Dear Anne, Manuela, Sue, Adam and all,
first of all I hope that this message will be forwarded to the
group list as well as I am still no member of the list - which I like
to become the soonest of course.
I feel that it is necessary how to react to the possible exclusion
of PD from the latest edition of Corsini Handbook. As I have
suggested beforehand I suggest to write a letter of concern with
several colleagues co-signing. I have attached at the end of this
communicatiopn a draft for a letter. Please feel free to suggest
pieces to add or improve its english as I am no english native
speaker.
All other topics are important as well but in my eyes only hardly
to approach by a fruitful discussion via cyber space. Nevertheless I
try to give some ideas of mine on the topics raised.
Adam has pointed out "weak points" of PD psychotherapy in this
moment: in comparison with other approaches a low number of
publications and a low number of scientific research projects. I have
witnessed the same discussion now for more than 15 years at least in
central europe. As an example to illustrate the topic several years
ago (1996) I could contribute to start the biggest outdoor research
project on group psychotherapy carried through in the last 10 years
in Europe including Group analysis and PD with more than 400 patients
and more than 20 therapists involved over 5 years. Although the
design was prepared by Prof. V. Tschuschke, one of the leading
researchers on groups in the scientific world of today (together with
B. Piper etc.) its results were seriously challenged by other very
influencial researchers. Why? Because even counting with a university
specialized in research matters and with the financial funding (e.g.
in this case about 30.000 US/Dollars) it is very difficult to fulfill
the scientific research criterias for a semi/natural study
(comparable patterns of clients of therapy and control groups; double
blind matching of the two groups). The results on the other hand are
positive for both approaches: GA and PD did significant improvement
in more than 70% of all clients; there were no significant difference
in the over all figures but in the subgroups (due to the insurance
system GA will meet a slightly different profile of clients: clients
are in general more severe as the treatment will be paid by the
insurance companies or more educated as GA attracts more people from
that sphere and less female clients as PD attracts more female
persons). So this is one result we could use. But of course given all
the efforts and the good will invested we should try to come up with
a consensus on reserach design. In this sense all of you interested
in carrying through reserach projects please contact Michael Wieser.
He can give very helpful recomendations. Because after all one very
important issue is the communication between reserachers and
practitioners which often fails.
Publications are made in specialized journals and in journals of PT
in general but like Adam pointed out the communication because of
language barriers if often enough the biggest problem in making use
of it. One idea could be that all the national associations can try
to summarize the current publications in PD in english in their
country and make them avaiable on their web page. This could be a
good point for all of us to stimulate but after all also for you
Manuela as the liaison person for FEPTO and other organizations (I
commit myself to do so with the spanish speaking PD organizations in
Europe and South America where I am also member). I know that Adam
has tried for years to establish such kind of exchange (thank you
very much) but why not trying again putting it on various shoulders?
One last comment: Psychotherapy is a profession and a tool of
public health systems which differs a lot between countries regarding
recognition, training and legal conditions. It is not always easy to
discuss the topic without taking into account these differences. In
those countries where insurance companies pay for PT for the whole
population a very serious discussion has started to exclude PT from
these public services at all: not only PD but all kind of PT. I think
it is vital to understand that we have to overcome at the same moment
traditional ways of thinking in only one territory, religion or
method. Nevertheless I would never give up the idea to maintain PD in
these moments like a method of PT in its own rights and with its own
values and credentials. This does not exclude cooperation or
combination between several methods of PT (which is the practise for
years now) but help to to safe guard the identy of the
psychotherapists which is one of the main aims even in the schools of
"general psychotherapy" where you learn a mixture of techniques and
approaches.
Dear Manuela, Sue, Anne and Adam: I hope this is helpful to
stimulate our discussion. But I like to repeat. I suggest to come
together personally to bring forward the subject as cyberspace often
contributes to misunderstandings and conflicts which can be resolved
much better in a trustful personal encounter. But I enjoy very much
listening to your voices and sharing this important subject with all
of you. Thank you so much!
Now I like to add the draft of the letter we could send to the
editors of the handbook. Although I don't oversestimate the
importance of letters it is better to say something than remaining
silent (which at least in my culture was always regarded as a sign of
affirmance with the proposals made). Please feel free to critisize.
If you are ready to co-sign this letter please tell me (it will be a
letter of all of us not of mine specially). I myself will also
contact some persons of our field if they are willing to co-sign the
corrected version of the letter later on.
All the best, warm regards
Jorge
Dear Sir,
we, the above signed, were informed that you are considering to
withdraw psychodrama from the Corsini textbook for current methods of
psychotherapy. Being practitioners and researchers in the field of
psychotherapy for many years and representing different countries and
orientations we like to express our deep concern about your
intention.
Psychodrama was one of the first original psychotherapeutic methods
not only in the field of group psychotherapy but of psychotherapy at
large. It is used and applied worldwide in more than 50 countries (e.
g.the brazilian psychodrama association alone has more than 5000
members). It is officially recognized by several governments as a
basic approach of psychotherapy (e.g. Austria, Italy, Hungary etc.).
It forms an integrative part in a broad diversity of different
training and educational programs in psychotherapy worldwide
(analysis, CBT, systemic approach) while it covers a special area in
comparison with other approaches: it centers the therapeutic
procedure on emotional relevant processes in the interpersonal
sphere. A list with more than 100 therapeutic institutions with
psychodrama treatment units can be facilitated on request.
Psychodramatic psychotherapy is also contributing to combined
treatment programs in well established ways (e.g. trauma therapy).
Although Psychodrama nowadays might lack especially on behalf of a
systematic scientific research on a larger scale we can provide a
review of more than 50 empiric studies on Psychodrama psychotherapy
carried through in the last 15 years. Finally Psychodrama is taught
at different universities in Europe, Australia and South America and
is represented in a huge number of international psychotherapeutic
associations.
Summarizing we like to invite you to reconsider your decision.
Please take into account the history, the specific contribution and
the present state of theory and practise of psychodramatic
psychotherapy not only in the United States but on an international
scale as well. If you are interested we would be pleased to provide
you with more information on the behalf.
Thank you very much for your attention, sincerely yours
----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----
Von: ablatner at verizon.net
Datum: 30.07.2006 18:49
An: "Manuela Maciel"<manuelamaciel at sapo.pt>, "Anne Schutzenberger
perso"<anne.schutzenberger at wanadoo.fr>
Kopie: "Adam Blatner"<ablatner at verizon.net>, "bulmonte21"
<bulmonte21 at bluewin.ch>, "Grouptalk Tom TREADWELL(2006)"
<list at grouptalkweb.org>, "BLATNER Adam BLATNER(2006)"<adam at blatner.
com>, "Thomas Treadwell"<ttreadwe at mail.med.upenn.edu>, "Daniel Sue"
<suedan at netspace.net.au>, "eva fahlstrom"<fahlstrom_uppsala at yahoo.
com>, "Fahlstrom Eva*(Upp)Fahlstrom"<connectedknowledge at yahoo.com>,
"TAUVON Kate"<tauvon at telia.com>, "KIBEL(IAGP&perso) Howard"
<hkibel at pol.net>, "Rene.Marineau(2005) Rene"<Rene_Marineau at uqtr.ca>,
"GARCIA (USA)Eduardo.ASGPP"<asgpp at ASGPP.org>, "Christer Sandahl"
<christer.sandahl at sandahls.se>, "Bonds-White Frances"<FrancesBW at aol.
com>, "Tom TREADWELL(h.USA.& grouptalk2006)"<ttreadwe at tomtreadwell.
com>, "Secretariat.Paris.PC Anne"<anne.schutzenberger at worldonline.
fr>, "Jap Hidefumi.KOTANI"<genzo at ka3.so-net.ne.jp>, "RUSTOMJEE SABAR"
<sabar at iprimus.com.au>, "WIESER Michael"<Michael.Wieser at uni-klu.ac.
at>, "BAIM clark"<cbaim at hotmail.com>, "Hopper Earl"
<earlhopper at btinternet.com>, "Pines Malcolm"<malcpines at btinternet.
com>
Betreff: Re: Adam,you started this:could we have their names &email,
Please:defending psychodrama
dear Manuela,
I appreciate your good intentions, but let's think
carefully and rationally about this whole matter.
First, have you read my previous replies?
Second... let's address each of your points. see
below:
--- Manuela Maciel <manuelamaciel at sapo.pt> wrote:
> Dear Anne, Adam, Jorge and all
I do believe that it is important to be proactive
in this situation and do something fast about it.
ab: your belief is a sentiment but not a rational
statement. what is proactive rather than reactive
here?
Also "do something" is far from specific, to say
the least.
MM: It doesn`t make sense that we let
"psychodrama" fall out of the current Psychotherapies
handbook in the USA.
ab: it is regrettable, perhaps, but of course it
makes sense. Psychodrama as a package doesn't sell. To
say it makes no sense is like the maker of computer
brand A complaining that it makes no sense that
computer brand B is outselling them.
There are scores of new therapies and more
approaches coming out every year in the USA. Packaged
systems are losing ground. I'll say more about this
later on.
MM What can we do then? I have an unusual
recommendation that might help in the long run: Break
psychodrama down into its component parts and
integrate them with other approaches; deny the
authority of all systems in this postmodern culture;
promote the usefulness of the parts independently.
MM Can we find a consensus? ab: so far I've
heard little of substance, just a lot of
complaining...
MM I want to cooperate! ab: please read my
previous comments about the need for publications,
research, etc. My impression is that the output in
Europe and Latin America significantly exceeds that in
the USA, which may explain why it is growing there. I
don't know about the proliferation of competing
approaches.
Also, your efforts on behalf of psychodrama should
be recognized, both as editor of the book on advancing
theories of psychodrama and as chair of the iagp-pd
section.
Warmly
> Manuela Maciel