abusive therapist who does "psychodrama" in UK

[bernard widlake]

I have now read the articlae you are referring to about Derek Gale, and 
realise how serious the situation is.

Reading his book, I can see how aluring he could be, as he comes across as 
modest, honest, and well-iinformed. He refers to his own therapy, speaks of 
his own training, and has a reasonable target for the book namely, to give 
you an experience of how the therapeutic method works...and give you an 
experience of what is feels like to be a therapist giving that sort of 
therapy, the sort of problems for which the therapy can be used to help and 
the likely outcome.The book was published in 1990.
It is easy now i hindsight to recongnise the weaknesses of the position he 
adopts, and the dangers of subjectivity and self-direction.  When he wrote 
he appeared to be in touch with the psychodrama world, and there is a lot in 
his book which is interesting and sound.  It is tempting in view of the 
article to find roots for  later behaviour in what the   author wrote. I did 
think when I first read it that there was some suprficiality in his writing, 
and the book is open to criticism.  But the author is open about his own 
training and qualifications. His proclamation of subjectivity and 
experiential learning, and his criticism of  others are sometimes sharp and 
not well rounded, and lack empathy and real understanding, but do not seem 
to me to explain fully how he came to his present position.  He does say 
that he found psychodrama directing easy and imply that a non-directive 
director can be very directive at times.  But 
sometmhing does seem to have gone very wrong with his practice later on, 
which his views do not lead to but may have acted as an excuse for what has 
later developed.

Is this a cationary tale?

Best wishes,

Bernard.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Blatner" <adam at blatner.com>
To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Cc: <iagp-psychodrama at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:01 PM
Subject: abusive therapist who does "psychodrama" in UK


> Does anyone know this fellow, Derek Gale? How embarrassing!
>   This was first passed along on the dramatherapy listserve. >
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=483201&in_page_id=1879The 
> lady who passed it along wrote:  It shocks and frightens me that a 
> therapist can be sounethical! I'd like to think that us creative arts 
> therapists are especially wonderful andamazing people, but I guess even 
> creative arts therapists can be unethical and, for lackof a better term, 
> messed up! I welcome any thoughts on this... -Krista Verrastro, MA, 
> RDTnibsmf at GMAIL.COMI agree with her. -- Adam
>
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