Rehearsals for Growth for Couples: Playfully Practicing Mutual Validation

Rehearsals for Growth(RfG) is a Drama Therapy of Relationships that integrates playful improvisational enactments into psychotherapy to promote Mutual Validation (MV). Improvising is itself a relational performance.

In MV, partners both (1) mutually and actively contribute to supporting each others’ perceived reality, and (2) engage in the co-creation of new, shared realities. MV has been shown to be a significant predictor of marital satisfaction.

RfG Couples Therapy is designed first to assess and later to teach the practices of good relationship functioning. Characteristics shared by good improvising with good relationship functioning include: cooperation; attending closely to one another; mutually pleasurable interaction; and mutual validation.

Following a brief introduction and warmup, paired participants in breakout rooms will be guided through two improvisational enactments that playfully challenge them to go on adventures as partners. Post-enactment verbal processing will allow personal reflection as well as suggestions for clinical application.

Daniel J. Wiener, PhD, RDT/BCT Founder, Rehearsals! for Growth; Emeritus Professor, Licensed psychologist; Author/Editor (5 books, 50 Chapters and Articles); presented at 250 Conferences in 9 countries.

Emails: dan.rfg@gmail.com; wienerd@ccsu.edu