As a psychiatric nurse Ben de Winter has been working in the mental health sector for more than 30 years. He specializes in dealing with and counseling people with psychiatric syndromes, mild intellectual disabilities, personality disorders, addictions and behavioral disorders. In addition to this fascinating job, Ben works as an actor for TV series, commercials and corporate films, among other things. These two passions merged over 20 years ago into a new passion: training acting.
How the ball started rolling
"By the end of 1990, I was already working in psychiatry. I was also on stage and did a lot of figure work. A friend of mine was teaching at the time on the HBO Nursing course and his students were taught about psychiatry in the form of role plays. I knew then that the profession of training actor existed. because I loved acting and worked in the mental health sector, I thought this could be something for me. When he asked me to role-play with his students, I did. That was the start of an oil slick and a network that expanded. From there, I went to other schools and agencies, and the ball kind of started rolling."
"Since then I have done many different assignments. They are often training courses or workshops for regular employees within companies. This can range from a psychiatric nurse, psychologists, psychiatrists, to reception staff who receive training for dealing with aggression or intimidation or security guards at an airport who have to deal with passport and identity fraud." When I asked if there are any behaviors Ben can't deliver, there was a moment of silence. "That's hard to say of yourself, but I think I've come a long way. It's not often that something is 'new' to me anymore..."
On or off?
"I always call myself a behavioral supplier - because I deliver behavior. I can be on and off, loud and soft. If you want, I can play a quiet, introverted man, but also an explicit and adrift man. That's my job: you ask, we turn. Within a training, everyone wants to practice a different 'type' of behavior. So within one training I have been 10 people. It is precisely this variation that makes the work so much fun. My experience in psychiatry also contributes to this. You have to be able to deal with everything: the man in the street, but you also have to be able to have a good conversation with the director who is depressed. You have to be able to level with the level or type of person you have in front of you."
Combining education with acting
"The educational side of being a training actor is what I enjoy the most. I don't just run a role-play. I have years of expertise myself as a social worker within psychiatry and psychopathology, substance abuse, addiction, psychogeriatrics (demented people), ect. So in that I can give someone more feedback and tips. What helps and what does not help? What can work for you or against you? And how can you best approach someone? From the role that I play, I also give feedback to the participant. How does someone come across to me? And what does someone say that makes me feel at ease or, on the contrary, makes me very angry? With video calls this is sometimes more limited, I only see someone's face and shoulders. But with physical training you have someone in front of you, and then you can also give feedback on posture and appearance. That bit of education - combined with acting - is what I like best. And then also in combination with my field of work within the mental health services."
Working online with a training actor
"At the beginning of the corona era, all training was on hold for a while. Then image calling came on, and there was a need for training again. In the end it worked out very well for me and the trainers. I even think that certain training courses will continue to be given online after Corona. I also notice that the enthusiasm among the participants has increased and that it works better than they thought beforehand. Fortunately, I also hear that practicing with a training actor still came across very realistic via video calling."
Safe atmosphere crucial
"An important part of training with a training actor is a safe atmosphere to practice in. How you achieve that depends very much on the group and the participants. For example, I sometimes take part in training sessions for volunteers, and there you have to deal with different participants. They include people who are totally unaccustomed to communication and feedback, and then also have to make video calls. I am very approachable in groups like that. I introduce myself well, tell what my function is, what I expect from the other and especially what they can expect from me. I am the actor and the participant is just themselves. It's not about right or wrong, it's not an exam. I understand that it is sometimes difficult, because all the students are looking at you at such a moment. You make certain choices in the exercise, maybe you correct yourself. It doesn't matter, you learn from it. That's how I break the ice a little at the beginning of a training course or session."
Practice as realistically as possible
"This safe atmosphere is also very important during and after the training. Sometimes I hear that participants had an unpleasant experience with a training actor, that it was too intense or that the training actor "just went on and on". That is such a shame, because then you learn nothing. At the same time, I always try to practice as realistically as possible while keeping my peace of mind. It has to feel real, otherwise you won't learn anything. As soon as you have the idea that you are really talking to a client, you learn from it. On the other hand, I always keep an eye on how the course participant feels. If I notice that certain behavior really affects someone and it really hurts them, then it's up to me - and the trainer - to tone it down or stop. Maybe it evokes a certain experience or trauma in someone. Then it works better to practice in small steps. As soon as someone feels unsafe, they learn nothing. After the role play, safety is again important. How does someone go home? Does the course participant feel okay again, or is there still something you can do for them? It's also just human work. That also has a lot in common with my work in psychiatry."
The added value of a training actor
"The added value in using a training actor is in practicing in a very realistic way, without compromising safety. Take an aggression training for example. You can practice aggression in a realistic way, at your own level, with breaks and feedback. I give feedback from my own point of view, Ben, who stands a little above it and has the 'helicopter view'. In addition, I also give feedback from the person I am playing on how I experienced the situation. That often makes it very insightful for the course participant: how do you come across, what did you think of or not, what could have been better or different. So it's a realistic way to practice, while you know it's an exercise - which in turn makes it safe."
You never stand still
"The challenge for me is in online training and role-playing via image calling. Surely that is becoming more and more of a reality and the future - that everyone will find it very normal to talk to a big screen and do everything with it. I want to grow even more in this myself. Because you never stand still. Even with a trainer you learn new insights and methods. That way it remains varied. Whether I'm at Schiphol Airport as a passport fraudster, at the front desk as an old man whining, playing an employer during a bad news meeting, or in psychiatry as a person with a mental disorder. It remains varied, and a lot of fun."
At Learning Connected, you can now extend the trainings below to practice with Ben as a training actor:
Want to know more about Ben de Winter? Take a look at his
website.
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