder.

[ThingWithFeathers]

Originally Posted by Little Cat

OMG do people actually do that?!! No way, not me, never, uh uh. Shudder.

Lol! I have a degree in SW and it was incredibly common practice in class to do role plays. OMG they were the worst (except for the video role play we all had to do as an assignment in first year). I still think all the teachers had a movie night with a few bottles of wine and watched the videos with great humour. Yes, role playing is still practiced widely at universities and during PD workshops.

[PinkFlamingo99]

Originally Posted by ThingWithFeathers

Lol! I have a degree in SW and it was incredibly common practice in class to do role plays. OMG they were the worst (except for the video role play we all had to do as an assignment in first year). I still think all the teachers had a movie night with a few bottles of wine and watched the videos with great humour. Yes, role playing is still practiced widely at universities and during PD workshops.

I did 2 yrs of my BSW and we did this as well. I hated it.

I used to have a therapist who would make me role play BOTH sides of a conversation and actually made me get up and switch chairs. It was sooo embarrassing.

I don't even like doing breathing exercises with a therapist there, I feel awkward.

[ThingWithFeathers]

Originally Posted by PinkFlamingo99

I used to have a therapist who would make me role play BOTH sides of a conversation and actually made me get up and switch chairs. It was sooo embarrassing.

I hope you don't mind, but that made me laugh - a lot. I would feel sooo awkward and embarrassed too.

That is one thing I absolutely refuse to do each and every time. He learned quickly not to ask.

Umm, just thinking about doing role play with T makes me sick. There's NO WAY I would do it.

[Willowleaf]

We sometimes do it where she gets me to have a conversation with different parts of myself. Last time I even had to change chairs! I hate it, but unfortunately I have to admit when I have recovered from the shame and embarrassment it actually works, but we don't do it that often as I find it very hard.

[WrkNPrgress]

My T does the "chair" thing almost every session. I talk to "myself" that sits in a chair- all my self-loathing thoughts. Then I switch roles / chairs and talk back to those thoughts, rebutting them. I struggle with it but do it because I do think it helps me get into the habit of recognizing those thoughts when they happen.

These thoughts that destroy our self-esteem are so habitual and engrained we often don't even realize that they're there guiding our emotions and actions. So yeah, I can see how it helps to do something to externalize them. Speaking them out loud removes their power.

Speaking back to them, with someone there for support, does help me realize that I can try and change the thought pattern.

it's like rewiring the brain. Studies have shown that associating a physical action , speaking out loud, sitting in a certain chair, with a thought pattern helps us to recongnize and reassign those habitual thoughts.

So yeah, it's silly but I'm all for it.

[rainbow8]

I don't know if it's role play, but yesterday my T had me close my eyes and tell my H things I appreciate about him. She didn't answer so maybe it's not official role playing, but it was wonderful! Also, like Willow, I've talked to parts when we did IFS.

[stopdog]

The woman asked me to be her once and I think she was distressed over what I said as her -she cut it short (I was sort of enjoying it) and she has never asked me to do it again.
I would never do it as something about other people in my real life.

[atisketatasket]

I would be very much against that if it were ever proposed. And if it is, I will be sorely tempted to take the stopdog approach.

[baseline]

I wish he would try something different. I talk he listens. I think I would be shy and scared to role play.

[magicalprince]

hah, I could see why that is scary, but I think that's very healthy. Anxiety is a sign that you have room to grow stronger and more confident.

[doyoutrustme]

Yeah my T tried it a few times. He's learned to put me in non-speaking roles. :-)

First time he tried was trying to get me to face my fear of speaking to my aunt, who calls a lot, and I don't pick up, because, avoidance.

T: Let role play this! Ring Ring!

me: ...

T: Ring Ring!

me: ...

T: pick up the phone...!

me: *shakes head profusely*

T: Come on... its just me

me: nuh uh.

end.

[velcro003]

Originally Posted by Little Cat

OMG do people actually do that?!! No way, not me, never, uh uh. Shudder.

My exact reply

[Chummy]

My first time in group therapy, we had to do a role play every week. I HATED it. It didn't helped me. My current T has suggested we could do role play, to practise how I want to handle an upcoming situation. But the thought alone makes me want to run away as far as possible. We haven't done it. Just talking helped me enough.
I think it can be useful for some people. You can try it once, to see how it is for you. I can't keep myself serious during role play. I'll giggle the whole time.

Originally Posted by PinkFlamingo99

I did 2 yrs of my BSW and we did this as well. I hated it.


I used to have a therapist who would make me role play BOTH sides of a conversation and actually made me get up and switch chairs. It was sooo embarrassing.


I don't even like doing breathing exercises with a therapist there, I feel awkward.

My t always does this it's an experiment in gestalt therapy called empty chair. I really like it because I can take in roles I don't normally take on.

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[JustShakey]

T: (enthusiastically) Let's roleplay!

Me: (exasperated, with dramatic eye-roll) Not this again!!

He hasn't suggested it in a while...

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[mandehble]

Originally Posted by ThingWithFeathers

I'm really uncomfortable and embarrassed when role playing, my anxiety kicks into overdrive and my voice and body go all shakey. But I can see the benefits of using them in t sometimes, like for me now. I've just got to overcome the fear.

I haven't done it, but I'd react in exactly the same way. I've never liked roleplaying in any sort of setting. I dislike D&D. I hate the idea of sexual roleplay...oddly enough, I occasionally do actual acting and I find that quite interesting...but that's different somehow, possibly because it's a job and I get paid for it. Who knows.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

What exactly is role playing in therapy? I have never heard of it.

[doyoutrustme]

exactly what it sounds like, but can serve different purposes;

you can practice a difficult conversation on your therapist pretending its the person you fear confronting,

you can fake confront someone living or dead and get something off your chest

your therapist can be you in a tough conversation to show you how to respond to difficult people.

Google gestalt therapy role play to get started if you want to research it.

[SheHulk07]

Yes he sometimes does. He knows how uncomfortable it makes me, and I think he secretly enjoys torturing me. Hahaha

Usually it's to work on assertive communication, and how I "know what the other person is going to say." Sometimes I'll do it, other times I don't. Really depends on my mood that session.