Dramatic metaphor as a revelatory bridge for the untruthful or masking client: a narrative literature review

Abstract

Clients often lie to their therapists or engage in inauthentic behaviour. Many autistic clients engage in “masking” behaviour. Lying and inauthentic behaviour on the part of the client is damaging to the therapeutic alliance and to case conceptualisation in non-arts based psychotherapy. In dramatherapy, where fantasy and pretend are used during therapeutic engagement, this may not be the case. The use of dramatic mask has potential dramatherapeutic applications for the process of “unmasking” for autistic clients. “Knowing the truth” about a client should not be the therapeutic goal. The role of the therapist in containment is to tolerate ambiguity about the client’s experience. A dramatic model of identity and role performance, combined with an understanding of psychodynamic defense mechanisms, can help dramatherapists tolerate ambiguity and maintain therapeutic alliances with clients who may be lying. Acts that occur in the dramatherapy setting may be considered to be inherently self-revelatory. Metaphor can act as a bridge between dramatherapist and client. Some lies are of metaphorical significance, and inquiring after their function for the client may be revealing.