The actor-director and patient-therapist relationships: a process comparison

The relationship between the actor and director, like that between the patient and psychotherapist, relies on intense emotional involvement. Both demand sensitivity, reciprocity, and a deep understanding of human behavior. Because dramatic action is created through continuous conflict between characters, actors must explore not only their actions, but also the reactions of those with whom they are in relationship. The process of therapy is equally interdependent. Through the relationship, therapists provide a context in which their patients can work through their conflicts. As in the rehearsal process, actions are explored in a supportive environment. This paper has presented a process comparison of the actor-director and patient-therapist relationships by proposing that both are art forms that rely on the skill of a trusted facilitator. Some of the techniques explored include: empathic attunement, emotional recall, transference, overcoming performance obstacles, improvisation, risk-taking, the pleasure principle, and creating a sense of family through new object relations. Like therapists, directors never forget that their work cannot be performed alone; it depends on interaction with the most delicate of phenomena: the human soul.