Hall of mirrors on stage: An introduction to psychotherapeutic playback theatre

Psychotherapeutic playback theatre is a form of group psychotherapy in which the playback theatre ritual is at the heart of a group therapeutic process. These groups usually meet on a regular basis, in a psychotherapeutic setting, with a psychotherapeutic contract and aims, and are conducted by a therapist. Each participant gets a chance to be a teller, a performer or a spectator. The aim of the present article is to present the theoretical concepts and techniques of psychotherapeutic playback theatre through the lens of psychotherapy concepts; and to provide therapists with guidelines using three continua that characterize the different variations of psychotherapeutic playback theatre, according to the group's specific process and goals.