Psychodrama is an interpersonal theory according to which when two persons encounter, their interaction is modulated by “tele”, a reciprocity of feelings which is based on the reality of here and now. The functioning form an individual assumes in that spesific situation is called a role. An abundance of roles and the flexibility in changing them, is regarded as a richness of the ego. Projections and transferences distort tele by changing the reality of the here and now. Roles which are not expressed because of reasons like repression, may exert a pressure on the manifest role, thus causing anxiety. Those are the causes of conflict and anxiety.

In order to work on those, the conficts and anxieties are brought and played on a scene where the persons involved in the actual confict are represented by other group members, along with the protagonist's past object relations if necessary. During this play all the protagonist's inner world, the needs, fears, thoughts, beliefs, values, phantasms and introjects can be concretized and put on scene.