Psychodrama by any other name

Thu Oct 25 14:37:15 CDT 2007

Morenean.

On Oct 25, 2007, at 3:36 PM, Adam Blatner wrote:

> Spontaneitist?  How about imaginatrician? Innovatologist?   
> Innovatist? Creatologist?
> Adaptive Facilitator. Coach-at-large.
>     Delightful. How about neologician? one who makes up new words?
>
>     The solid part of what you're saying---and I plan to weave it  
> into my plenary
> presentation--- is that we might conceive of an interdisciplinary  
> field aimed at promoting
> the capacity for imagination and improvisation, mental and  
> emotional flexibility. It would
> be a field that recognizes that creativity includes the  
> interpersonal, group,
> psychological dimensions as well as technical thinking. What good  
> is an idea if you block
> your creativity for fear of seeming too assertive? Or can't sell it  
> to others because
> you're too interpersonally annoying?
>          And how can we get teams to work more effectively? So this  
> slight re-focus from
> realm of application or specific method to broader vision and  
> mission intrigues me.
>
>      As for a forum, how about using our grouptalk for input. Have  
> you read my paper in
> the recent journal? What do others think?  Warmly, Adam
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "thana ag" <anathga at hotmail.com>
> To: <adam at blatner.com>; <list at grouptalkweb.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 2:07 PM
> Subject: RE: Psychodrama by any other name
>
>
>
> Hi  Adam,
>
> Thanks for your  delightful response.
>
> Yes. I am  coming to the conference, will give a workshop and will  
> look forward to seeing
> you there,and everyone else.
>
> As for the "Spontaneitist", a name I suggest for remarketing  
> ourselves if we to survive
> let alone flourish:  I am  glad you like the neologism, idea. You  
> say the name is a
> mouthful?! Come on Adam, not more so than a "gynecologist" or an  
> "obstetrician" - and the
> term  so aptly designates what we are uniqly equipped to deliver:  
> the birthing of the
> "new",the getting in touch with the "source" (if we want to appeal  
> to  the "spiritual "
> bend),or maximizing  effectiveness, (appealing to those of the   
> rational ,quantitaive
> bend.)
>
> In a world where technology is drowning us with innovations,  
> choices -we need humans with
> maximum ability to adapt. It is a world  that did not exist 20  
> years ago.Humankind is in
> dire need  of people capable of presence and spontaneity. What I  
> like about the  term
> spontaneits is that implies both concentration and playfulness.Now  
> let's play with
> that....
>
>  Remarketing  ourselves thus, we won't need to compete with  the   
> offshoots of Moreno's
> prolific offerrings:action methods,role playing,gestalt,empty  
> chair,drama therapy etc
> etc-we would be the ones  offering training in  the "meta" : that  
> which created this
> methodology and can offer more ad hoc... Hmmm.
>
> As you can see I am warming  myself up to this new designation. I  
> think I would proudly
> introduce myself as a Spontaneist (at least no cringe here for  
> me):as I was so  proud of
> being " Dir of Psychodrama " in the seventies., being thus annoited  
> by Morenos.
> Connie Miller says she has  changed the name  of her offerring to  
> "soul therapy":"psyche
> "and "soul" mean the same thing,but soul is " softer". much more  
> marketable. Now. But can
> you imagine Moreno calling  Psychodrama  - Soultherapy then?!    
> Yicks. Up the cringe
> factor.  Then it was Psychdrama vs Psycho analysis, Moreno vs Freud..
>  The times have changed. The landscape is changed.
>
>  As Moreno says somewhere in "who shall survive?".: It's not the   
> not the Homo Sapiens who
> shall survive,but the Homo Spontaneous.
> I think he'd go for the name. Us doing the Obstetrics....
>
> What about a forum during our conference?  Far out again?
>
> warmly,
> anath  garber
>
>> From: adam at blatner.com
>> To: anathga at hotmail.com
>> CC: list at grouptalkweb.org
>> Subject: Psychodrama by any other name
>> Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:23:56 -0500
>>
>> Response to Anath Garber.
>> Hi Anath. I hope you'll come to the ASGPP conference in San  
>> Antonio April 10-14 next
>> year, and hope all the rest of you will come, also. (Anyone from  
>> another country---make
>> sure you tell me if you plan to attend! I may have a little  
>> something nice for you.)
>> Now, today AG wrote: There is something "off putting " about the  
>> term "psychodrama".
>> I agree with you, Peter.
>> AB: I comment on this on p.162 of the Winter 2007 issue of the  
>> Journal of Group
>> Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry, in a section on 'problems  
>> in terminology' in a
>> paper I wrote titled Morenean Approaches: Psychodrama's Many Facets.
>>
>> AG: Sheepishly admit, ,that I have been offering "experiential  
>> therapy" for years...
>> Whenever tried to push a person from chair to chair, I'd hear :  
>> "oh no,not that "psycho"
>> thing. So I'd do the same thing in a subtler way. (ok Adam,another  
>> article I should
>> write..).
>> AB: Well, maybe---a commentary about this problem. Read my paper.  
>> If you have
>> anecdotes, do write a paper. Short of that, consider writing a  
>> less formal paper and
>> I'll
>> post it on my website. (I don't think you have a website yet.)
>>
>> AG Now,I can understand why people who come to consult with me do  
>> not want to be
>> associated with anything that sounds "psycho", as they are quite  
>> worried that they may
>> be a bit of that. I'll introduce "psychodrama" when I organize a  
>> "psychodrama group"
>> made up out of my patients,where I use this use this method..  
>> Because I have already
>> earned their trust they join, and because the group is so  
>> effective, moving and fun, the
>> "cringe" factor about the name disappears. My enthusiasm about  
>> psychodrama maybe a
>> factor
>> too. I think. And also because they are part of a group.
>> So here is an idea of the myriad of possibilities and much needed  
>> applications
>> that Psychodrama can offer (don't get me started on it) -won't it  
>> benefit us if we
>> "rechristen" ,or remarket ourselves as "Spontaneitists", like  
>> orthodontists,
>> nephrologists, etc, suggesting a specialty (much in vogue..).?
>> AB: Well, I enjoy an interesting neologism. The basic idea is not  
>> bad. The word is a
>> mouthful---that would be a problem, mere pronunciation... but  
>> there's a willingness to
>> play around with seeking a fresh word.
>>
>> AG As spontaneitists we would offer help, service, training,  
>> intervention in that
>> which underlines all healing, creativity, spirituality,  
>> effectiveness, a "core" training
>> (think "Pilates" as an analogy in body work ). Spontaneitists  
>> would be a name for
>> everything psychodramatists can offer according to the demand of  
>> the situation. This way
>> psychodrama can be lifted from the realm of therapy to include it,  
>> but not be limited by
>> it.
>> Am Society for Spontaneity,Group Psychotherapy and Sociometry?
>>
>> Of course that would require that we model spontaneity(Moreno was  
>> a Spontaneities) and
>> at
>> the same time maintain professionalism,which may require some  
>> redefining or rather
>> refining. Needless to say "a change of name" to suit the new  
>> professional firmament -may
>> be a case of spontaneity.Hmmm... Far out? Warmly, anath garber
>> AB: sure it's far out, but one of my mottoes is that "off the deep  
>> end" can also be
>> framed as "where the really great swimming and even scuba diving  
>> happens." Thanks for
>> your... well, spontaneity!! (smile) Adam
>>
>
>
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