Today’s workshop, The Social Self in Experiential Therapy: Relationships, Attachment, & Interpersonal Neurobiology, presented the interpersonal theory and social atom of Jacob Moreno.

We explored the integrations of attachment theory, sociometric theory, and interpersonal neurobiology as they relate to experiential trauma therapy.

Moreno’s developmental phases (doubling, mirroring, & role reversal) were explored from the position of attachment within multiple parallel processes including the infant-caregiver dyad, the client-therapist dyad, the victim-perpetrator dyad (in our case today, a spontaneous sociodramatic vignette about slavery and white supremacy), within the development of a psychodrama vignette, and the layered interpersonal experience of the group itself.

Attachment styles were presented with emphasis on their role-reciprocity and role-complimentary natures. Participants explored their own attachment styles and considered its impact on their clients, supervisees, and colleagues.

Participants created social atoms and action sculpting was used to put one social atom into action integrating relational ideals into all our relations!