Experiential Letter Writing is the easiest way to introduce role play into your practice. It is structured and focused and allows clients to express themselves fully to a part of themselves or a significant person in their lives. Clients may also write a letter they wish to receive and either choose a role player to represent that other person and have the letter read to them or choose a role player to represent themselves(or use an empty chair) and read the letter to themselves (playing that other person). Letter writing is a “near psychodramatic technique” that grows out of psychodrama. It has a beginning, middle, and end, and it is role-based in that it is to someone, whether to the self or another. It is a good way to incorporate small forms of psychodrama in a contained manner.

In group therapy, experiential letter-writing can also be useful as a closure technique. If a lot of feelings come up for group members during a session or a floor check, for example, clients can write a letter to someone they feel they have something to say or to a part of themselves and take a few minutes to write letters — not to send, but to use as a psychodramatic release. After they have finished, they can proceed with any of the following:

Letter Writing

Share the letters with the group, or if the group is large, form pairs or subgroups and share the letters.

• • Read their letter to an empty chair representing the letter’s recipient.
• • Choose a group member to play the person or part of self to whom the letter is written and read it to him or her. 
• • If you choose the above two options, you can double for the protagonist or the protagonist in role reversal. Do not double for a role player; it becomes too confusing for the protagonist. In a group, group members can act as doubles and protagonists can double for themselves in their roles or when they are in a role reversal as the other person or part of the self.
• • Share the letters with a therapist in one-to-one work.

Role Reversal Letter Writing

Clients may also write letters they wish to receive from someone or a part of themselves. They may then: Choose a group member to play that person or part and experience the letter being read to them. And/or:

• • Share the letter with the group.
  • Share the letter in pairs or subgroups.
  • Share the letter with a therapist in one-to-one work.