Abstract

Developmental Transformations (DvT) is an embodied, spontaneous improvisational practice, used primarily in therapeutic settings with a variety of clients and populations. The "unplayable" is a term coined by the creator of the method: David Read Johnson. In this paper the term will refer to material, situations, and moments that are difficult in therapy, primarily for the client, but not excluding the therapist. This research study explores the lived experience of DvT practitioners, as they encounter their clients' "unplayable" material in therapy. Data collected from interviews with a group of four DvT practitioners is examined. Titled Play/Unplay, the final component of this research culminates into a multimedia presentation, performed in front of a live audience. Play/Unplay incorporates live footage of interviews with practitioners, and the researcher's bias and personal experience with the phenomenon, in the form of drama/movement vignettes. This research builds on existing data regarding the phenomenon, and focuses primarily on how the "unplayable" is defined, felt, and encountered, from the perspective of DvT practitioners.