Exploring theatre of the oppressed in family therapy clinical work and supervision

Abstract

Augusto Boal's theatre of the oppressed (TOTO) techniques have been used in education, health, welfare, and prison systems world-wide. However, the link between family therapy clinical supervision and training and TOTO has not been explored, either in Australia or overseas. This innovative action research project explores the ways family therapists and supervisors apply these theatre techniques in their everyday practice. Employing a group-based, cooperative inquiry method, 12 experienced family therapists from the Bouverie Centre, Melbourne, reflected on what these techniques have to offer family therapists and counsellors, applied these theatre techniques in their work, and contrasted TOTO with other action techniques used by family therapists. The researchers found that TOTO provided a safe and grounded process that brings ‘action’ into both therapy and supervision in ways that enable clients, families, students, and therapists to explore their own agency in a range of settings.

Keywords:

• Family therapy
• theatre
• training
• Theatre of the Oppressed
• mental health participatory research
• action methods
• supervision

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Bryan Derrick, who trained our BT facilitator and who taught us much about TOTO and forum theatre. We also thank all Bouverie Centre staff who participated in the TOTO group, and who have so generously and openly contributed to TOTO activities at Bouverie and within the wider family therapy community. This research was funded by a La Trobe University Faculty of Health Sciences research grant.