The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the M.A. Thesis entitled “Self-care for Counselors through Playback Theatre Based on the Gospel of John, the Samaritan Woman” by Fr. EDWARD L. DANTIS, S.S.P. on 26 September 2023, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m., at DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., LST. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Arsenio Lumiqued, Jr., M.S.C., Ph.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Maria Cynthia Gavino, Ph.D., and Myrna Joyce Sanchez, Ph.D. The M.A. Thesis Adviser is Fr. Teodulo Gonzales, S.J., Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Theological Studies with a field of specialization in Pastoral Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: Self-care is of paramount importance for counselors because they are involved deeply in the care and service of others. Practicing self-care does not only help the counselors personally, but more importantly their clients. This research paper explored the possibility of utilizing a middle ground for counselors, which is an artistic yet therapeutic art form combining Theatre, Counseling, and Self-care.
The writer employed the See, Judge, and Act methodology where the writer saw and experienced what the Counselors experienced after many sessions of counseling (See); they were doing their very best to take care of themselves in many ways, to deal with burnout. Judgment was contextually perceived as a form of positive reinforcement (Judge), and after analyzing the situation of the Counselor, a judgment could now be applied. This was contextually put into practice as the writer constructed Pastoral Plans and determined how to carry out the action plans (Act).
The study made use of Playback Theatre (PT) as an artistic tool to bridge and parallel the counselors’ encounter with their counselees and the Samaritan Woman’s Jesus Experience, with her encounter at the well. PT served as a self-care tool to aid counselors in taking care of themselves by mirroring their experiences in a creative and therapeutic manner.
With the Samaritan Woman’s Jesus Experience, the study recreated it as the counselor undergoes the same through PT. This research study also applied theo-praxis, the spiritual dimension of the study, by employing drama as therapy vis-à-vis understanding the Jesus Experience of the Samaritan Woman geared toward the self-care of the counselors. In the spiritual sense, the Samaritan Woman’s Jesus Experience led to her conversion while the counselor’s session with the counselee in the Counseling Process leads to clarity of thought and outlook for the Counselee. Lastly, the Conductor who facilitates the telling of the Story of the Teller in Playback Theatre leads to the Self-reflection (catharsis) of the Teller.
