Trauma-Informed Communities
Ozge Kantas Ph.D.
In this column, we cover the transformative power of psychodrama in various domains of life due to its individual and collective process of healing human relationships. This also aligns well with what is known as trauma-informed approaches and building trauma-informed communities.
As a society, we tend to view play as a luxury or a pastime. But what if play is essential to our well-being and growth, both personally and professionally? What if play could be the antidote to stress, burnout, and even trauma? In this issue, we will explore how trauma-informed playfulness, as the core of psychodrama, is not just for children, but for adults too—especially in contexts like leadership, therapy, and team building. Play, when used intentionally, can be the key to unlocking creativity, fostering emotional resilience, and creating an environment where people can thrive. Therefore, psychodramatic protocols are not random recipes to be picked from a cookbook but need to be well understood from a trauma-informed lens. I know this is contrary to the mainstream “ice-breaker” games in the context of education, business, and counseling.
Understanding how trauma is an inherent part of our lives, we need trauma-informed leaders not only in clinical but also in non-clinical groups, including workplaces, policymakers, and community organizations (Giacomucci, 2023). Psychodrama, as a tradition and intervention technique longer than one hundred years old, acknowledges and addresses the issue of trauma way before PTSD was recognized in DSM in 1980 (Psychiatric Association. (2013). Much of Moreno’s early work focused on trauma survivors, at a time when the effects of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had not yet been fully defined or understood. However, psychodrama creates safe space and playroom to swing from suffering to thriving.
We Are Born to Play: Playfulness as a Healing and Leadership Tool
There is a spectrum between well-being and ill-being. Mental health problems do not come one day suddenly; they build up. In Moreno’s terms, this is the psychodynamic effect, and we need therapeutic communities to co-create something else, something better. Like ill-being, well-being or healing will not suddenly pop up. We must design and co-create it. Playfully! We need to make it happen properly that aligns with biology, psychology, and sociology. The topics can range from psychopathology cases in clinics to productivity issues in companies. Yet, human-centeredness is the key to trauma-informed practices. According to SAMHSA (2014), those principles are transparency, trustworthiness, mutual aid, empowerment, voice, choice, and consideration of history, culture, and gender issues.
In my leadership development trainings in companies, whenever I use sociometric techniques in my classes, during my workshops I introduce and I go over those principles, one can easily see that being trauma-informed naturally calls for the need for groups and collective healing. If you recall from previous issues, what was happening with the kids, sex workers, and refugees as depicted in the early works of Moreno was that they were lacking adequate safety in society. And Moreno’s milestone work was a meaningful change for helping people to help each other. In other words, to play together. There needs to be psychological safety for a group to be helpful, rather than harmful. There needs to be empowerment and choice; there needs to be collaboration, trustworthiness, diversity, and peer support. For Moreno, those warm-up techniques were a gateway for people’s spontaneity and creativity so that he could measure and intervene in the sociometry of group. In that lens, play can be considered as the opposite of trauma. Neurobiologically, emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively, play functions as a healing mechanism that can help individuals process and recover from the impacts of trauma. Play is not just fun; it is necessary for healing, growth, and leadership in the workplace, community, and beyond. In his book Who Shall Survive, we can see that in classical psychodrama spontaneity is an indicator of mental health/well-being and a remedy to ill-being. In other words, it is both the antecedent and the outcome.
Because psychological safety is not just a buzzword, it is essential for effective group dynamics. It is like the egg in the batter that you need to whisk everything else with.
Play and Trauma: The Neurobiological, Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Contrasts
At the neurobiological level, trauma impacts the brain in profound ways. When an individual experiences trauma, the fight-or-flight response is triggered, often leading to chronic stress and anxiety. The brain’s ability to regulate emotions, make decisions, and think creatively becomes impaired, leaving individuals feeling stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed. This neurobiological shutdown can be seen in the form of hypervigilance, dissociation, or emotional numbness.
In contrast, play activates the brain’s reward centers, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which governs creativity, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. Play creates a safe, non-threatening environment where the nervous system can “reset,” restoring the ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, and act with flexibility and creativity. In this way, play counteracts the heightened arousal caused by trauma, promoting healing at the neurobiological level.
Emotionally, traumatic experiences or symptoms often result in feelings of isolation, hopelessness, or fear at work, in family, at school and in other contexts.
Play, on the other hand, fosters connection, joy, and curiosity. In moments of play, we are invited to engage with others in ways that build trust, foster empathy, and enhance communication. Play allows us to process emotions through spontaneous expression, relieving emotional tension and enabling us to reconnect with ourselves and others in a meaningful way.
Behaviorally, trauma can cause individuals to withdraw, avoid situations, or become hyper-reactive. It can manifest as avoidance, anger, or an inability to engage fully in social or professional settings. Play, however, encourages engagement, cooperation, and experimentation. When we play, we step out of our comfort zones, take risks, and explore new behaviors and roles without fear of failure. This playful experimentation builds confidence and adaptability—skills that are essential for overcoming the limitations imposed by trauma.
Cognitively, trauma distorts our thinking, often leading to negative self-perceptions, catastrophic thinking, or an inability to see alternative solutions to problems. Play challenges these cognitive patterns by encouraging flexibility and open-mindedness. In a playful environment, individuals are more likely to approach challenges with curiosity and creativity, rather than with rigidity and fear. This cognitive shift allows individuals to explore new perspectives, generate innovative solutions, and engage with the world around them with a fresh mindset.
Psychodrama as a Trauma-Informed Intervention
Psychodrama, as a method of action-based therapy, offers a powerful tool for trauma recovery and prevention of traumatization in groups. It provides a structured yet flexible approach to exploring the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral impacts of trauma through role-playing, spontaneous enactments, and creative expression via surplus reality. Psychodrama is uniquely trauma-informed because it allows individuals to externalize their thoughts and feelings, re-enact challenging situations, not calling out but and “play out” new behaviors in a safe and controlled space via healthy encounters in Morenian philosophy.
In my work as a psychodrama practitioner, I have seen firsthand how these techniques promote healing. One powerful example comes from a recent workshop I facilitated, where participants engaged in the “Role Reversal” technique whereby individuals switch roles to gain perspective on their experiences. One participant, a leader in an organization, used Role Reversal to “step into the shoes” of a colleague she was struggling to communicate with. This exercise not only enhanced her empathy but also helped her develop new strategies for improving their working relationship.
Another example the “Doubling” technique, where one person acts as the “double” of another, speaking their unspoken thoughts and emotions aloud. In a therapy setting, this technique allows individuals to explore their inner world safely and express feelings they may have suppressed or been unaware of. It provides a unique opportunity to gain clarity and emotional release in ways that traditional talk therapy may not.
These techniques are not only therapeutic in a clinical setting—they can be transformative in organizational and leadership contexts as well. Leaders, managers, and teams can benefit from psychodramatic methods to improve communication, enhance empathy, and develop resilience. By creating a space for people to “play out” new ways of thinking and behaving, as each group member can be auxiliary ego to each other, psychodrama fosters the development of leadership skills, teamwork, and creativity in a way that traditional methods often fail to do.
Playfulness in Therapeutic Communities
Therapeutic communities range from classrooms to boardrooms, therapy rooms to neighborhoods, and start-ups to corporate teams. In each of these environments, playfulness is a key indicator of psychological health. Play encourages connection, creativity, and collaboration, all of which are essential for thriving in any community.
In classrooms, play enhances learning by promoting engagement and reducing anxiety. When students are encouraged to explore new concepts through playful methods, such as role-playing, simulations, or creative problem-solving activities, are more likely to develop a deeper understanding of the material and retain it. The playful approach also reduces fear of failure, encouraging students to take risks, ask questions, and engage in critical thinking.
In therapy rooms, play is a tool for healing. Not only children but also adults often express their emotions through play, and adults can benefit from similar techniques to access repressed feelings and engage in self-reflection. Play-based interventions, like psychodrama, allow individuals to process complex emotions and experiences in a safe, controlled manner.
In boardrooms and professional settings, play fosters creativity and innovation. When teams are given the freedom to “play” with ideas, experiment with innovative approaches, and challenge traditional ways of thinking, they are more likely to generate novel solutions to problems. Playful role reversals in psychodrama can strengthen interpersonal relationships, build trust, and enhance collaboration—crucial elements of any successful group or organization.
Play is not just for kids. It can be the work of adults, especially in the face of traumatic connotation work comes with. As I highlighted in my Disrupt HR Rochester talk, “We Are Born to Play!” play is a powerful tool that can help us heal, grow, and lead with resilience and creativity.
Finally, in neighborhoods and communities, play promotes social cohesion and resilience. It encourages individuals to connect, build relationships, and work together towards shared goals. Communities that embrace play are more likely to support each other in times of crisis and adapt more effectively to challenges.
Whether we are teaching, healing, or leading, incorporating play into our daily lives is essential for fostering psychological health and well-being. While trauma impacts us neurobiologically, emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively, play, on the other hand, provides a safe, healing space for us to reconnect with our creativity, empathy, and resilience. By integrating trauma-informed playfulness as we do in psychodrama, into our work and personal lives, as our motivational quality and the level of basic psychological need satisfaction increases, we can transform not only our own experiences but also the environments we work and live in.
The next time you encounter a challenge—whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or the therapy room, remember that playfulness, in the form of spontaneity and creativity, can be a key to unlocking the door for a therapeutic community and building a resilient future. Play not only as an antidote to trauma but also a catalyst for leadership, innovation, and growth fostering collaboration in in co-creating therapeutic communities.
References
American Psychiatric Association, D. S., & American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Vol. 5). Washington, DC: American psychiatric association.
Giacomucci, S. (2023). Trauma-informed principles in group therapy, psychodrama, and organizations: Action methods for leadership. Routledge.
SAMHSA’s (2014) Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/medicaid_health_homes/docs/samhsa_trauma_concept_paper.pdf.