Comparative Study of Persian Indigenous Therapeutic Ritual of “Yaar Araat Gerem†with Psychodrama

Among the ethnic groups living in Kermanshah Province[i], it is customary to perform a special therapy called (Yaar Arat Gerem[ii]) to treat individuals diagnosed with distress and neurosis, which is rooted in ancient indigenous traditions of the region. Effective techniques of this ritual are significantly similar to psychodrama. The supervisor of the group performing this procedure, called “Pary gir†, along with his assistants begins a therapeutic relationship with the patient, based on empathy and emphasizing on the present time. Through looking at the patient’s past and discussing his/her relationships with the important people in his/her life, “Pary gir†tries to understand his/her phenomenal world in order to start a proper treatment through finding the root causes of his/her present problems, and finally utilizes techniques that lead to his/her mental catharsis. In this paper, the researcher explains that psychodrama in its indigenous format, has been used therapeutically for centuries in Iran, through conducting a comparative study of this indigenous therapeutic ritual and modern psychodrama. The comparison highlights the necessity of recognition and revival of these types of indigenous therapeutic rituals, and emphasizes the necessity of their application in the treatment of psychological disorders.NotesNote 1. a province located in the west of  IranNote 2. I’ll find you an auxiliary ego