Author Archives: Tian Dayton

About Tian Dayton

Tian Dayton, MA, PhD, TEP, is the Director of the New York Psychodrama Training Institute and the Program Development for Breathe Life Healing Centers and executive editor of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. She serves on the board of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and is the author of 15 books. Dr. Dayton is the creator of the Internet's first interactive self-help website, www.emotionexplorer.com. Learn more at www.tiandayton.com.

Feeling Floor Check: Tools of the Trade

May 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Trauma - (Comments Off on Feeling Floor Check: Tools of the Trade)

The Feeling Floor Check is one of my most popular exercises. I created it about fifteen or twenty years ago when managed care took over and at that time clinicians in our area were being given groups of thirty and told to provide them with a therapeutic experience. I adapted the concept of locogram and …
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Tools of the Trade: Why Trauma Requires Experiential Healing

May 13th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Uncategorized - (Comments Off on Tools of the Trade: Why Trauma Requires Experiential Healing)

Tools of the Trade On my blog, “Tools of the Trade” I am going to regularly post experiential “exercises” that I have created and tested over time. Much of the experiential work that I do is based on the principles of psychodrama and sociometry, however the integration of research alongside experiential exercises, is my own …
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Denial: Is it Always Pathological?

February 11th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Uncategorized - (Comments Off on Denial: Is it Always Pathological?)

Denial is a word that people in recovery use often. It  refers to an addict denying their own increasing use and abuse and it’s affect on their life and the lives of those around them, or an enabler denying the progression and impact of  an addict’s escalating addiction. But is denial always pathological? Are there …
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The following experiential exercises for helping groups, both inpatient and outpatient, to process issues of trauma and grief are taken from  both The Living Stage and RTR Relationship Trauma Repair  by Tian Dayton, both available at HCIBOOKS.com  The Trauma Time Line: Working with Context and Narrative Goals: 1. To provide a visual context through which to …
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Who doesn’t self-medicate, at least a little? Sinking into a plate of pasta and a glass of wine or chowing down on French fries after a stressful day really does work to smooth out the rough edges and give us that “ahhhh” feeling. But when does this sort of behavior cross that invisible line between …
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