defending psychodrama

[Hugh Thompson]

Carol 
Please send me a copy of your
'a list  guidelines for my students on how to conduct a 
workshop at the conferences'.
Hugh Thompson
Australia
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org [mailto:list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org]
On Behalf Of Carole Oliver
Sent: Tuesday, 1 August 2006 8:37 AM
To: list at grouptalkweb.org
Subject: Re: defending psychodrama

Patti, I cant agree more. Psychodrama is a powerful method and has to be 
treated with the utmost respect and every psychodranmatist that presents at 
a conference should be mindful of the participants and protagonist 
boundaries. I have attended few that I believe crossed the line. However, 
for the most part, I am proud to say that most of the psychodrama trainers I

know are skilled and sensitive to all the boundary issues. Perhaps, we can 
prepare a synopsis of the do's and don't for new pracrioners. I know as a 
trainer, I I think it is a trainers responsiblity to teach 
our students this.of  a synopsis of
.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "PATRICIA DESERT" <honeybwomn at msn.com>
To: <drjb at mindspring.com>; <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: defending psychodrama


> Dear Kaya --The "Psychotherapy Networker" published an article a few 
> months ago on the Evolution Conference and said much the same thing that 
> you have reported.  Initially I was quite disturbed reading about 
> Meichembaum's behavior, after all he is a guru in our field and should 
> know better right? As I reflected on it I reminded myself how I forget 
> that the masters in our field are also human and, as such, are subject to 
> act in unkind, disrespectful, and arrogant ways.  Intelligence and 
> creativity do not automatically give any of us the awareness, the 
> willingness, and the ability to corral our hurtful behavior.  I don't 
> always remember that unfortunately. {sigh}  On my best days though I do 
> and that helps me keep my own behavior in check and to choose to learn and

> grow with those learned folks in our field who can do likewise.
>    And I agree with you that our conferences have similar experiences, 
> particularly around the issue of safety.  I believe presenters have the 
> responsibility to make sure safety exists in workshops before any movement

> into action.  Experiential methods are powerful and although professionals

> attend the workshops at our psychodrama conferences they are bringing 
> their histories and personalities into the mix.  We don't like to admit it

> perhaps, but many of our colleagues are walking wounded, with unhealed 
> trauma managed by the sense of control that the role of "healer" offers. 
> That veneer of control in participants can slip away in a psychodrama 
> workshop where a presenter pushes for abreaction.  I have been in a 
> workshop where the presenter continually pressured an obviously anxious 
> and reluctant protagonist to express his anger.  The presenter was so 
> invested in making this happen, which it never did, that we ended up 
> having about 10 minutes for sharing before the end of the workshop.  The 
> frustration was palpable.
>    So I look for that safety being created, know that it won't always be 
> there in conferences, and don't subject myself to experiences where it 
> doesn't exist.  And isn't it wonderful that our conference organizers 
> recognize this too and provide a place for folks to go when they need 
> support?  Anyway, that was my two sense, or more {smile}.
>    Kaya, sounds like you are one of those folks who is searching for your 
> answers to all this. I think your community is blessed to have you willing

> to grapple with it all and to continue bringing psychodrama into the mix. 
> Blessings and peace, Patti Desert in Baltimore, MD.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <drjb at mindspring.com>
> To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 2:08 AM
> Subject: Re: defending psychodrama
>
>
>> Yikes Kaya-- I have been  scheduled to do a short course for the  6th 
>> Brief Therapy Conference on December 7, 2006 in Anaheim. It is organized 
>> by the Milton Erickson Foundation, the organizers for The Evolution of 
>> Psychotherapy Conference with a similar format and with many of the same 
>> presenters as the Evolution Conference. I hope it will be a kinder and 
>> gentler place than when you attended. My workshop is called Couples 
>> Enacting a Lasting Solution with Psychodrama. It runs for 90 minutes on 
>> the first day of the conference.
>>
>> Thanks for your interesting  and honest reporting of the 2005 conference.

>> This conference meets every five years. I attended the 2000 Evolution of 
>> Psychotherapy conference with Zerka. She was one of the master faculty 
>> and she represented us beautifully--a lecture on tele, a 3 hour workshop 
>> with a drama, a wonderful 1 hour demonstration drama using the photo 
>> technique and a conversation hour plus a dialog with Salvadore Minuchin 
>> on family therapy and a commentary on Paul Wachawitz's lecture, What If? 
>> I was privileged to be her companion and so to be invited to all of the 
>> faculty meals and functions. It was a wonderful sampling of all of the 
>> therapies and their founders. There was also some infighting-- EMDR was 
>> the scapegoat that year and some of the older faculty was quite rude and 
>> unkind to Shapiro (especially Meichenbaum).
>>
>> The good news is that you can read Zerkas  lecture in her new book, The 
>> Quintessential Zerka, pp.289-301 and she does quote van der Kolk. Also 
>> you can obtain tapes of Zerka's work by contacting the Milton Erickson 
>> Foundation, 3606 North 24th Street, PhoenixAZ, 85016-6500    Phone 602 
>> 956-6196 www.erickson-foundation.org.
>>
>> Jeffrey Zeig invited Zerka to the 2005 Evolution Conference but she was 
>> not physically up to it. He was not willing to take a substitute for that

>> conference because  the master category is for the originators of the 
>> theories.
>>
>> Wasn't it exciting to have Moreno cited among the few in the Beyond Freud

>> article in Newsweek this year? Psychodrama kicks still.
>>
>> Please wish me well in Anaheim and wish us all well as we continue to 
>> teach this modality in all of the ways we do. Jeanne
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: k.kade at att.net
>> >Sent: Jul 28, 2006 2:39 PM
>> >To: list at grouptalkweb.org
>> >Subject: defending psychodrama
>> >
>> >Hello I want to tell a little story of mine that still echoes inside 
>> >me.... I went to the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference last 
>> >December. I think attendance was over 6,000 people and it was 
>> >overwhelming... All the top names...it was like being at Woodstock or 
>> >what I would imagine Woodstock to be.... Who do you choose to see etc. 
>> >I went and saw Van Der Kolk (Spelling is not my forte)  I really enjoyed

>> >his presentation and enjoyed the research that he was discovering.... 
>> >All those mathematical and statistical formulas that was supporting his 
>> >findings that the body needed to be included etc.  All these things that

>> >we can use to support us.  Then he showed us a video tape of working 
>> >with teenagers who have experienced a big trauma..rape etc.  and he is 
>> >using theatre and they re-create the stories and present them.... He has

>> >a director etc. etc. etc.  So I am very curious about this as he's a big

>> >name and he's doing theatre as a way to heal these issues that he is one

>> >of the int
>> >ernational recognized known experts  on. So I went up to him and asked 
>> >him why he did not call it psychodrama, what he thought of psychodrama 
>> >etc.  His answer to me was that he attended a psychodrama conference and

>> >had three incidents that he was turned off by it.  One of those 
>> >incidents had something to do with people coming out dressed in black 
>> >robes with masks and that he felt that there was no safety involved.
>> >
>> >Now this conference was heavily ladden with the CBT people.  The opening

>> >session was done by ohhh that guy that Robin Williams played... Patch 
>> >Adams  Really interesting man who has done a lot and for me I think I 
>> >learned alot from him.  However he showed us pictures from some of the 
>> >stuff he has done and really I left that feeling traumatized..... I wont

>> >describe the pictures so I don't traumatize any of who... Then Cloe 
>> >Madanes and Anthony Robbins did a live presentation working with a 
>> >couple...Now it may not be my style of working but it looked to me like 
>> >the couple got something..... Later the next day I met the couple and 
>> >they said they were very happy they had done it and they felt that it 
>> >had done something for them.  I asked them if it felt like it was going 
>> >to stick and they said they thought so but how would they kknow until it

>> >had stuck.... Well that couple and Cloe got a lot of hard time. 
>> >Madaanes and Robbins poster was actually defaced and written all 
>> >over..... People
>> >were coming up to the couple saying how sorry they were for the stuff 
>> >that was said etc. etc. etc....   Lastly I went and saw Meichenbaum and 
>> >Van Der Kolk have an interactive discussion and I was horrified at the 
>> >discussion.  I was shocked at the condescending and rude way in which 
>> >Meichenbaum treated Van Der Kolk... I was astounded.  I have the 
>> >recording just because I could not believe that one professional would 
>> >treat another in that way.
>> >
>> >I know this is long and thank-you for hanging in there with me.  I do 
>> >not hear people saying they will never attend this again even though all

>> >this kind of stuff happened..... I do not think there was any more 
>> >safety at this conference than what we provide at ours....We are 
>> >professionals when we attend conferences.  What I wonder is why does 
>> >Psychodrama seem like it is the scapegoat in our professional arena? 
>> >Why do the "stars" of our profession get given a lee way that we are 
>> >not?  If we approach it from this star idea and we maybe the rejectee 
>> >star how do we sociometrically change that?  Does mathematical numerical

>> >equations that support us will that change this "role" that we are in? 
>> >Questions that I am pondering as I forge a path into the Alaskan 
>> >Frontier....Trying to avoid accepting the position that seems to be 
>> >assigned to this beautiful, powerful method/way of life.  Kaya
>>
>> Warmly, Jeanne
>>
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