Tell Me A Story of Possibility: Applying Improv In Therapy

There is a storytelling-inspired improv game called “I used to be _____ but now I am ______” that we use to warm up a group and at the same time develop ideas and character to explore in scenes. It goes like this: if the group is taking place over zoom, everyone leaves their camera on but covered by something, so all the players’ “boxes” are onscreen but dark. The group leader demonstrates by removing their camera cover and saying a true thing in the format “e.g. I used to be____ but now I am _______; e.g. “I used to be so self-critical about every mistake, but now I view mistakes as valuable,” or “I used to struggle if I needed to say ‘no’ to someone I care about but now I would rather be honest than resentful.” Others in the group for whom this statement is also true remove their camera cover and say “me too,” then cover their cameras again. As the exercise goes on, people tend to be inspired by what others share and encouraged to add their own. Without a lot of context or conversation, the group members connect around a theme that is central to improv and also to successful psychotherapy — the idea that personal transformation is possible.

Some transformations are uncomfortable. We can have just as many “I used to have absolute trust in my partner but now I know what it is like to be betrayed” as “I used to hold onto everything but now I…