Bringing Improvisation to Life: Experiences to Build Resilience, Address Loneliness and Enhance Our Curiosity and Clinical Experiences
Presented by:
Jeffrey W. Katzman, MD
Director of Silver Hill Academy for Research and Education
The path to becoming a psychiatric involves remarkable accomplishments, yet the high degree of study and activity involved in this process may hamper an individual’s experience in the relational world. As psychiatrist and practice progressively involve mandated diagnostic codes, note specifiers, time spent in the electronic medical record, the experiences of burnout and isolation have grown. This was most notable during the pandemic but continues and costs our system a great deal. While psychotherapy is taught in programs, few have the opportunity for enhanced experiences of connection or of the development of the muscle of curiosity. Improvisational theatre has long been used by successful companies to facilitate an experience of teamwork and belonging and increased joy of work. This modality has been progressively used in medical school education and now within psychiatric training. This workshop will outline the forces potentially leading to burnout and loneliness for trainees and practicing psychiatrists. We will use the underlying guidelines of improvisational theatre and apply this in pairs and groups, without performances, in an energetic and fun session aimed at facilitating the experiences of interpersonal connection, empathy, and curiosity. Hopefully leaving a desire for more!