Souldrama + 12 Steps

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Integrating Two Models for the

Treatment of Addictions: Souldrama and
12-Step Recovery in Action
Connie Miller
International Institute of Souldrama, Spring Lake Heights, New

Jersey, USA
To cite this article: Connie Miller (2013): Integrating Two Models for the Treatment of Addictions:
Souldrama and 12-Step Recovery in Action, Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 8:2, 81-111
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Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 8:81111, 2013

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ISSN: 1556-035X print / 1556-0368 online
DOI: 10.1080/1556035X.2011.614525
Integrating Two Models for the Treatment

of Addictions: Souldrama and 12-Step
Recovery in Action
CONNIE MILLER
Downloaded by [connie miller] at 20:15 20 April 2013
International Institute of Souldrama, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, USA
Building off previous theoretical research studies conducted on addictions, relapse cycles, and theories regarding group action methods and psychodrama in general, this article proposes to introduce
a new action method technique into the 12-step program guidelines that were originally set up for recovery from alcoholism. This
new technique will help individuals to reestablish their creative nature, connect them with others on a spiritual level, and through
their higher awareness, help them to heal on a much deeper level,
as well as to help them discover their greater purpose in life. The
new method of Souldrama combines elements of the rational, emotional, and the spiritual mind, and also uses creativity, spontaneity, and imagination, so that the ego and the soul become aligned.
Souldrama assists in helping relapses from occurring by putting
spirituality into action and then linking together its seven doors
of transformation with the guidelines of the 12 steps, which individuals will need to walk through to grow both personally and
spiritually. By doing this, individuals will hopefully be able to prevent the relapse cycle from continuing, and thereby, remaining in
their recovery.
KEYWORDS relapse, recovery, addictions, spirituality, Souldrama
How do we move from relapse to recovery? How do we help an addict
gain total recovery? In 12-step programs, people heal partly through the
experiential telling of their own stories (Miller, 2006, 2007b). It is through
this sharing of trauma and pain, and also through the subsequent healing
Souldrama is an intentionally registered trademark USA 903317.
Address correspondence to Connie Miller, International Institute of Souldrama, 620 Shore
Road, Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762. E-mail: connie@souldrama.com
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C. Miller
that occurs, that helps people to form common bonds, uniting them on their
road to recovery (Miller, 2006, 2007b). To go beyond that initial connection
of pain and addiction, clients need to go further by sharing their soulful
moments, their hopes, their moments of understanding, and their dreams
(Miller, 2006, 2007b). This requires reestablishing a relationship with their
creativity and then, through their higher awareness, connecting with others
on a spiritual level, which is where they will connect on a deeper level to
start healing (Miller, 2006, 2007b). One of the new techniques that can help
to assist them in doing so is the action method1 of Souldrama. Souldrama
puts spirituality into action by linking the 12 steps to seven doors of spiritual
transformation, while aligning the ego and the soul (Miller, 2010, p. 33).
A 12-step program is a set of guiding principles for recovery from addictive, compulsive, or other behavioral problems, and was originally developed
by the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA, 2001) to guide individuals
into recovery from alcoholism. According to AA (2001), working the 12 steps
involves following these principles as a guide for recovery:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcoholthat our lives had become unmanageable (p. 59).
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to
sanity (p. 59).
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood Him (p. 59).
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves (p. 59).
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs (p. 59).
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
(p. 59).
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings (p. 59).
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make
amends to them all (p. 59).
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to
do so would injure them or others (p. 59).
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong
promptly admitted it (p. 59).
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact
with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will
for us and the power to carry that out (p. 59).
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried
to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all
our affairs (p. 60).
The way of life outlined in the 12 steps has been adopted by millions
of members in recovery from addictions (AA, 2001). The same principles are
found around the world (AA, 2001). What is common in every program is
Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action
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that each step requires taking action, learning new roles, and applying new
behaviors. However, to create total recovery, there is a need today to create
action techniques in counseling to help prevent relapses from occurring, by
releasing the feelings of fear, rage, anger, pain, and sadness, which are often
used to continue to maintain dysfunctional roles.
SOULDRAMA AND TOTAL RECOVERY

The first and primary cause of relapse is that many addiction recovery programs do not use a comprehensive model in treatment, which includes looking at and developing our rational, emotional, and spiritual intelligences
(Miller, 2010, p. xvii). Many treatment programs fail to teach vital thinking,
feeling, social, stress, and spiritual skills, so that clients can find meaning and
purpose in life as sober, conscious, and spiritually aware human beings who
do not need alcohol or other drugs to manage their internal experiences or
their external challenges in life. If we want total recovery, then we must use a
method that uses all parts of the brain, including the rational, the emotional,
and the spiritual.
The Rational
Everything that appears in the universe has had its origin in an individuals
mind (Miller, 2010). The mind generates ideas, and then ideas become expressed through thoughts and words (Miller, 2010). This is referred to as our
rational intelligence (RQ), and it is often measured by IQ tests (Miller, 2010).
The word intelligence means to learn and to understand how to deal with
new situations (Langenscheidt, 1999).
The RQ is a persons capacity to acquire knowledge, such as the ability
to learn and to understand, to apply knowledge or to problem solve, and
to engage in abstract reasoning (Miller, 2010). The RQ is the power of an
individuals intellect, and therefore, it is clearly a very important aspect of
an individuals overall well-being (Miller, 2010). For more than a century,
psychologists have been attempting to measure this intellectual capacity in
individuals (Miller, 2010). Therefore, individuals who have a biological predisposition to being addicted must understand the addictive brain response
to alcohol and other drugs, the acute and postacute withdrawal effects, and
the roles that stress management, diet, and exercise play in recovery.
Lewis (2001) talks about two individual minds operating as if they are
one system. The defining word here is two (Lewis, 2001). J. L. Moreno
(1978), Buber (1995), Mead (1964), and Levinas (1985) believe that the concept of self is not an independent reality. It is a relational interdependent dynamic from which we cannot be divorced (Buber; Levinas; Mead;
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J. L. Moreno, 1978). Any intent therefore to study human behavior in isolation is not more than a laboratory exercise (J. L. Moreno, 1972). In other
words, addicts do not achieve total recovery simply by becoming more selfaware, more self-disciplined, and more knowledgeable about the 12 steps.
Many addicts in recovery cannot walk the talk for they are not conscious
of being able to do so. Just learning about the 12 steps may feed ones
cognition, but it does not contribute insight to behavior. Knowing is not
necessarily linked to knowing what to do or what role to play in a specific
situation.
The Emotional
A primary goal in recovery is to help people make a distinction between
addictive and irresponsible thinking versus sober and responsible thinking.
The most important elements are to teach individuals how to lower the
amount of stress they are experiencing in the moment and then to have
them stop to identify and challenge addictive and irresponsible thinking so
that they can replace it with sober and responsible thinking. This shows people how to identify and stop using drug-seeking behavior, which increases
stress and takes them away from people, places, and things that support
their recovery. To continue helping them, they should be put around people, places, and things that do not support using alcohol or other drugs.
Milton Erickson (1982) believed that people who are traumatized often get
stuck thinking about the world, themselves, and their difficulties in only
one way (as cited in Miller, 2010). Erickson (1982) referred to the fact that
it was this stuckness that imprisons individuals in this one way of thinking, because it knocks them out of connection with their bodies and emotions (as cited in Miller, 2010). This imprisoned way of thinking and lack
of connection to themselves is what leads people to feel as if they have
lost that sense of spirit from their lives (Miller, 2010). Humans are biologically programmed from birth to self-protect. It is vital to be able to rapidly
assess whether an encounter with another is safe or dangerous (Damasio,
2000; Squire, 2009). As mammals, humans are biologically programmed to
connect with others (Dawkins, 1976/1989; Lieberman, 2007; Lorenz, 1978).
This innate sense of dependence on others helps humans to comprehend,
through conscious and nonconscious processes, that one seems to understand the actions of others and helps them to moderate ones own status
to survive and thrive (Argyris, 1971; Lieberman). What we define as emotional intelligence, most of us know as empathy (Golman, 2002; Miller, 2008).
J. L. Moreno (1955, 1978) defines empathize as the identification with, and
understanding of anothers situation, feelings and motives. J. L. Moreno
(1955, p. 47) maintains that empathy is a two-way process wherein each
person interfacing has insight into the others feelings and behaviors, there
is a strong capacity for flexibility, and there is the creativity and the
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spontaneity necessary for conflict resolution. This double action he calls

Tele, which mediates our capacity to share the meaning of actions, feelings, and emotions with others, and thus grounds our identification with and
connectedness with others (J. L. Moreno, 1955).
Transformation usually follows a predictable pattern (Bridges, 1980).
The pattern usually follows a sequence in which there is an ending, an
intermediate zone, and then a new beginning (Bridges). When something
ends, we become afraid of loss, separation, and death of the old self and roles
(Bridges). At times of new beginnings, we often feel confused, uncertain, or
even anxious about our choices and commitments, which often leads to
a resistance to make a change, as well as to subsequent problems that
accompany this resistance (Miller, 2010).
One of the most critical moments that occurs during an addiction or
for an individual who has compulsive behaviors is right after the urge and
right before acting on the urge to fulfill it (Miller, 2010). In most cases, the
most crucial time to reach an individual in treatment and to intervene in
the addictive and compulsive behavior cycle is precisely at this transitional
moment. What can we do as therapists for the addict to be present for that
moment instead of dissociating in the compulsive ritual? One important step
in assisting the client in slowing down that process is to identify their emotions, which help them to develop the capacity for self-containment and
control. One must stay present in the emotional transition rather than impatiently getting on with it and moving through it, or thinking about every
problem that could potentially happen. Not being present in the transitional
moment could have regretful results, which must be dealt with later, such
as unresolved grief, grudges, lingering resentments, unfulfilled promises,
unexpressed but somaticized anger, and avoidance. Avoidance can come
in the form of reflexive or habitual responses that allow a person to act
on automatic pilot and avoid any conscious experience of the transitional
space. It can come in the form of impulsive actions such as jumping into
things headfirst, staying constantly in chaos, hiding out in drama, or even
shock.
In addition to the fear of future instability and change, refusing to grieve
losses will inevitably create an inability to move forward, which will then
result in a relapse. People hold themselves back because of potential regret
or they do not want to lose the inordinate need for security, control, or the
status of the social role that has become suffocating. Many hold the belief
that they are irreplaceable or afraid of whom they will leave behind and how
others will be affected if they move on (Miller, 2010). In addition, esteem
is not reinforced by trauma, but instead, trauma reinforces the ego and all
the defense mechanisms and roles that the ego comes to identify as the
self (Miller, 2010). Trungpa (2005) stated that at a certain stage the defense
mechanisms you have set up become more powerful than you are. They
become overwhelming. Then, when you become used to the overwhelming
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quality of the defense mechanisms, when, for a moment, they are absent,
you feel very insecure (as cited in Hartman & Zimberoff, 2006, p. 66).
Socially
It is important to teach people how to transform their social lives and families
from one that is centered on alcohol and drugs and incapable of meeting
their needs as sober and responsible people, to a social network that is
capable of meeting their needs. In recovery, people need to be challenged
to learn how to examine themselves through the process of reflectively
looking within themselves and the process of consciously and mindfully
looking outside of themselves. The purpose of this process is to learn and
to grow in their abilities, so that they can navigate both their complex inner
and outer worlds. Goleman and Boyatzis (2008) define social intelligence
as a set of interpersonal competencies built on specific neural circuits and
endocrine systems that inspire others to be effective. This means that when
group members exhibit empathy and become attuned to others, it literally
affects their own brain chemistry (Goleman & Boyatzis).
It is in a group that we see ourselves in relationship to others. We learn
about ourselves such as how we communicate fear, withdrawal, avoidance,
shutting down, conflict, and indifference, but without words and by action.
Every movement and nonmovement we make is a form of communication,
and there is a sense of group consciousness. Z. Moreno (1965) said we
were born in a group, learned our roles in a group and we can be healed
in a group (as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 62). In a group, there is a sense
of Holism where we can see larger patterns, relationships, and connections
(Miller, 2010, p. 62). The group acts as the double for life, meaning that the
group conscience reflects the spiritual and moral ideals and is the foundation
of our societys rules and laws (Z. Moreno). Z. Moreno believed that in a
group, we can expose our darker sides and experience the cathartic effect
of being re-admitted to the group (as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 63).
J. L. Moreno (18891974), the father of group psychotherapy and from
whom the 12-step groups originated, went against other traditional therapists such as Freud, stating that our personality is not hereditary but rather
develops by the roles we learn to play in life. J. L. Moreno believed that
there is no authority than that which comes from the entire group itself,
because each person of the group is a therapeutic agent of the other. The
ability to experience a connection with another is central to the healthy evolution of the self, and this can be done within a healthy group situation. To
achieve oneness, one must have the developmentally necessary connective
experiences to unify a cohesive self.
According to Yalom (1975), existential factors come into play as
group members gain an awareness of the universal nature of pain, death,
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aloneness, and individual responsibility (as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 63).

These struggles become a shared experience and thereby reduce the associated shame and fear that is so often felt (Miller, 2010, p. 63). It is
a commonly held belief that ones own experience is the ultimate teacher
(Miller, 2010, p. 63). Yalom stated that one aspect of this wisdom is the
notion that we learn about ourselves by being in relationships with others
(as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 63). The interpersonal focus of the group allows
for a dynamic person-to-person interaction (Miller, 2010). In the Souldrama
group, this interaction promotes corrective emotional experiences as members begin to express long-held emotions and begin to clarify interpersonal
boundaries and limits (Miller, 2010, pp. 6364). As group members become more conscious regarding their own patterns of interpersonal relating,
clarity emerges which can be gained by an intensive, experiential group
interaction using a method that is like psychodrama (Miller, 2010, p. 64).
One way group members learn new behaviors is by noticing and trying out
healthy behaviors, which are displayed by others in the group (Miller, 2010).
Albert Bandura (1977) found modeling to be an important facet in learning
(as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 64). Moreover, Bandura (1977) emphasized that
role-playing new behaviors can deepen the learning process (as cited in
Miller, 2010, p. 64).
The dramatic nature of psychodrama builds group cohesion and support. Once this is established, group members begin to hold one another
responsible for their behaviors, while members also begin to recognize their
own responsibility for change. By taking responsibility, individuals become
empowered, which is a critical step in personal transformation. Our families
of origin were not necessarily a chosen group. The idea of good group cohesion comes from giving people choices (Moreno et al., 2001). When we
make poor choices, we need therapy, or we learn what we need to do for
our soul to grow. When choices change, it is because our role interactions
change. One of the reasons individuals enter therapy is because of the poor
choices they have made in life.
Spiritually
The quest in recovery is to find a personal sense of meaning and purpose
in life. This is based upon an understanding that individual addicts are not
the entire world or the center of the universe, which is often called addictive
grandiosity. Instead, all human beings are born as part of a larger universe,
world, and social system that has been culturally indoctrinated both verbally
and through role modeling to establish a set of beliefs about the self, others,
the world, and whatever powers that are greater than the self and exist to
govern the way things are in the world. The ultimate goal of recovery is
to develop a sense of who am I and what do other people and the world
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require of me to survive and thrive? Recovery also asks the question of Why
am I here? Individuals need to decide for themselves what they choose to
do to improve themselves, help others, and leave the world a better place.
Many authors provide a common thread to define a spiritual journey
(Covey, 1989; Mitroff, Mason, & Pearson, 1994; Morris, 1997; Neal, 1997;
Peck, 1993; Roof, 1993; Stein & Hollwitz, 1992). In general, they refer to the
spiritual journey as a process of focusing within to gain an awareness of the
self. Only through this awareness of the self can individuals become truly
actualized and find both the meaning and purpose of their work and in their
lives. This is the individuation process, which produces both an interconnection with the self and a connection with others by fostering a sense of
order and balance (Miller, 2007a). Chandler, Holden, and Kolander (1992)
have a good definition in which they describe the spiritual experience as the
innate ability to transcend the point of view of the ego from which people
constantly experience and evaluate and judge their lives. When they can do
this, they can open up to a broader worldview, a greater capacity for loving, and an increased motivation to enhance the greater good. In addition,
there is another definition of spirituality that comes from the Latin spiritus,
meaning breath of life, which is a way of being and experiencing that
comes about through awareness of a transcendent dimension and is characterized by certain identifiable values in regard to self, others, nature, life,
and whatever one considers to be the ultimate (Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes,
Leaf, & Saunders, 1988, p. 10). Elkins et al. define the common elements
people experience during a spiritual journey, such as transcendence, personal meaning and mission in life, sacredness, material values, altruism, high
ideals, awareness of the tragic, and fruits of spirituality.
The spiritual growth process is achieved by permeating the barriers
of the repressed Higher Unconscious, such as the fear of letting go and
surrendering, and then by embracing it, which was Maslows idea of selfactualization (Maslow, 1971). This represents an increase in the experience
of higher, mystical, and spiritual states of consciousness. Spiritual intelligence
is the ability to master a set of diffuse and abstract concepts about being and
also is the ability to master the craft of altering ones consciousness in attaining a certain state of being. It is an intelligence that explores the nature
of existence in its multifarious guises (Gardner, 1999, p. 60). An existential intelligence, is the capacity to locate oneself with respect to the furthest
reaches of the cosmosthe infinite and infinitesimaland the related capacity to locate oneself with respect to such existential features of the human
condition as the significance of life, the meaning of death, the ultimate fate of
the physical and the psychological worlds and such profound experiences as
love of another person or total immersion in a work of art (Gardner, p. 61).
Moments of shame and trauma in childhood affected our development,
and we sacrificed parts of ourselves to feel safe or loved (Zimberoff &
Hartman, 2007). Inner resources such as innocence, trust, spontaneity,
courage, and self-esteem were lost, stolen, or abandoned, leaving an
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immense empty space or that hole in the soul (Miller, 2007a). Spiritual growth
is achieved through the repair of the bond with our soul following that disconnection (Zimberoff & Hartman, 1999). Strength of character, resilience,
determination, and a deep trust all come from repair and realignment of the
separation between the ego and the soul (Miller, 2010). This repair results
from the authentic relationships we form with others and from the risks we
take, as well as our willingness to change our roles in relationship to them.
Decker (1993) stated, Trauma acts to increase spiritual development if that
development is defined as an increase in the search for purpose and meaning (p. 25). Carl Jungs theory of individuation states that the individual
strives to become whole and distinctive from the collective (Jung, 1933; Jung
& von Franz, 1964). For an individual to realize their specific purpose, a connection with ones unique self must be achieved (Eddinger, 1972; Harding,
1965). In this context, the self is the whole of the individual, including all
aspects of an individuals conscious and unconscious, often referred to as a
paradoxical union of opposites (Harding). The self is superior to the ego and
is experienced as the center of the personality (Jung). Although the path to
individuation is quite different for each person, the process tends to be similar (Singer, 1972). The individuation process occurs as ones ego is initially
developed, then challenged, and ultimately subordinated to a more comprehensive psychic entity, being that of the self (Jung; Singer). The process
constitutes the conscious realization and fulfillment of ones unique being
(Harding). Our early experiences are deeply embedded and profoundly fundamental in that the construction of a sense of self and the early mistaken
beliefs and conclusions, such as I am bad, or I am alone, or I cannot
trust my own perceptions, will continue to have a profound influence on
our choices for our life unless and until they are changed cognitively, somatically, and emotionally (Miller, 2010). We will deny ourselves spontaneity
and will choose experiences that will validate our preconstructed beliefs,
and thus, we remain rigidly committed to our old roles. We will remain in
our old roles and patterns of behavior and we will not know what to do
with certain new stimuli or learning. To become balanced, the individuals
self must transform the ego and achieve alignment with its individuality (Eddinger; Jung & von Franz). However, the ego fears the loss of what is known
as its identity and resists by struggling with the unknown aspect of self.
What seems to hold the 12 steps together more than anything else is the
sense of community and relationships, which gives off a feeling that we are
a large family rather than a large belief system. There is a common interest,
which links us to something more important than the ego and personal
opinions. The fellowship of like-minded people attracts grace when we are
around people who are committed to a spiritual awakening; and that is when
we will begin to resonate at the same energy level. Everything in our life
happens in relationship and that includes the relationship between the ego
and the soul. By growing spiritually, we can begin to reconnect with our
true spiritual identity by realigning and repairing the separation between
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the ego and the soul. Through this process, we are really dissolving the
strength of the ego and aligning it with the soul, as we start reconnecting
to intimate relationships (Miller, 2010). However, we are not eliminating
the ego (Miller, 2010). If we repair the bond with our souls following the
disconnection that occurs, we will be able to grow spiritually. If individuals
become conscious of their whole personality and the self, then they can
become great spiritual leaders by becoming aware of their higher purposes
and potential capabilities (Miller, 2010).
Wolman (2001) has researched the nature of spirituality and devised
the Psychamatrix Spirituality Inventory (PSI) to assist people in assessing
the focus and pattern of their spirituality. He suggests these seven factors
together comprise the spectrum of spiritual experience and behavior:
1. Divinity, the sense of connection to a God figure or Divine Energy
Source.
2. Mindfulness, an awareness of the interconnection of the mind and body,
with an emphasis on practices that enhance that relationship.
3. Intellectuality, a cognitive and inquiring approach to spirituality, with a
focus on understanding sacred texts.
4. Community, the quality of spirituality connecting to the community at
large.
5. Extrasensory perception, spiritual feelings, and perceptions associated
with non-rational ways of knowing.
6. Childhood spirituality, a personal, historical association to spirituality
through family tradition and activity.
7. Trauma, a stimulus to spiritual awareness through experiencing physical
or emotional illness or trauma to the self or a loved one (p. 2).
Some of the qualities of spiritual intelligence that imply responsibility to
one another are values such as courage, integrity, intuition, compassion, and
love. Developing our spiritual intelligence is critical today for total recovery
so that we can have a strong enough inner world to sustain on our need for
belonging, self-esteem, contribution, and love. If we develop our spiritual
intelligence, we can begin to ask ourselves why we are doing what we are
doing and then seek some fundamentally better way of doing it. As human
beings, we live by meaning and purpose, not by status or pleasure. This is
total recovery.
THE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN SOULDRAMA

Psychodrama is best understood as a method that integrates aspects of existential therapy. It is effective because it emphasizes engagement through
active role-playing and dramatic dialogue as the major factors that lead to
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transformational change. It helps clients to embrace their shadow side and

also helps them to change their internalized image of a higher power to be
all loving, which results in unconditional self-love (Miller, 2010). If the future of mankind can be planned, then conscious evolution through training
of spontaneity opens a new vista for the development of the human race
(Z. Moreno, Blomkvist, & Rutzel, 2000). Psychodrama2 is the tool that Moreno
developed as a method to facilitate this transformation. It is experiential and
brings the unconscious into consciousness, as deeply held perceptions, patterns, and beliefs are expressed.
J. L. Moreno (1972) believed that God is in each one of us and that
everyone has a potential to be a cocreator with God. This was an appeal
for each one of us to learn to double for God, thereby unleashing our
spontaneity and creativity. The double is the name for the role of a person
who plays the inner voice of the protagonist3 or the coprotaganist.4 The
double is also called the alter ego. He or she positions his/herself beside
the character for whom he or she is doubling and speaks the words that the
character might not feel free to say or needs help in expressing. J. L. Moreno
(1972) believed that each person in the group becomes the healing agent for
the other without any special training other than their own life experience.
The power of a group came from the religion of its anonymity and of just
being embraced by love in the moment (J. L. Moreno, 1972). We all have the
collective responsibility of continuing the works of our creator to become
all that we can be and not be limited by the cultural constraints of society.
Psychodrama makes the expansion of reality possible by methods not used
in life. Souldrama takes this one step further by providing a circular model
and structure to integrate through all three intelligences to align the ego
and the soul (Miller, 2010). If we introduce more spirituality into the healing
process, the attachment to self becomes easier. The client incorporates the
divine or higher self, thus unveiling lifes purpose.
As noted by author and psychodramatist Tian Dayton (2000, 2008),
psychodrama is a useful method for resolving trauma-related issues. It helps
the client by allowing him to be at the center of his own experience with
clinical supervision and support, while allowing him to view this material
in the present tense (Dayton, 2000, 2008, 2009). It also provides a method
through which triggering material can occur in a clinically safe environment
so that powerful reactions can be worked through toward resolution (Dayton,
2000, 2008, 2009). Feelings that were once unresolved can be reexamined
and untangled (Dayton, 2000, 2008, 2009; Miller, 2010). Scenes can be played
out in their concrete form where reasoning becomes evident, and personal
meaning that was made at the time of the trauma can be clarified and
reframed into a healing memory (Dayton, 2000, 2008, 2009).
Psychodrama allows the protagonist, or the client, to learn to receive
support from the group through identification and sharing. It provides a
therapeutic alliance with the director, double, and group that allows the
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client to explore repressed and threatening material with support, so that

defenses that the client used in childhood can be identified and understood.
It slowly breaks down constriction through spontaneous role-play and releases externalized pain and anger that can cause numbness. In addition, it
also slowly reduces as the protagonist confronts and works through situations that they fear, which will provide a therapeutic alternative to medicating
emotional pain, allowing it to be felt in an atmosphere of support and understanding (Miller, 2010). During a psychodrama, the director is the person
who conducts or facilitates a psychodrama. This person is often, but not
always, the group leader. Sometimes the director is a student in the group,
taking turns or operating as a codirector or auxiliary but used as director
for some enactments or explorations. An auxiliary,5 which was originally
called an auxiliary ego in the psychodrama literature, refers to any other
person besides the protagonist or director in the group who plays a role in
an enactment.
The psychodrama relationship bonds through positive group dynamics
and examines the source of bonds and the dynamics of transformation. It
reduces trauma issues through working through the source, and increases
tolerance for dealing with threatening issues within the self and group, slowly
moving toward healing emotions. Another benefit is that it elevates the immune system through the release of repressed material and examines material through role-play, which can help to clear up psychosomatic symptoms
(Dayton, 1994, 1995a, 1995b, 2008, 2009). Having internalized this restorative
relationship experience, the client begins to restore a sense of trust and faith
in the self, others, community, and spirituality, or universal order.
The Purpose of Souldrama

The question remains, how do we consciously make a doorway for transformation to a higher-level, a self-actualized, or a transpersonal self? How can
we gain total recovery and eliminate relapse?
The ego begins to form when we begin to define ourselves in relationship to others and by the roles that we play in life, as well as by identifying
ourselves by words and labels outside ourselves (Miller, 2010). It is a form of
recurring conditional mental and emotional thought patterns that identify it
by the roles we play in life, forming an attachment to something or someone
outside of ourself (Miller, 2010). Our early experiences are deeply rooted in
our a sense of self and our early mistaken beliefs and conclusions, which
continue to have a profound influence on our lives unless they are changed
at the deepest levels of consciousness and in all areas of our minds, bodies,
and emotions (Miller, 2010).
We often remain stuck in early childhood roles because we feel that
we are not enough and need to play a role, and must do something in
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order to get recognition or love (Miller, 2010). As soon as we try to be

something, we are focused on an outside goal, and we construct a sense of
self and unite that sense of self into the I, thus losing ourselves (Miller,
2010).
Codependency, as I define it, is an absence of a relationship with the
self (Miller, 2000). To feel safe in a dysfunctional or addictive family system,
we begin to look outside ourselves for validation (Miller, 2000, 2010). When
we are very young, we learn to attach to a parent who is not fully there for
us, and that attachment pattern becomes the role we play to get love (Miller,
2000, 2010). In the dysfunctional family system, love and attention are so
inconsistent that we become addicted to that inconsistency (Miller, 2000,
2010). Love means being addicted to waiting for the feelings of love that
come from outside oneself, or rather, we become addicted to the potential
of love (Miller, 2000, 2010). The addiction becomes one of potential because
one never can find the perfect other and the sense of self is unstable
(Miller, 2000, 2010). When there is inconsistency and disorganization within
the family structure, we separate from our soul as a defense to be loved
and become highly anxious about what is missing in our family (Miller, 2000,
2010).
In relationships, the addiction becomes one of . . . who she could really
be if she would just stop [drinking, using drugs, working, etc.] because I saw
who she could really be that one good time when she was there for me,
and it felt so good (Miller, 2000, 2010). A client from a dysfunctional family
system views their higher power, which for children is often their parents,
as being outsidenot withinthemselves, and therefore, they have developed internalized object relationships with the spiritual beings in their lives,
which offer them conditional love (Miller, 2000). Many of these relationships
have become contaminated with residuals of childhood traumas and misunderstandings. We attach or bond to a parent with one or a combination of
patterns, which include the victim, the aggressor, or the passive-aggressive
(Miller, 2000, 2010). Whatever the pattern, the child sacrifices connection
with the self to maintain this connection or bond with the primary caregivers in order to feel loved (Miller, 2000). Any of these patterns leaves the
child paralyzed with psychic deadness and a loss of meaning, as well as
alienated, estranged, and facing the eradication of his or her identity (Eigen,
1992). The true self retreats to a zone of safety, but it is shell shocked and
made into an object, which is unreal even to the child (Spiegel, 1997). With
many clients, self-loathing is so great that it impedes forward movement, and
trust is absent because they feel so alone and afraid.
This is often why an addiction is seen as a spiritual calling but one that
goes to the wrong address (Miller, 2000, 2010). In absence of a relationship
with the self, there is always a seeking to attach to another person or thing,
such as relationships, alcohol, or substances (Miller, 2000, 2010). Without true
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self-love and acceptance, recovery can result in addicts becoming addicted

to their own potential, and instead of moving forward, they engage in selfsabotaging behaviors (Miller, 2000, 2010).
Separation from the family is difficult for this child because he or she
is worried for his or her own safety and security. Often, he or she cannot
complete this necessary stage of separation. If one is always focused on what
one needs to survive in a family, one cannot focus on ones own personal
development. Spontaneity, creativity, and openness, which are all attributes
of the spiritual self, are barely perceptible.
When people embark on a journey of personal growth, they hope to
overcome pervasive feelings of fear, addictions, self-hatred, and unworthiness (Miller, 2010). Becoming identified with our mind and our emotions
can sabotage our relationships, preoccupy our thinking, increase our state
of anxiety and unhappiness, and keep us out of a state of joy (Miller, 2010).
Twelve-step recovery programs help in converting the nontranscending selfactualizers, who become stuck in their RQ (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010). A possible next step, that of Souldrama, can show how the experiential process of
progressing through seven doors of transformation can help a client move
toward the transcendent self-actualized state, and thus reduce relapse while
accessing a higher level of spiritual consciousness.
Souldrama: Process and Purpose

Souldrama offers a process of development for every individual by proceeding in sequential stages; each stage builds on and incorporates the earlier
ones in such a way that none of them can be skipped (Miller, 2010). In
between these stages are transitional spiritual experiences, which are special
windows of opportunity for transcendent growth experienced by individuals
that are necessary for their own integration of the work that they are doing
(Miller, 2010).
The purpose of Souldrama is to align the ego with the soul so that one
can move through all three levels of intelligence, with the goal of becoming
a spiritually intelligent individual (Miller, 2010). It can be compared to a
pilgrimage, allowing individuals to process any change in their life with a
conscious awareness of what they leave behind and providing an infrastructure and a guide to facilitate the entering of the unknown and into what lies
ahead (Miller, 2010). According to Miller (2010), the common elements in
the pilgrimage are to (1) accept the call to journey for a specific purpose;
(2) find the faith in ones vision needed to set out; (3) learn how to invoke
the strength of spirit; (4) allow the spirit to speak and work through you
in order to persevere; (5) overcome the obstacles whose intentions are to
slow you down or to stop you; (6) perform the appropriate rituals, enact
the mythology, and connect with the transcendent self, upon arrival at the
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destination of the pilgrimage; and (7) return to ones home community as

a spiritual leader, bringing back the blessings and enlightenment obtained
(p. xxiv). Without structure in the therapeutic process, the ego always thinks
that it is more advanced than it is, and it tries to leap over important steps in
recovery (Miller, 2010). On one extreme end is spiritual bypassing, in which
the individual focuses on the spiritual experience as a shortcut to resolving the psychological developmental tasks of identity formation, maintaining
stable interpersonal relationships, and generativity (Weldwood, 1976). On
the other extreme is the tendency to become absorbed in and preoccupied
with the contents of our developmental history, and then our dysfunction
becomes our identity (Miller, 2010).
The transition from the level of the ego to the existential requires the
ego to deconstruct (Miller, 2010). Adaptive regression in the service of the
ego is, in fact, one of the 12 recognized healthy ego functions (Bellak &
Goldsmith, 1984). Therefore, an individual needs to be able to have this
capacity to let go, to suspend controls with pleasure, and to permit ideas
and fantasies to emerge in that regressed state, thus furthering imagination,
play, humor, inventiveness, and creativity (Bellak & Goldsmith).
Psychodrama is the therapeutic modality used within the structure of
Souldrama that encourages this to happen (Miller, 2010). Successive deintegrations are necessary in the developmental process to allow for new
growth to occur and then to allow for the consolidating of it (Miller, 2010). It
is this healthy function of the ego referred to as adaptive regression in which
there is a relaxing of secondary thinking, an increasing in the awareness
of previously unconscious content, and then an increase in the conscious
thought process (Miller, 2010). Doorways are used in the process of Souldrama because they provide space for transitions (Miller, 2010). Transitional
experiences also provide a bridge between the relational dimensions of the
self and the structured aspects of the self (Chirban, 2000). That is, the individual approaches thresholds in relationships that provide enough security
to proceed across them alone, which in turn, strengthens the individual to
be able to expand the sphere of their relationships (Miller, 2010).
Souldrama: An Experiential Approach

In the following section, the developmental stages of Souldrama are reviewed
and related to the 12 steps that serve as guidelines for recovery (AA, 2001;
Miller, 2010). Then, a case study is provided to describe how this powerful
experiential approach works.
STAGE 1: RATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
The ego is constantly busy trying to define who we think we are, while the
soul is trying to communicate to the ego that we truly are (Miller, 2010).
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The ego comes from recurring thought forms and conditioned mental and
emotional thought patterns that identify it as a form as well as an attachment
to something outside of itself (Miller, 2010). The ego speaks in terms of words
or only in the language of the RQ, such as in what I think (Miller, 2010).
Words reduce reality into something that the human mind can comprehend
(Miller, 2010). However, such words can never describe the in-depth nature
of the ultimate purpose of your life, your experiences, or who you truly are
(Miller, 2010). The ego is who you think you are, thus creating the false
I (Miller, 2010). The ego forms when we begin to define ourselves in
relationship to others and by the roles that we play in life (Miller, 2010).
We begin to define ourselves with labels, and we learn how to be clever to
survive, which then leads us to lose wisdom as we begin to learn RQ (Miller,
2010).
When we move through the RQ, we can disidentify from our thoughts,
and there is a feeling of the thoughts shifting from being the content in your
mind to being the content that becomes part of the background (Miller, 2010).
When we become locked in compulsive thinking, we cannot be present to
hear the voice of the soul (Miller, 2010).
Then, balanced midway between the ego and the soul resides the heart
(Miller, 2010). To repair damage and restore this balance, it requires attending
to the practical, the somatic, and the here-and-now experience (Miller,
2010). In addition, it also requires individuals to let go of old roles, patterns,
beliefs, and structures so that they can take on new ones (Miller, 2010).
Once we are able to do this, we experience an open heart, where we
allow the vulnerability of taking others in, as well as putting ourselves out
to others (Miller, 2010). Souldrama also teaches you to see your parents as
your spiritual teachers (Miller, 2010). It is here that we are able to reframe
the wounds from childhood (Miller, 2010). We now begin to recognize a
higher purpose and are able to stand back from a situation or problem
and see the bigger picture (Miller, 2010). For the first time, we begin to
see the problems in a wider context (Miller, 2010). This stage is in the first
level and must be completed before we can move on to Level 2 (Miller,
2010).
Door 1. Faith.
Purpose. To access our faith and to surrender to something higher than
ourselves (Miller, 2010).
Goal. To build trust among group members (Miller, 2010).
Corresponding steps
1. Admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives were
unmanageable (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to
sanity (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
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Initial group. As with most group approaches, members are introduced and an overview of the group process, goals, and the Souldrama
process is discussed. During Souldrama groups, facilitators use warm-up
and trust-building activities to link commonalities between members, build
group cohesion, reduce anxiety, and encourage here-and-now interactions
(Miller, 2010). In another activity that is used to encourage group cohesion
and honest discussion within the group, Souldrama draws upon sociometric6
principles to illustrate here-and-now connections within the group (Weldwood, 1976). In this exercise, the leader draws an imaginary line down the
center of the room and defines the line as a scale from 1 to 10 representing
perceptions of comfort of group members within in the group.7 The criterion
question is: Stand somewhere on the line, between the numbers 1 and 10,
that represents your level of comfort being within a group today, in which
the number 1 represents being the least comfortable and the number 10
represents being the most comfortable. Once you have chosen your place,
share with the person closest to you. If the majority of the group stands
on the number 1, then the group leader knows that most of the group is
uncomfortable being in a group situation and can deduce that the group will
need more warming up. Sharing with others brings out similarities, which
can help to facilitate group cohesion. Group members are asked to share out
loud why they stood where they did, thereby taking responsibility for their
choices.
Still using the spectrogram, members are asked, How comfortable are
you with your own spirituality? Please stand on the line representing your
level of comfort, 10 being the most and 1 the least. As a tool for the
group leader, he or she is then able to ask those on the lower end of the
spectrogram to share, if they wish, what they would need from the group
to become more comfortable with their spirituality. After both exercises are
complete, the group shares with each other in dyads or in small groups
about their experience using the spectrograms.
During these developmental stages, the leader suggests prayer, meditations, or just plain asking as a method to encourage spiritual surrender and
to facilitate relaxation and trust among members. When surrendering, members realize that they are not omniscient and trust that they are connected to
a greater whole and a power that is greater than themselves (Miller, 2010).
Prayer and surrender offer the group themes of vulnerability and trust, which
are essential for members to commit passionately to their path (Miller, 2010).
These experiences are framed as members consider the concepts in the
Serenity Prayer: Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can, to
accept the things I cant, and the wisdom to know the difference (AA, 2007).
The purpose of the first door is to surrender and have faith in a power
higher than themselves and trust that there is a God or the wholeness
of being (Miller, 2010). Here, the process of prayer or meditation is invoked, because prayer offers surrender and the ability to relax and trust
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(Miller, 2010). A high level of trust allows an individual to commit passionately to their path without attachment to the outcome (Miller, 2000).
Door 2. Truth.
Goal. Clarity of our lifes purpose; embrace the shadow (Miller, 2010).
Corresponding steps
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as
I understood him (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves (AA, 2001; Miller,
2010).
This door helps us to discover the truth of how we see ourselves and
how we are seen by others (Miller, 2010). It enables us to understand the
roles we played in our familyto stay safe and be loved, as well as to understand our loyalty to that process (Miller, 2010). As we reframe the wounds
that we received from our parents and transform them into gifts for our souls
purpose, we begin to embrace the shadow side of ourselves (Miller, 2010).
The purpose of this door is for members to discover and clarify their higher
purpose (Miller, 2010). One measure of spiritual development is a purpose
in life, defined as the capacity to find meaning, satisfaction, and direction
in ones experiences (Miller, 2010). This has been shown to be profoundly
grounded in confrontations with adversity (Zimberoff & Hartman, 2007). At
this stage, group members become aware of roles they unconsciously play
in the world, which developed from their family of origin (Miller, 2010). As
they recognize the old roles they unconsciously play, they take responsibility for re-creating situations and dynamics in their lives that they no longer
desire (Miller, 2010). As the group begins to gain cohesion and as honest
dialogue is encouraged, members begin to hold one another responsible for
their behaviors within the group (Miller, 2010).
STAGE 2: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, WHAT I FEEL
We often see our present situation through the emotional lens of the past,
in which we experience the feelings of the past and overreact to situations
through our old roles, feeding into the ego and becoming trapped in the
emotions (Miller, 2010). Souldrama allows us in Doors 3 and 4 to completely
experience the feelings and emotions in the here and now and then to
connect with those feelings. It is in this stage that we learn compassion for
others and ourselves (Miller, 2010). Then, the minute that we realize that
the pain is inside and not outside of ourselves, it slowly begins to disappear
(Miller, 2010). This means that we allow ourselves to accept whatever it is
that we need to feel and not judge ourselves for it (Miller, 2010). We need
to be who we already are, love made in the image of God (Miller, 2010).
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Door 3. Compassion.
Goal. Forgiveness (Miller, 2010).
Corresponding steps
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and another human being the exact nature
of wrongs (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
(AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
In this stage, participants move through the third door called Compassion (Miller, 2010). It is within this stage that members develop empathetic
compassion and begin to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness inherent in
all people (Miller, 2010). Compassion is defined as having an experience of
feeling with, a deep empathy for self and others (Miller, 2010). By employing a social network to facilitate deep change, J. L. Moreno invited people
to live out the Golden Rule, which was to reverse roles and imagine what it
would be like to be the other person, and thus promote empathy, compassion, and self-reflection (Blatner, 2000). In this spirit, members of the group
could be asked to partake in the role reversal, experiencing and sharing what
they notice from this vantage point. Role reversal is a technique of inviting
one person to change places and play the role of another. Role reversals give
the protagonist insight into the position of others and the opportunity to see
himself as others see him. In an encounter or sociodrama, role reversal ensures that the protagonist has heard the other position and can place himself
temporarily in it. When we reconstruct the scene in time, place, and age, we
can take the pain out of ourselves and observe the present from outside and
not within us. When clients become trapped in their stories of the past, they
do not realize that there is a place from which they can observe themselves
and their pain in the present. It is through the psychodramatic technique
of mirroring that we can become the observer of our pain and then decide
what steps we need to take to move past it (Miller, 2010). In mirroring, the
director suggests that the protagonist come out of the enactment, and then
the scene is replayed by an auxiliary who portrays the protagonist, while
the protagonist observes from the sidelines or farther away in the room. The
protagonist may also then discuss what is observed with the director and
the group. Then she reenters and replays the scene having had a chance to
thus reflect. This stage also helps us to become conscious of our emotional
triggers. When we are able to become aware and conscious of them, we
shed light on our pain and unhappiness and then become capable of taking
the necessary steps to move forward (Miller, 2010).
Exploring different roles enables members of the group to see and
grasp the dynamics of the different relationships in their lives (Miller, 2010).
They could be asked to take the role of God, family members, friends, or
individuals with whom they struggle (Miller, 2010). To find ones unique
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path, it is necessary to become aware of the various unconscious aspects of

the self (Miller, 2010). It is through the discovery, affirmation, and integration
of these aspects that individuals gradually move toward a higher sense of
individuality (Miller, 2010).
As individuals become aware of the voices emanating from the underdeveloped aspects of their personality, they begin to develop a clearer
awareness of the self and a greater appreciation for others. Hearing empathic recounts of their experiences within a group will help to facilitate the
growing awareness that members have of themselves. An individual must
be capable of devoting attention to and practicing self-reflection to progress
in this transformation of consciousness (Miller, 2010). These are building
blocks for mindfulness and for exploration of further states of consciousness
(Miller, 2010).
By encouraging empathy and understanding others perspectives, members begin to appreciate diversity and differences (Miller, 2010). As members
value other people for their differences, they begin the process of celebrating
diversity (Miller, 2010). Consequently, individuals are more likely to value
their own uniqueness as well as others (Miller, 2010). As a result, ones
impulse to judge or criticize diminishes (J. L. Moreno, 1972). This combination of self and other awareness moves members through the process of
forgiveness as they let go of judgments and resentments (Miller, 2010).
Door 4. Love.
Goal. Unconditional self-love (Miller, 2010).
Corresponding steps
7. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
8. Made a list of persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends
to them all (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
As we move through the fourth door, we move into a state of being
known as love (Miller, 2010). This is the place where we find out who we
truly are (Miller, 2010). The purpose of this doorway is for each member
to identify a sense of being, and not of doing, in order to be loved (Miller,
2010). As members move through this doorway, they are encouraged to
consider their experiences and personal meanings of love (Miller, 2010).
Other areas of exploration are the members definitions of their relationship with a higher power and the ability of how to gain a deeper sense of
self-acceptance and unconditional self-love (Miller, 2010). For many, God or
other forms of a spiritual connection serve as a secure base from which to
explore not only the physical world but also the transcendental domains of
the psychic, mystic, and cosmic realms (Miller, 2010). According to Kaufman
(1981), a theologian, the idea of God is the idea of an absolutely adequate
attachment figure . . . God is thought of as a protective and caring parent who
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is always reliable and always available to its children when they are in need
(p. 67). In research by Kirkpatrick and Shaver (1992), participants with a
secure attachment to God perceived him as more loving, less controlling,
and less distant than those with an insecure attachment. An adults attachment style and an attachment to God were strongly related for participants
who reported an insecure childhood attachment to their mothers. People
whose parental attachments were disrupted by separation or loss in childhood were less likely to turn to God as an attachment figure (Kirkpatrick,
1999). Resolving early disordered attachments in psychotherapy may well
result in removing the resistance or avoidance in an individuals spiritual
relationship (Miller, 2010). In our experience, Souldrama and this spiritual
reconnection quite commonly co-occur. Miller (2007b) defines spirituality
as an individuals relationship with a higher power. When God is seen
as being inside oneself, a greater sense of cocreative responsibility exists.
Then opportunity for a person to be authentic emerges, bringing the truth
of the inner world to the outer world and thus creating greater spiritual
leadership (Miller, 2007b, 2010). The technique of enacted dialogue, similar
to what Carl Jung called active imagination, is the technique employed
here for helping others find the course of their spiritual journey in their
life, which consciously becomes associated with the emerging sense of self
(Jung, 1933).
Souldrama builds on the idea of interactive conversations with a higher
power as a way to live consciously (Miller, 2010). Enacted dialogue synthesizes the functions of the ego ideal and the creative unconscious. When the
spiritual other is embodied as either the persons own subconscious higher
power or as the still, small voice, which is the link to an external, spiritual
authority, the creative unconscious is thus identified as a source of wisdom,
warning, comfort, and guidance (Blatner, 1998/1999, 1999). This process intensifies the idea that at some deeper level, clients often know what they
need and believe, and it is healing to put their superficial identities in touch
with this deeper knowing. Through interactive role-playing, individuals often find themselves saying things they ordinarily would not think or say
from the perspective of their ordinary or familiar egocentric positions (Blatner, 1998/1999, 1999, 2000). Therefore, individuals develop a relationship
with that aspect of their creative unconscious, which is formed through their
higher power, soul, or self (Blatner, 1998/1999, 1999, 2000). In enacting
the role of the higher self or some other benevolent spirit or entity, individuals find themselves embodying their own ego ideal, and as a result, the
statements made in the course of role-playing become affirmations, which
then consciously become associated with the emerging sense of self (Miller,
2010). When the ego ideal is wise rather than clever, loving rather than selfish, and giving rather than getting, individuals are helped to move toward
healthier goals (Miller, 2010).
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STAGE 3: SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE, WHAT I AM

Door 5. Humility.
Goal. Self-empowerment (Miller, 2010).
Corresponding steps
9. Made direct amends to such people except when to do so would injure

others (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong,
promptly admitted it (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
Who we think we are also depends on how we perceive ourselves as
being treated by others (Miller, 2010). An absence of spirituality exists when
one feels separate from others (Miller, 2010). Because the soul is present and
speaks only in terms of vision and connection, every time we separate ourselves by labels, definitions, and words, we end up feeding the ego (Miller,
2010). Helping clients to think of themselves in terms of content within and
completeness helps them to begin to see the higher order of things. Once
we are able to see the totality of what we are, our purpose begins to become clear, and we are able to see the hidden harmony connecting the
internal with the external (Miller, 2010). The main objectives in this stage
for a clients spiritual development include balancing a sense of empowerment with self-trust and humility (Miller, 2010). They learn the value of
staying true to their convictions while honoring and respecting different perspectives among others (Miller, 2010). Particularly in the Souldrama group,
individuals feel accepted, even when expressing ideas that are contrary to
the group as a whole. Members learn that they can belong to the group
without being forced to suppress their own feelings or ideas. Central to the
Souldrama method is allowing for self-expression, whether unconventional
or traditional, and for this reason, individuality is encouraged over allegiance
to group norms (Blatner, 2000).
Door 6. Gratitude
Goal. Self-worth (Miller, 2010).
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact
with God, as we understand him, praying only for knowledge of his will
for use and the power to carry that out (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of this step, we tried to
carry this message to those who still suffer and to practice these principles
in all our affairs (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010).
Containment is a fundamental requirement for healthy mental processes,
especially exploratory ones (Miller, 2010). The concept of containment implies the ability to experience what is happening in oneself and others with
an accepting awareness while being able to tolerate direct experience without becoming defensive or acting out to discharge the tension (Rand, 1996).
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Containment is a way of providing secure support and honoring others

boundaries, as well as learning not to take things personally.
The purpose of this phase in Souldrama is to encourage self-worth and
invite members to deeply consider those things for which they are grateful
(Miller, 2010). Each of these objectives is framed within a context of being in the here and now, or by staying in the present (Miller, 2010). It is
here that the group members can see themselves living with purpose and
performing their souls mission (Miller, 2010). In this phase, vision expands,
imagination is freed, consciousness grows, bondage to the fear and anxiety regarding mortality is vanquished, and the descending spirit unites with
the ascending soul (Miller, 2010). Consciousness discovers the divine world,
the divine self, the permanent, living manifestation of God expressed within
and through the human psyche, which is characterized by a stable individual filled with the qualities of faith, truth, compassion, love, humility, and
gratitude (Miller, 2010).
Door 7. Inspiration.
Purpose. Inspiration and cocreativity (Miller, 2010).
Goal. Transformation and integration of all three intelligences and all
12 steps; being open to the present (Miller, 2010).
Fitzgerald (1966) depicted the following aspects of personality as components of openness to experience: (1) tolerance for regressive experiences
(e.g., affects, childishness, fantasy, daydreaming, etc.); (2) tolerance for logical inconsistencies (e.g., seeming impossibilities or bizarre implications); (3)
constructive use of regression (e.g., uses fantasies in a creative way); (4)
altered states (e.g., inspirational experiences with relative breakdowns of
reality orientation); (5) peak experiences (e.g., seeks experiences which are
overwhelming, enrapturing, and thrilling); (6) capacity for regressive experiences (e.g., inquisitive into the unusual, with rich imagination and not bound
by conventional categories of thought); (7) tolerance for the irrational (i.e.,
acceptance of things which violate common sense or science).
In the last door, members begin to live in the moment, listening to the
voice of the soul, and become cocreators with God (Miller, 2010). They listen
nondefensively and openly, integrating all three spiritual intelligences (Miller,
2010). They appreciate being in the here and now, with purpose instead of
impulsivity (Miller, 2010). They are spontaneously living and are responsive
to the current moment, as well as focused on their higher purpose (Miller,
2010). At this point, members concentrate on the spiritual integration of their
experiences and perceptions, express humility, and embrace their uniqueness, while understanding their inherent spiritual journey (Miller, 2010).
Case Study: Warm-Up, Locogram, and Souldrama

The following case study shows the method of Souldrama applied at an
inpatient rehabilitation facility for drugs and alcohol in a male group of
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36 inpatients. Three different colored scarves were placed on the floor in

different locations and the patients were instructed to stand on the red scarf
if this is your first time in rehab . . . stand on the blue scarf if you have been in
rehab two times . . . and on the yellow scarf if you have been in rehab three or
more times. The group became evenly divided as they made their choices.
Each person shared with the person next to them about their experiences.
When the sharing was finished, I asked one individual, who was standing on
the yellow scarf and who had relapsed six times, to go back again to the red
scarf, which represented the first time in rehab. I asked him to share how
he felt when he was in rehab and if he had any idea that he would end up
on the yellow scarf. He shared that he never expected to be in rehab more
than one time and reported that he did not do the steps, skipped over them,
and did not take them seriously. Then, I invited him to return to the yellow
scarf. When he arrived there, I asked him to share how he got back to the
scarf. He said, I walked. Yes, I said. You did not leap, but took steps,
one at a time. He replied, Yes, as a matter of fact, I took 12 steps. I get it.
The locogram8 helps the group leader to see distribution of the group
according to the criterion question that is asked. If the group was standing
primarily on the red scarf, then the leader knows that the population is
primarily there for the first time.
I continued with the same group using a locogram. I asked the group to
stand on one of three colored scarves and to choose an issue they would like
help with. The three choices were represented by three differently colored
scarves. The issues represented were ghosts from the past, with whom they
still had unresolved issues, making amends, and changing your relationship
with a higher power. Twenty-nine of the participants stood on the scarf
that represented ghosts of the past. The group members were asked to
sit down and share among their subgroups why they chose the issue they
stood on. Using the locogram helps the group members to know they have
a choice and a voice and allows them to be accountable for their choices.
The locogram also includes those members who would tend to isolate.
After the sharing, the group with the majority of the members was asked
to put their hand on the shoulder of the person they thought could best help
them to represent their difficulty with the ghosts from the past. The person
chosen would then be the protagonist for the Souldrama. The protagonist is
the individual who enacts his or her life situation rather than talking about
it for the group.9
The three groups chose the person (B) aged 36 who had been in rehab
six times. He never got to say goodbye to his father who was killed in a
construction accident when B was 12 years old. I had B choose someone
from the entire group (A) to represent the role of his father. A played the role
of an auxiliary. I interviewed B in the role of the father. From the questions
I asked of B in his fathers role, he said that he could have stayed home the
day in question but went to work because his son wanted to go fishing with
105
his friends instead of with him. I asked him to reverse roles back, and A
repeated back to B what he said in the role of his father. I then asked B to
tell his father what he wanted to tell him all these years. He began to cry and
told him he felt guilty for going with his friends instead of asking his father
to stay home and to go fishing. In fact, he felt guilty and felt he caused his
fathers death. This is when he began to drink. The role reversals continued
until the protagonist finished saying what he had kept inside all these years.
Many of the feelings that were buried for so long were finally purged. I then
asked B to choose someone to play the role of his higher power C. I asked
B if he was ready to turn his father over to his higher power, for as a child
he did not have that opportunity. B said to C, I cannot hand him over to
you because I love him and Im not ready. I told them to reverse roles as
God. I asked B, who was now in the role of God, how much love God has,
to which he responded softly by saying, God has limitless amounts of love
to give. C then stated, God, I can love my father more than you. B, as
God, replied, Do you think you are God? I asked him what kind of God
he was, and he said, I am a kind, omnipresent God that stays with you
always. I told them to reverse back. After they reversed back, I had the
person playing God, who was C, repeat the last line, and then I asked B,
who was now playing himself, if God could take better care of his father
and give him more love than he could. In tears, he said, Yes. Therefore, I
asked him to give his father over to someone who could love and care for
him more than he could, and he took A, who was playing his father, and
put him in Gods arms. Here, the protagonist was able to gain clarity and
discover the truth about his feelings. He runs a very successful construction
company today and has been responsible for putting in new and inventive
safety measures for his employees.
When B shared with the group later, he discussed that he thought he
was more powerful than God was and could not turn his fathers soul over
to a God who could not love his father more than he could. C shared how
the drama helped him believe that he could trust others and began to admit
that perhaps he had some difficulty with his higher power who he had
internalized as his father. A shared how his role helped him to see that
he needs to be home more for his son. Each member shared with B how
the drama affected them from the role of the observer. There were many
tears, and each person had much to relate to. B stayed sober and has never
returned to rehab and helps his employees get assistance for addictions.
Summary
It is difficult to show a client how to open his heart to experience love so that
he might be able to live with loving, healthy relationships while doing meaningful, creative work (Miller, 2010). A great deal of study in psychology has
106
C. Miller
been done so that a client might understand the scars and abuses of childhood and help them heal and forgive those responsible for their wounding.
Although this helps individuals let go of the past, not enough attention has
been paid to their vision and to their ability to move forward and live a life of
joy, satisfaction, and purpose (Miller, 2010). When individuals nurture their
souls, they have a vision for themselves and for the world as a whole (Miller,
2010). By seeing how they all are connected to each other and to God, they
can then connect on a divine level. After a certain point in therapy with an
addict, vision seems to be more powerful in the recovery process than the
clearing away of baggage from past scars. A client without vision cannot see
far enough ahead to move forward toward a complete recovery. Without
this vision, many clients start losing their enthusiasm for life, their will to
live life joyfully and creatively, and their passion for interests and projects
(Miller, 2010). Many have lost the ability to appreciate the positives in life
and, more importantly, have lost a commitment to action. Complete recovery needs to involve the body, mind, and spirit (Miller, 2010). It involves
controlling compulsions, learning effective coping skills, removing abusive
relationships, learning new behaviors, and putting vision into what life could
be for them.
To support clients in identifying their vision and helping them move
forward in achieving their lifes purpose, we need new, creative therapeutic
tools. One way is to provide a structured, stable format for recovery, such
as the doors and stages in Souldrama but also including and working with
the 12 steps (AA, 2001; Miller, 2010). For the developing adult, a supportive
environment serves to create the transitional space for stepping from the
current level of functioning into a new, higher level, which offers sufficient
ego security to allow for acceptable risk, redefining of roles, order, and
simultaneously accepting chaos. Mayes (2001) stated, Order within disorder,
stability and instability side by sideherein lies the developmental riddle
(as cited in Hartman & Zimberoff, 2003, p. 168).
J. L. Moreno (1972) felt that we cocreate our lives, that we all have
the potential to be Godlike, and that spontaneity and creativity are those
qualities that can stream us into our Godlike natures. One recognizes in
this the honoring and the power of the present moment. It is the constant
goal of Souldrama to help individuals to define their relationship to a higher
power, and thus to themselves, as one that is all loving and not based on the
internalized image of their parents or other authority figures (Miller, 2010).
Recovery is as individual as the person who is attempting to achieve it.
Souldrama addresses the personal belief system in such a way that the client
resolves past issues, redefines their role for current issues, and addresses
and defines what the future holds for them (Miller, 2010). Souldrama gives
much-needed structure to psychodrama in 12-step recovery programs. It
gives them doors of opportunity and transitions to symbolize their recovery
as they actually see and experience spirituality in action.
107
The ego can manifest a far richer consciousness in everyday life than
thought possible if brought into alignment with soul (Miller, 2010). Souldrama, which I developed as an adjunct to psychodrama in the treatment of
codependency, is an action-oriented method that includes both psychodramatic and narrative techniques (Miller, 2010). Action methods, or rather psychodramatic techniques, are experiential exercises under a general category
of techniques that might include physical action, imagination, theatre games
or creative drama techniques, nonverbal communications, and the use of
music, poetry, sculpture, song, dance, movement, and so forth. Souldrama
goes further by redefining an individuals relationship to God (Miller, 2010).
Rather than being subservient to God, we are a part of God. This recognition helps to establish a greater sense of psychospiritual and psychosocial
belonging. When we are aligned with the energy of Gods love, we reflect
this light to dispel the darkness (Miller, 2010). We can then see life as a
mystery to be embraced and not a problem to be solved (Miller, 2010). We
become cocreators in our lives so that we can access our divine purpose
(Miller, 2010).
Through this experiential group process, the client gets to relive traumatic events in a supportive, safe, structured environment in such a way
that it facilitates closure and healing. In becoming spiritually intelligent, we
live once again in touch with our soul, our inner strength, and our higher
power (Miller, 2010). We all function as a part of a greater whole, from family
to social systems, and it is only by establishing our new roles and identity
through the seven doors and the 12 steps that we can successfully learn to
live a life in total recovery with more meaning and an increased sense of
satisfaction. The soul exists only in the moment. Every moment, no matter
what the conditions, offers opportunities to touch and experience life in a
new way. Our egos, with their fears and desires, easily get trapped in the
past and the future, but the power to change exists only in the moment. If
we can experience our own humanity and learn how to transcend the past,
then we can reach for a more promising future. We heal because of who we
are and not what we do.
NOTES
1. Action methods: a synonym for psychodramatic techniques; experiential exercises; a general
category of techniques that might include physical action, imagination, theatre games or creative drama
techniques, nonverbal communications, using music, poetry, sculpture, song, dance, and movement, and
so forth.
2. Psychodrama: a method of exploring life situations by enacting them rather than talking about
them. Psychodrama was originated by Dr. J. L. Moreno around 1924. Its methods have wide application
beyond the realm of therapy. Psychodrama addresses its attention to the truth of each persons lifethat
unique complex and dynamism of interacting roles that makes up the individual in his or her relations
with others and the world.
3. Protagonist: the individual who enacts his or her life situation.
4. Coprotaganists: people participating in a shared drama or a structured encounter.
108
C. Miller
5. Auxiliary: The auxiliary is like a supporting actor except that an auxiliary can play a wider
variety of roles: an inanimate figure in a dream, the unspoken or subconscious thoughts or feelings of
the protagonist or one of the other characters in the enactment, and, as noted above, even the role of
the person of the protagonist (while the protagonist watches from the sidelines). Auxiliaries can change
roles, also. In short, the auxiliary is a term used in psychodrama to refer to any person who helps the
enactment by playing an active role.
6. Sociometry: a group of methods for measuring some aspects of the interpersonal dynamics in
groups. More specifically, it notes the aggregate of preferences in terms of responses to a question such
as, Who would you prefer to work with on this project? The answers are charted and shared with the
group so as to respond to their needs to organize themselves more realistically. It can also be modified
in many ways, using written questionnaires, diagrams, or action techniques. A group of concepts are also
associated with the term, such as the general desirability of helping people to be with those with whom
they feel the most rapport, noting that different relations are constellated when different criteria are used,
etc. On a deeper level, sociometry is a way to more clearly identify preferences and to check out how
one is perceived by others.
7. Spectrogram: The group demonstrates how they feel about an issue in the group by placing
themselves on an invisible line in the room. It helps in objectifying and clarifying the problems.
8. Locogram: The group demonstrates how they feel about an issue in the group by placing
themselves on various spots in the room marked by scarves or other objects. It helps in objectifying and
clarifying the problems.
9. Psychodrama addresses its attention to the truth of each persons life. There is a unique
complex and dynamism of interacting roles, which make up the individual in his or her relations with
others and the world. This person would also help the group to reflect the central issue among the group
members so that not only would the protagonist experience a catharsis, but the group members would
experience a vicarious catharsis through the work of the protagonist.
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This article was downloaded by: [connie miller]

On: 20 April 2013, At: 20:15

Journal of Groups in Addiction &

Integrating Two Models for the

International Institute of Souldrama, Spring Lake Heights, New

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Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 8:81111, 2013

Integrating Two Models for the Treatment

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International Institute of Souldrama, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, USA

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

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SOULDRAMA AND TOTAL RECOVERY

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

spontaneity necessary for conflict resolution. This double action he calls

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

aloneness, and individual responsibility (as cited in Miller, 2010, p. 63).

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

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THE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN SOULDRAMA

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

transformational change. It helps clients to embrace their shadow side and

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client to explore repressed and threatening material with support, so that

The Purpose of Souldrama

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

order to get recognition or love (Miller, 2010). As soon as we try to be

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self-love and acceptance, recovery can result in addicts becoming addicted

Souldrama: Process and Purpose

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

destination of the pilgrimage; and (7) return to ones home community as

Souldrama: An Experiential Approach

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

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path, it is necessary to become aware of the various unconscious aspects of

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

STAGE 3: SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE, WHAT I AM

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9. Made direct amends to such people except when to do so would injure

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Souldrama: 12-Step Recovery in Action

Containment is a way of providing secure support and honoring others

Case Study: Warm-Up, Locogram, and Souldrama

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36 inpatients. Three different colored scarves were placed on the floor in

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