AReadersTheater:CinderellasTherapists

Studentswillbeintroducedtodifferentorientationsandtechniquesusedinpsychotherapy.
Materials:Severalcopiesofscripts.
Procedures:
1.Designateatherapist,aCinderella,aFairy,andamoderatorforeachpageof
dialogue.
T=Therapist
M=Moderator
C=Cinderella
F=Fairy
2.Haveeachgroupstudyparts,andthenhaveatypeofreaderstheaterforclassastheyreadtheirparts.
3.DooneatatimeDiscussionoptional.

Biomedical

Moderator:HowdoyouconceptualizeCinderellasdifficulties?
Therapist:
IbelievethatCinderellaissufferingfromanorganicdisturbanceprobablyabraindisturbance
ofsomesort,forexample,anoverabundanceorlackofaneurotransmitter.ForCinderella,we
postulatethatsheissufferingfromapsychoticdisturbance,duetoherdelusionsofbeingpersecuted
andthenrescuedbyahandsomeprince.
Moderator:HowwouldyoutreatCinderella?
Therapist:
SincewebelievethatCinderellaissufferingfromtheeffectsofsomesortof
psychosis,wewouldrecommendprescribingheranantipsychoticmedicine.
DrugTherapy
Cinderella:Ialwayshavetoworkformymeananduglystepmotherandstepsistersand
theyneverletmegooutandhaveagoodtime.
Fairy:Howdoyouenvisiongettingfreeofthissituation?
Cinderella:Iknowthatonedayahandsomeprincewillcarrymeofftoliveashisqueen
inhisgrandcastle.
Fairy:Andhowwillthisoccur?
Cinderella:Well,firsthewillinviteeveryoneinthetowntocometoaballand,ofcourse,my
stepfamilywillnotallowmetoattendyettheyallwill.Illhavetogetthemreadybutcantgo
myself.ButIknowthatlaterthatnight,myfairygodmotherwillappear,turnmyragsintoabeautiful
gown,miceandmen,apumpkinintoacoach,andratsintohorses,Inthisway,Iwillbeabletoattend
theballwheretheprincewillfallinstantlyinlovewithmeandnobodyelsewillrecognizeme.Oh,
onelastthing,Illbewearingglassshoesandstillbeabletowaltzbetterthananyoneandrunawayat
thestrokeofmidnight!
Fairy:Cinderella,Imgoingtoaskyouafewquestions.Whatyearisitnow?
Cinderella:Oh,about1563
Fairy:WhoisthepresentpresidentoftheUnitedStates?
Cinderella:Well,Icouldnttellyouthat,butIdoknowthatPrinceCharmingissoongoingto
inheritthiskingdomandIwillbehisqueen.
Fairy:Ofcourseyouwill.Butfornow,Idlikeyoutotakethismedication.Itwillhelpyou
feelmuchbetter.

Psychoanalysis
Moderator:HowdoyouconceptualizeCinderellasdifficulties?
Therapist:IbelievethatCinderellaisengaginginwhatwecallsplitting.Inotherwords,shesees
theworldinonlyblackandwhiteterms.Peopleand/oreventsareeithertotallygoodortotallybad.I
believethatCinderellastartedthisprocessbecauseoftraumaticchildhoodevents.Specificallyinthis
case,itappearsthatCinderellahasneverresolvedtheconflictsheexperiencedwhenherfather
marriedherstepmother.Becauseherstepmotherinessencereplacedhermother,shebegantoview
herasallwickedandugly.Incontrast,shebegantoidolizeherfatherandseeshimasallgood.
Moderator:WhatwouldyourecommendforCinderellaasfarastherapygoes?
Therapist:Tohelpherresolvetheseconflicts,weneedtoengageherinlongterm
psychoanalysistohelpherresolvethisconflict.
Moderator:Whattechniqueswouldyouuse?
Therapist:OnetechniquethatwouldhelpCinderellaaccesstheseunconsciousconflictsand
thenworkthroughthemiscalledfreeassociation.
FreeAssociation
Cinderella:Ialwayshavetoworkformywickedanduglystepmotherandstepsistersandthey
neverallowmetogooutandhaveagoodtime.
Fairy:Cynthia,Idlikeyoutoliedownonthiscouchandjusttellmewhatevercomesintoyour
mindnomatterhowtrivialitseems.
Cinderella:Imalittleembarrassedaboutdoingthis.Idontreallyknowwhattosay.
Fairy:Justrelaxandsaythefirstthingthatcomesintoyourmind.
Cinderella:OK,ummm,cleaning,working,tired,hate,love,mice,men,Steinbeckoopps,
wrongstoryhandsome,wealthy,powerful,prince,palace,slipper,lost,pumpkins,
coaches,run..

Cognitive
Moderator:Asacognitivetherapist,howwouldyouconceptualizeCinderellasdifficulties?
Therapist:Cinderellasthoughtprocessesareclearlyfullofcertainexcesses,deficits,andwarped
worldviewsthatwouldpredisposehertodifficultiesinlife.Forexample,Cinderellaspendsmuchof
hertimeengaginginavoidancebehaviorsuchasdaydreamingandbeingselfcritical.Compounding
theseproblemsisthefactthatshespendstoolittleofhertimeplanningormakingdecision.Infact,
shehaspoorproblemsolvingskills.Inaddition,shetendstoAwfulize.
Moderator:Whatdoyoumeanbyawfulizing?
Therapist:Cinderellatendstoviewherentireworldasterrible.Shefailstorecognizeanygood
inhersituation.
Moderator:WhatarethegoalsoftherapywithCinderellaandhowwouldyouattempttomeet
thesegoals?
Letslookatanexample.
CognitiveTherapy
Cinderella:Ialwayshavetoworkformymeananduglystepmotherandstepsistersandthey
neverletmegooutandhaveagoodtime.
Fairy:Itseemstomethatyouthinkthatyourstepmotherandstepsistershavecontroloveryour
life.
Cinderella:Notonlythat,buttheymakemylifemiserable.Ihavetocookandcleanforthem,sew
theirclothes,fixtheirhairandmakeupnoeasytasktendtheanimalsandgarden.WhyIhardly
havetimeformyself!!!Itsalwaysthem,them,them!
Fairy:Whenyoudohavesparetime,whatdoyoudo?
Cinderella:Tobehonest,Ijustsitamongstthecindersanddaydreamthatsomedayahandsome
princewillcomealongandrescuemefromthisdrudgery.
Fairy:Haveyoueventriedtothinkofadifferentwayoutofyourpresentsituation?
Cinderella:WhyNO!!Icouldneverfreemyselffromthismess.Besides,howcanImake

plans?WhenImjustplainwomaninraggedclothes.Imworthless!
Fairy:Ithinkthatyourewrongaboutthat.Infact,Ithinkthatyouareentirelyworthwhileand
thatifwejustputourmindstoit,wecancomeupwithasolutiontoyourdilemma.

Behavioral
Moderator:HowdoyouconceptualizeCinderellasdifficulties?
Therapist:ItseemstomeasifCinderellasmajorproblemisherfearofherstepmotherand
stepsisters.Shehasnotlearnedhowtodealwiththeminawaythatisgoodforher.
Moderator:Whatwouldyousuggestshedo?
Therapist:IwouldsuggestthatCinderellachangeherbehaviorathome.Specifically,she
shouldnotfearherfamilymembers.Thisfearisthesourceofherunhappiness.
Moderator:Howwouldyoudotherapywithher?
Therapist:OnethingImighttryisatechniquecalledsystematicdesensitization.Throughthis
approach,theclientgraduallyovercomesherfearsandconsequently,changesher
behavior.
Systematicdesensitization
Cinderella:Ialwayshavetoworkformymeananduglystepmotherandstepsistersandthey
neverletmegooutandhaveagoodtime.
Fairy:Howdoyoubehavewhenyourearoundyourstepfamily?
Cinderella:IcantwalkoutofmyroomwhentheyrearoundbecauseofwhatImighthaveto
face.
Fairy:Cinderella,Idlikeyoutositbackandgetascomfortableandrelaxedasyoucan.Breath
deeplyandjustrelax.Arecomfortableandrelaxed?(Cinderellanods)Good!Now,Imjustgoingto
sayafewwordsandIwantyoutoremainasrelaxedaspossibleasIdo.Thefirstwordis
stepmother.(Cinderellafidgets)NowCinderella,trytorelax.Clearyourmind.Now,Imgoingto
repeattheword.Stepmother.(Cinderellaiscalm).GoodjobCinderella!!NowImgoingtosay
anotherword.Thistimethewordisstepsisters.(Cinderellafidgets)JustrelaxCinderella.Takea
deepbreath.Nowletstrythatagain.Stepsisters.(Cinderellaiscalm).NicejobCinderella!!!
NowletssupposethatImentionthenames,DrizellaandAnastasia(Cinderellaisvisibleagitate).

Pleasetrytomaintainyourstateofrelaxation.Imagineyourselfonawarm,tropicalisland,basking
inthesunandimaginethatDrizellaandAnastasiaarenowhereinsight.(Cinderellaremainscalm).
Goodwork!!!Idliketotryonemorethingthissession.Imgoingtoshowyouapictureofyour
stepfamily.Openyoureyesandlookatthispictureofyourstepmotherandstepsisters.(Cinderella
looksatthepicturebutturnsawayinfear).TrytoremaincalmCinderella.Iveputthepictureaway
now.Justrelax.Welltrythatoneagainnextsession.

Humanistic
Moderator:Howdoyouconceptualizeherdifficulties?
Therapist:IdontthinkthatanyoneorIbutCindycantrulyunderstandherdifficulties.Sheisaunique
personwithuniqueexperiences.Rightnow,itdoesntseemlikeCindyunderstandsherselforaccepts
herselfforwhosheis.
Moderator:Whatwouldyousuggestshedo?
Therapist:IthinkCindyisbeginningaprocessofselfexplorationthatwillresultingrowthand
selfacceptance.Thekeytothisprocess,Ithink,isexpressionoftruefeelings.
Moderator:Howwouldyoudotherapywithher?
Therapist:IamgoingtotryandgiveCindyasafeandsupportiveenvironmentinwhichtogrow.Also,
Iwilltrytofacilitateherexplorationofhertrueself.Iwilldothisbyofferingherunconditionalpositive
regard,empathizingwithher,andbeinggenuinewithher.
Clientcenteredtherapy
Fairy:SoCindymayIcallyouCindy?YoumaycallmeFairyWhatbringsyouheretoday?
Cinderella:Ialwayshavetoworkformymeananduglystepmotherandstepsistersandthey
neverletmegooutandhaveagoodtime.
Fairy:Itsoundslikeyouareveryfrustratedwithyourcurrentsituation.
Cinderella:Ohyes!!!Ijustcantbelievethattheymakemeworksohardwithoutareprieve.
Fairy:Itmustmakeyouveryangry.Canyoutellmemoreabouthowyouaretreatedbyyour
stepmotherandstepsisters?
Cinderella:Well,theyconstantlytellmehowuglyanduselessIam.

Fairy:Howdoesitmakeyoufeelwhentheysaythistoyou?
Cinderella:Itmakesmefeelugly.
Fairy:Whenpeoplecriticizeme,ithurtsme.Isthathowyoufeelwhenyourstepfamilycall
youuglyandworthless?
Cinderella:Yes
Fairy:Letstalkmoreaboutthat.

Hollie Drake
Overland High School
Social Studies (AVID & AP Psychology)
Junior Class Prom Sponsor
720-747-3878
720-747-3895 (Fax)
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss