Psychotherapy of the Absurd was developed by Carl Whitaker and is based on which art form?

• A. Theatre of the Absurd
• B. Classical Greek drama
• C. Existential psychotherapy
• D. Solution-focused therapy

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Whitaker built a therapy approach by borrowing from the Theatre of the Absurd. Psychotherapy of the Absurd uses dramatic, theatrical techniques—playful, unexpected, and sometimes nonsensical actions—to disrupt rigid family patterns and open up new ways of seeing and relating. In sessions, the therapist may invite members to act out roles, exaggerate behaviors, or introduce incongruous elements to break down defenses and reveal underlying dynamics. The goal is to loosen entrenched patterns and evoke emotions and interactions that ordinary talk alone might miss, so families can explore meanings and connections more freely.

This isn’t anchored in Classical Greek drama, which has a different cultural and structural tradition. It isn’t aligned with existential psychotherapy, which centers on issues of meaning and choice but not through theatrical technique. It isn’t solution-focused therapy, which emphasizes brief, goal-directed tasks. The Theatre of the Absurd provides the specific artistic lens Whitaker used to provoke reflection and change through drama and spontaneity.