Mirroring Movement for Increasing Family Cooperation

Abstract

I became interested in applying theater techniques (particularly improvisation) to family therapy in 1985 and have used, modified, and devised many such games and exercises in working clinically since that time (Wiener, 1994). The main advantages of these techniques are twofold: (1) in common with other action techniques, they encourage participation from less verbally-oriented family members(particularly children) who often become bored or feel excluded in talk-only therapy; and, (2) they create impactful learning experiences that often serve as blueprints or models for desirable changes in family interaction. This article features Mirroring, an elementary theater exercise that heightens the connection that actors build with one another. I have used Mirroring in the form described below in working with over a hundred couples and families.