self expression

[georgia rigg]

Hi Rebecca, Erica, Adam, and all, I ask us to consider
the concept of empathy in this as well.  What is the
purpose of self-expression?  To be more of the group? 
To be more separate from the group?  To be included
and appreciated in the group as a Self?  How many of
us have had the experience of (I like this term!),
pathological self epression--realizing that we felt
very low empathy for the person, as did the group, and
the person did not notice the lack of connection.  I
think a lot in terms of my blend of psychodrama and
psychomotor therapy, and contact with other humans is
a vital ingredient in anything I do.  Georgia
--- HV Psychodrama <hvpi at hvc.rr.com> wrote:

> Dear Erica,
>     I think you are articulating this very well. I
> also deal with some very 
> disturbed people whose 'self expression' has been 
> extremely damaging to 
> others. If we take into account the concept of
> spontaneity things get 
> clearer. Spontaneity is something we
> psychodramatists value highly. So is 
> self expression. But just as there can be
> pathological spontaneity, which I 
> suspect likes a lot like impulsiveness, there can be
> pathological self 
> expression.
> Rebecca
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Erica Hollander" <ericahollander at comcast.net>
> To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 6:19 PM
> Subject: self expression
> 
> 
> > Adam and others,
> > As to what I had in mind when mentioning that some
> self expression
> > can be destructive, I was thinking of the horrible
> shooting at the
> > Governor's mansion in CO last week.  A young man
> walked in in a tux,
> > declared himself Emperor, and threatened the use
> of a gun several
> > times.  He was killed by security officers.  Just
> an example.
> > Adam, I do not disagree with anything you say, 
> but do not find it
> > answers my query.  Do you agree that self
> expression is generally a
> > good thing in therapy?  I think most of us would. 
> But I am not at
> > all sure that affirmation from others is all that
> that is about.
> > Clearly it is about that sometimes.  I don't know
> quite what I am
> > looking for by way of an answer, but something
> seems lacking still.
> > I guess you could also say that helping others is
> therapeutic or
> > behaving well is therapeutic or doing good is
> therapeutic, or that
> > prayer is therapeutic, or meditation, and maybe
> all those things are,
> > but isn't self expression the very basic idea that
> we work toward in
> > psychodrama all the time?  And it has its limits,
> in evil, in
> > maladaptive behaviors, as we are saying.  But is
> self expression not
> > what we are after when we say "stay a half step
> behind the
> > protagonist"?  We are looking to the process to
> free the person
> > inside the problem from the problem in a sense. 
> So we have some
> > faith in the notion that the person within will be
> healthy if
> > expressed.  That isn't always the case, as Georgia
> points out.  Yet I
> > have found in my work with sex offenders that I
> have no more reason
> > to worry about their self expression in the group
> than in any other
> > groups I work with.    Perhaps I am not
> articulating this well.
> > Muddling through.  erica
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Grouptalk mailing list
> > List at grouptalkweb.org
> >
>
http://grouptalkweb.org/mailman/listinfo/list_grouptalkweb.org
> > 
> 
> 
> 
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> 



       
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