If you've tried any cases, you understand that a trial is as much an art form as it is a test of facts. Psychodrama can help you better understand your clients, their backgrounds, and what shaped them before they came to you. It helps you to present the compelling story of your case through a better understanding of the parties', experts', and witnesses' motivations. It will also help you prepare your cases and direct them from intake to trial.
This book is a step-by-step manual that will help lawyers who are new to psychodrama learn the basic techniques, and will help more seasoned lawyers perfect their skills. The book begins with the history of psychodrama in law, then moves on to describe the specific tools and techniques that trial lawyers use. Each instructional chapter gives a "how to," followed by an example, and finishes with an exercise you can try at home. Finally, the book gives concrete examples of how you can use your newly found psychodrama tools and skills in all parts of a trial, from voir dire to closing.
Psychodrama is not for the faint of heart. It's a method for those lawyers ready to join the ranks of the best lawyers in the world.
- Introduction
- The Traditional Psychodrama Session
- The History of Psychodrama
- Prepare Yourself—Body, Mind, and Spirit
- The Three Most Valuable Psychodramatic Tools
- Exploring the Story Through Psychodramatic Reenactment
- Fundamentals of Storytelling
- Tell Your Client's Story in the Opening Statement
- Tell Your Client's Story Through Direct Examination
- Tell Your Client's Story Through Cross-Examination
- Select the Jury and Form the Group
- Connect to the Universal Story in Closing
- Processing After a Psychodramatic Session and After Trial
- Appendix A: Certification in Psychodrama
- Appendix B: Opening
- Appendix C: Closing