Yes, and! Improvisation and therapy
“Life is an improvisation. And, if we're lucky, a long one."
-Patricia Madson, Improv Wisdom
I fell in love with improv almost 30 years ago when I first watched reruns of the original “Whose Line Is it Anyway,” when visiting the home of a friend who had Comedy Central. It was captivating, like a superpower: the way the improvisers just made it all up! I wanted to do that too. So when I moved to Los Angeles in 2001, one of my first bucket list items was to take classes at the historic Groundlings theater. I was on the verge of tears in my car before nearly every class, not because I wanted to perform well or become a star, but because the rigor of an improvisational mindset requires vulnerability, spontaneity, and presence: characteristics I had yet to develop in my young, over controlled, largely overprogrammed self. Gradually, I came to value the improvisational stance as not just a practice for creating art, but also a way of life. As a young therapist, I found myself turning to the principles of improv time and time again, with the number one rule resonating loudly in my head:
Say yes, and!
I have applied the wisdom of improvisation to parenting, education, and the art of being a therapist in workshops for dozens of participants, all of whom emerge energized, excited about this new way of relating to self and other, and ready to take on the challenges of their sacred work. Here’s a taste of that inspiration, in the form of a web-based workshop I did for a group of therapists recently. Come play along, and enjoy!
Rebekka Helford is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Los Angeles, California. With over a decade of experience working with parents and young children, Rebekka specializes in short-term intensive parenting consultation, using a variety of tools including home, office, and school visits to help families navigate developmental hiccups and get back on track. Virtual visits now available!
Click here to schedule an appointment or contact Rebekka with a question – who knows, she might even answer it in her next post!