Question

[Connie Miller]

Dear Adam: 

Muddy?? This is a swamp!

Ultimately it is the decsion of the trainer. My groups are for "Training in Aciton Methods" and they also comprise those wanting psychodrama certification. This in fact stimulates those in training to want to get certification later in psychodrama. Otherwise I feel like we will never have those certified to do psychodrama increase and psychodramatists will then become a special and exclusive group and will die. Also this is why I agree with you about teaching different parts of psychodrama separately to help spread psychodrama. And of course I would never allow anyone in the group who was not using the group methods in thier own work but only wanted to use the group for therapy.

I however am studying for the written part of the tep exam where it asks under the ethics part,,, what do you do if someone in your therapy group wants to join your training group? Technically I guess the right anser is not allowing duel relationships but is this what the all the traianers are actually doing?? Right now, I have only met one. this is why I am looking for group feedback. 

Thanks Connie


-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Blatner [mailto:adam at blatner.com]
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 08:39 AM
To: list at grouptalkweb.org
Subject: Re: Question


Dear Peter, Connie, and group.
 Peter, your open-hearted attitude is commendable, but I wonder if you have considered the potential for less-than-worthy motivations. There are people who want the status of professionalism, but are yet unwilling to take on the full responsibility for self-management that this implies. What I'm referring to is the role of "patient" or "client," in which the therapist has a more non-judgmental attitude of "I'll try to help you at the level that you are functioning." Some of these levels can be quite immature, entitled, un-self-modulated, dependent, passive-aggressive, and so forth. Many people are not willing to live up to the simplest requirements of being responsible enough to pay regularly and in good faith, to show up regularly and on time, of refusing to be civil under the excuse of victimhood or the right to emotional expressiveness, and so forth. 
 To move to a training group is a kind of graduation into a recognition by peers and group leader that one has moved into a full process of taking charge of one's life. Not all issues are resolved--I quite agree with Peter about this-- but there has been a graduation of sorts that is the equivalent of finishing therapy in the sick or dysfunctional role. 

 The problem is tricky, and it is a dual role-- clients wish for unconditional regard, but this term is misleading. It confuses the archetypal maternal unconditionality--I'll draw you forth however you may be, age 1, age 3, age 8, age 80...
 and the archetypal paternal conditionality: You are recognized as being qualified to swim, do brain surgery, take 2nd level geometry, only when you have clearly demonstrated your mastery of the first level or other realistic requirements.

 Alas, the actual requirements for training as a counselor have become hopelessly muddy, and it is quite possible to be excessively immature and still get into a training program somewhere, and even graduate. This is because there are significant financial incentives to accept all comers, to keep people in rather than wash them out, to blur and overlook deficiencies. Arguments that the number of training programs and trainers should be limited evokes counter-accusations of being elitist and guild-like. Arguments that call on the belief in the innate goodness of people confuse the reality of people being a nexus of hundreds of roles and role components, some of which are more talented, and the ways strengths often compensate for, and not infrequently disguise weaknesses. So significant discrimination is needed.

 In some universities, this graduation - acceptance into a graduate school - problem of transference, dependence, and approval is circumvented by a general policy that there be a period in which graduates must travel elsewhere and perform for supervisors who have not been in the nurturing role, the object of parental transference. Perhaps later, having demonstrated clear competence and maturity, they may be re-considered for a position in the upper graduate or even lower faculty level. It's an interesting challenge--perhaps one that requires a hard look at the limits of good feeling, tele, etc.

 I hope I haven't muddied the issues too much. Warmly, Adam
----- Original Message ----- 
From:Peter Howie
To:connie at souldrama.com ; list at grouptalkweb.org
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: Question


Hi Connie,

It is often a natural step. The psychodrama groups are developmental. The training is developmental. Not all work can be done in a training groups and hence experiential groups are required as well for trainees. Not all development can be done in experiential groups and hence training is available. What does the training do? It expands a persons functioning, their capacity for warming themselves in a spontaneous fashion, their capacity to role reverse with others and creates mental models for the process of doing so. While I run the groups differently the larger purpose is the same - a more spontaneous world.

Cheers

Peter Howie
Brisbane, Australia




At 12:19 PM 24/08/2006, you wrote:
I was wondering what other trainers do when a group member wants to join the psychodrama training group. what are your feelings on them being in both?
Connie
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