Scenes from the 2014 psychodrama conference

Scenes from the 2014 annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama in Oakland, Calif. Watch for more blog postings about the conference in the next several days.

What's in your warm up (basket)?

I'm having fun putting together my donations for the silent auction fundraiser, which is a special feature of the annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, coming up next month April 3-7 in Oakland, Calif.

All baskets have themes -- and this one is "Eye on Images For Warm Ups," with a focus on using cards and other images for warm up activities.  I love using commercial card decks for to begin groups and individual sessions as they are evocative ways to stirring stories, feelings, memories and ideas. At the beginning of a session, they can be placed on the floor, right side up, for people to look at and select, or in a basket in a part of the room or passed by hand from one group member to another.

In this basket, I've included Loving Our Earth cards, Disney princess cards, animal magnets, framed and matted animal prints, vintage post cards, animal notepads and animal book marks, greeting cards and a set of "cards" that I made from CD envelopes and pictures cut from magazines and other places.

Here's how I made my picture envelopes (see photo, with sample at left) and how you can make them:

• CD envelopes with cellophane window
• Magazines, greeting cards, brochures, photos and other items with interesting pictures
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

Then:

• Make template with card stock, cutting your card stock 1/8 inch less on each side.
• Place template over most interesting graphic part of picture from magazines, cards, brochures or whatever else you have collected.
• Use pencil to mark lines lightly on picture.
• Insert picture into envelope.
• Close envelope by folding flap inside or tape.

There's still time to come to the conference. Details here.

Meet you in Oakland, Calif., for our psychodrama conference

This year we'll have people who love psychodrama to gather, learn, play, talk, share -- and psychodramatize!

It's the annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama. The dates are April 3-7 in Oakland, Calif. Today, Feb. 7, is the last day to get the discount for conference attendance.

Catalog of workshops and registration details here.

I've been invited to present, and my workshop  Eating Disorders and the Ancestors Connection on Saturday, April 5. Psychotherapy for eating disorders traditionally looks at the immediate life of the person seeking help. As we widen our perspective – that many of our problems may have roots in intergenerational family trauma - the integration of psychodrama and constellation work offers new tools to understand and heal. In this workshop, we identify hidden intergenerational issues relating to eating disorders and how to select interventions that honor suffering, promote strength and allow love to flow.

If you're going, watch for our book signing evening and look for me and my coauthor Linda Ciotola signing our book, Healing Eating Disorders with Psychodrama and Other Action Methods: Beyond the Silence and the Fury. I also hope to have my newest book, Modern Psychodrama, available, which is in press right now.

 How about you? Will I see you there?

Adam Blatner talks about "Beyond Psychodrama"

Adam Blatner, M.D., TEP,  is one of the biggest voices to assert that psychodrama is more than therapy -- and of the great need to contribute this method to education, law, personal growth, theater improvisation and coaching and the like.

In this video, he discusses "Beyond Psychodrama: The Global Reach of Moreno's Ideas and How They Merge with  Other Trends" as the opening plenary session of the 71st annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama in April 2013.

Warming up for ASGPP's conference in April

 

Come to the conference! The 71st Annual Conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama has the details ready.

The date is April 11-15, 2013 in Arlington, Va., with more than 100 workshops and presentations by many leaders in the field from the United States and around the globe, showcasing their work and the wide reach of psychodrama and sociometry in a variety of applications to clinical and non-clinical settings.

I'll be there with my colleague and friend Linda Ciotola and we'll offer "Healing Circles for Eating Disorders," from our new book Healing Eating Disorders with Psychodrama and Other Action Methods: Beyond the Silence and the Fury.

Find details and conference catalog here.   

The conference is open to those who have an interest in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy for personal growth or professional development -- or both -- and includes presentations by  keynote speaker is Tara Brach, Ph.D., an internationally renowned clinical psychologist, author and teacher of meditation and mindfulness. who will also lead an experiential workshop. 

The plenary will be led by Adam Blatner, MD, TEP, and Allee Baltner. Both will highlight the global reach of psychodrama. Adam is really one of psychodrama's stars, and he and Allee are the authors of The Art of Play, one of the first books to recognize the healing elements of play.

There will also be the group's annual awards event -- where I'm proud to receive the David Kipper's Scholar Award this year -- plus regular events like the newcomers' gathering, Adam Blatner's Songfest with Lorelei Goldman and the traditional Saturday night party.

 Hope to see you there!

2013 psychodrama conference in Virginia

Save the date!

The American Society for Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama is planning its 2013 conference April 11-15 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Va., just minutes from Washington, D.C. The theme for the 71st annual conference is "Psychodrama; Being, Seeing and Acting that Connects Our Global Community."




A psychodrama rhyme!

What's your favorite psychodrama song?

(Wait a minute. Does psychodrama have songs?)

Well, kind of. This one comes from the Saturday night celebratory dance at the 2012 conference at the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama -- with a group of slightly revised lyrics -- popular since the founding the ASGPP in 1942.

This is my personal favorite, sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things":

High chair and low chair and concretization

Doubles and mirrors and showing creation.

Stand in the doorway and share your issue, 

then one of the members will give you a tissue.

When the protagonist cries

and the director replies

Role reverse right now.

we simply remember our favorite techniques and then

we can be in the  now.

Watch for our next conference April 11-15 in Arlington, Va.

Group psychotherapy association seeks proposals for 2013

The American Group Psychotherapy Association is seeking proposals for its annual conference in 2013 in New Orleans. Submissions are due by April 16, 2012; look for the easy online submission form here. 

The2013 conference is scheduled at the New Orleans Marriott from Feb. 25-March 2 with the theme of "Overcoming Obstacles: The Power of the Group."

Proposals may be submitted for specific institute sections, workshops and open sessions relevant to the theme. They may come from a research perspective related to a specific theoretical approach, focus on specific populations or an approach used to help them or demonstrate models of therapy that clinicians use to help clients find a way to thrive.

Annual conference coming right up

The 67th annual gathering of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama is getting ready to roll.

The professional association's 2009 conference takes place in the Midwest, this year in the gateway city of St. Louis, Mo., from March 26-30. I'm proud to be co-presenting with my colleague Ron Anderson, LPC, CADC III, TEP, on the topic, "Couples Work With Systemic Family Constellation Work." See the online catalog here. There's still time to register, too.