How Improv Builds Better Communication Skills (According to a Conflict Resolution Therapist)
Improv students practicing collaboration and play at Peak Improv Theater.
What a Conflict Resolution Therapist Notices About Improv Classes
Therapists often spend years teaching the same communication skills improv students practice in their very first class.
Dr. Tara Alexander has spent thirty-three years helping people navigate conflict. As a licensed clinical social worker and therapist specializing in communication and conflict resolution, she spends her professional life helping people listen better, speak more clearly, and repair relationships.
But outside her office, Dr. Tara is also a longtime student at Peak Improv Theater in Colorado Springs.
The first time Dr. Tara walked into an improv class, she expected a comedy exercise. Instead, she recognized something she’d spent her career building in therapy rooms: a structure that helps people feel safe enough to speak, listen, and try again.
The structure of improv looked surprisingly similar to the structures therapists use to create safe and productive conversations.
“Improv as a discipline was created by Viola Spolin, who was a social worker in Chicago,” Tara explains. “If you’ve ever been in group therapy, the rules feel very similar. We listen, we support each other, and we agree to create a respectful space. That’s why I love it.”
Those rules—combined with the playful nature of improv—create a space where people can take risks, experiment with ideas, and grow. That’s one of the reasons improv skills often transfer into everyday life outside the theater.
The Communication Skills Improv Teaches Adults
According to conflict-resolution therapist Dr. Tara Alexander, these five improv practices help people communicate better in everyday life:
• Clear rules create psychological safety
• “Yes, And” encourages collaborative communication
• “New Choice” removes shame from mistakes
• Playing conflict builds resilience
• Listening becomes the foundation of connection
At Peak Improv Theater, these ideas aren’t theoretical—they’re practiced in every class and performance.
1. PiT’s Rules Create a Safe Space
Every improv class at Peak Improv Theater begins the same way: by reviewing the rules.
For Dr. Tara, that structure is essential.
“In group therapy we establish rules so people know they are safe to speak and be heard,” she says.
Peak Improv Theater does the same.
Students agree to listen, support one another, and avoid harmful humor rooted in racism, sexism, or other “isms.” These clear expectations create psychological safety — one of the key reasons improv can help people experience genuine belonging in a group.
When people know the space is respectful and supportive, they are far more willing to participate, experiment, and share ideas.
Safety is what allows play to happen.
2. Yes, And
One of the first principles students learn in improv is “Yes, And.”
Instead of rejecting someone’s idea, you accept it and build on it.
For therapists like Dr. Tara, this mirrors effective communication.
“In so many conversations, people are just waiting for their turn to talk,” she says. “They aren’t really listening.”
“Yes, And” forces participants to listen carefully to their partner before responding.
The result is collaboration instead of competition.
Ideas grow together instead of being shut down.
Listening is the foundation of every successful improv scene.
3. New Choice
One of the most powerful tools in improv is called “New Choice.”
If a line or suggestion doesn’t feel right, anyone can call “New Choice,” and the performer simply tries something different. The class applauds, and the scene moves forward.
For Dr. Tara, the real value isn’t just fixing a joke—it’s giving students agency.
“I’ve actually new-choiced the teachers before,” she says. “They immediately changed direction.”
That consistency matters. When instructors follow the same rules as students, it reinforces that the classroom is truly a safe space.
Instead of creating embarrassment or conflict, “New Choice” normalizes mistakes, encourages experimentation, and empowers people to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
4. Conflict Resolution
Improv also allows people to explore conflict safely.
In scenes, the kindest person in class might suddenly become the villain.
Because everyone understands it’s play, students can experiment with emotional dynamics they might avoid in real life.
“It lets people practice conflict,” Dr. Tara says. “You can try things you’d never do in a real conversation.”
By exploring tension through storytelling, students develop confidence navigating difficult interactions.
Live improv shows happen every Friday night at Peak Improv Theater.
5. Listening
At its core, improv is about listening.
Not waiting to speak.
Not planning your next line.
Listening.
“You can’t improvise well if you’re not truly hearing your partner,” Dr. Tara explains.
That skill transfers directly to real life.
Whether in friendships, families, or workplaces, better listening leads to stronger connections. These are the same listening and communication skills students practice in our beginner improv classes.
Come Play With Us
Dr. Tara believes adults simply don’t play enough — something many people rediscover when they step into improv for the first time.
At Peak Improv Theater, play isn’t about being funny or performing perfectly. It’s about showing up, listening, supporting your partners, and discovering what happens when creativity and connection take the lead.
If you're curious what this feels like in real life, there are several easy ways to start.
You can watch a live improv comedy show, where performers turn audience suggestions into completely unscripted scenes.
You can try a beginner improv class designed for people who have never done improv before. If you’re not sure yet, you can even register for a free drop-in class to see what it’s like.
Or you can join the community at our free Thursday night Improv Jam, where performers of all levels gather to play, experiment, and support one another.
Because sometimes the best way to understand improv is simply to step into the scene.
