The effects of the psychodrama in instilling empathy and self-awareness: A pilot study.

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the effects of psychodrama on the counseling skills (mainly empathy) and on increasing the self-awareness of 23 counseling undergraduate students. Participants attended 12 psychodrama sessions over 3 months. Data were gathered by using the Empathic Tendency Scale and a personal information form. The study used the mixed method research design, which combines qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative aspect of the study involved the use of pretest-posttest experimental and control group design with random assignment, while the qualitative aspect utilized the methods of case study, observation, and interview. The quantitative and qualitative results showed that psychodrama increased students' empathy, counseling skills, and self-awareness.