Linden, S. B. (Ed.). (2013). The Heart and Soul of Psychotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach through Theater Arts. USA: Trafford Publishing. 511 pages. ISBN: 978-1-4669-7335-0.
Reviewed by: Maria Nomani, Stony Brook University
The Heart and Soul of Psychotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach through Theater Arts, edited by Saphira Barbara Linden, introduces the intriguing application of transpersonal drama therapies to confront physical and mental illness. Her approach centers on the identification of one’s soul and achievement of human consciousness, out of which wholeness is reached and health is regained. Linden has developed the Omega Process as a program of Transpersonal Drama Psychotherapy. It includes twelve steps that allow for healing by accepting the essential Self and ultimately concentrating this self-reflection into lasting interconnectedness. The book goes on to demonstrate the practical use of Transpersonal Drama Psychotherapy by Linden’s students in an immense range of populations and settings. Linden’s fundamental goal through these exemplifications is to solidify drama therapy as a meaningful form of psychotherapy. Additionally, psychotherapists can use this book as a guide to developing an understanding of these techniques, their implementations, and future uses.
A significant portion of the book focuses on the transpersonal aspect of drama therapy, providing details of the traditions which affected this view the most. The influences of Sufism are given special attention, as is the influence of Carl Gustav Jung’s individuation. This proves crucial to the reader’s understanding of Transpersonal Drama Psychotherapy and describes the transformation that occurs within the patient. Linden firmly establishes its potential for universal success by referring to previous cases of drama therapy utilized in the early 1900s, its recent establishment as a field, and its dramatic growth and development since that time.
In the book, Linden’s students establish the effectiveness of Transpersonal Drama Psychotherapy through its success with clients. Its flexibility is detailed through demonstrations with specific cases in private settings, couple sessions, with families and children, in therapy groups, and in larger communities. This adaptability allows psychotherapists to take Transpersonal Drama Psychotherapy in a variety of directions, as suited to their own concentrations or to the needs of individual patients.
The methodology utilized by Linden’s Transpersonal Drama Psychology is an interesting new domain in which psychotherapists can attempt novel therapeutic approaches when aiding traumatized patients. The Heart and Soul of Psychotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach through Theater Arts provides a comprehensive overview of this topic and numerous applications of drama psychotherapy, each serving to authenticate the success of drama therapy. Thus, this book is a reliable guide to the distinctions of Transformational Drama Psychotherapy for its readers and decisively recognizes drama therapy as a valuable form of psychotherapy.