by Jamie Lynn McCoppin, MA, RDT
Have you ever felt like you were standing in your own way? Self sabotage is very common, but less common is the practice of examining and playing with these parts of ourselves. We have a wealth of roles inside of us such as familial roles (mother/daughter, father/son) and social roles (friend/lover), gender roles (man/woman) and professional roles (boss/employee) and the list goes on.
There are roles we are very practiced in and familiar with… For instance, I’ve been a daughter all my life. I know the role well, and I play it well. Other roles are less familiar to me. The role of “boss” is new and unfamiliar territory, even though I’ve had many bosses in my adult life, I haven’t played one myself. How would that feel? How would I talk? How would I carry myself as someone’s “boss”?
As a drama therapist, I love Shakespeare’s “all the world’s a stage” quote. I have come to understand how valuable it is to rehearse these roles as a rehearsal for our real lives and how we show up in it. Showing up with confidence and courage is what supports us moving through life with joy and ease. According to Drama Therapy Role Theory, the more roles we have in our repertoire, the more flexible and adaptable we are. Being able to shift from one role to the next with ease is a sign of health.
I am not only a drama therapist; I’m a courage teacher. I have designed a program called Playing It Real: Meet Your True Self. I use a combination of drama therapy methods to help people sort through the roles they play, the roles they want to play and the roles that stand in their way. Once they’ve chosen their roles they are most eager to practice, the group finds a shared central question they would like to answer in a drama.
In this complex time, we have a chance to notice these roles that have been waiting in the wings to enter the stage of our life. It’s time to meet our true self — the one that has been waiting to take the stage and stand in the spotlight.
It’s not too late to sign up for the program that begins tonight! We have room for a few more.
Playing It Real: Meet Your True Self
6 Wednesdays starting May 20, 2020
7-10pm EST
Jamie Lynn McCoppin, MA, RDT
Pronouns: She/Her
Drama Therapist, Life Skills Coach & Stress Relief Specialist
Founder of Spark of Play@mysparkofplay on FB & IG
“Wholehearted adults play.“ – Brené Brown