USE OF SYMBOLDRAMA REPRESENTATIONS IN WORKING WITH NON-ADAPTIVE COPING STRATEGIES

Abstract

The article discusses the possibilities of using symboldrama (catathymic-imaginative psychotherapy) in correcting maladaptive coping strategies of the personality in the context of modern social challenges. The aim of the work is to theoretically substantiate and generalize the psychotherapeutic mechanisms of the influence of imaginative work on the transformation of maladaptive forms of response to stressful events. The theoretical foundations of the method, its psychodynamic mechanisms, and therapeutic potential in working with avoidance, somatization, aggressive, and dependent behavioral patterns are analyzed. The methodological basis of the study was the analysis and synthesis of contemporary Ukrainian and foreign scientific sources, a comparison of the approaches of the psychodynamic and cognitive traditions, as well as a generalization of clinical observations on the use of symbolic images in psychocorrectional practice. It has been shown that symbolic work with images contributes to the awareness of internal conflicts, the actualization of repressed emotional experiences, and their safe processing in the therapeutic space. It has been established that the use of symboldrama reduces anxiety levels, increases the ability to self-regulate, develops reflection, and forms more adaptive ways of overcoming life difficulties. Particular attention is paid to the possibilities of the method in the context of war and crisis, where there is an increase in maladaptive coping and a need for soft, resource-oriented approaches to psychological assistance. The feasibility of integrating symboldrama with cognitive-behavioral and body-oriented techniques is substantiated. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the conclusions obtained in psychological counseling of adolescents and adults, in psychosocial rehabilitation programs, and in the professional training of psychologists.