Celebrating psychodrama at St. Elizabeths Hospital

  

In the history books of psychodrama, St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., has a special chapter.

The venerable Saint Elizabeths (yes, no apostrophe) Hospital Psychodrama Department received the 2013 Collaborators Award from the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama.

Psychodrama was introduced to the hospital decades ago by James Ennis, one of Dr. J.L. Moreno's first trainees, and Dr. Moreno visited there to demonstrate his method. Dozens of trainees learned the art and craft of psychodrama there before moving on to training centers and their own practices and businesses. The psychodrama department was dissolved in the early 2000s, although a strong creative arts department continues to function. There is behind-the-scenes discussion to bring psychodrama back to the hospital.

St. Elizabeths Hospital is a psychiatric hospital operated by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. Founded in 1852, it was the first large-scale federally run psychiatric hospital in the United States. Housing several thousand patients at its peak, St. Elizabeths had a fully functioning medical-surgical unit and offered and psychiatric residencies. It has since fallen into disrepair and the grounds are mostly abandoned, although the east campus is still operational and it opened a new facility in 2010. Well-known patients include would-be presidential assassins Richard Lawrence (who attempted to kill Andrew Jackson) and more recently John Hinckley, Jr. who shot Ronald Reagan, as well as the successful assassin of James Garfield, Charles J. Guiteau. Other notable residents were Mary Fuller, James Swann, Ezra Pound and William Chester Minor, former Civil War Army Surgeon.

Lots of great hospital lore at the Wiki site.

2015 Systemic Constellations Conference -- save the date!

Save the date -- North American Systemic Constellation Conference will take place Nov. 12-15, 2015 in San Diego, Calif. A wonderful chance to learn more about this emerging alternative healing process and organizational change process for people, families, groups, communities and organizations. 

I have  a special fondness for systemic constellation work -- sometimes called family constellation work -- the alternative healing process that has been developed in the past 30 years by German therapist Bert Hellinger. My first book, Integrating Psychodrama with Systemic Constellation Work: New Directions for Action Methods, Mind-Body Therapies and Energy Healing, explored the similarities and differences of psychodrama and constellation work and how one enhances the other. I've come to look at constellation work, which focuses on the energy of the "field," as a kind of energized sociometry -- with the roles that we play as form of solidified energy. This approach as really impacted the way that I use psychodrama and alter it for various people and groups.

A call for presenters will be coming soon. In the meanwhile, save the date now and find out more about this conference with this video:

Psychodrama conference catalog is out!

Right now! Check out the conference catalog of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, happening April 9-12, 2015 in Philadelphia. A slew of presenters (I'm proud to be on the list!), plus keynotes, awards ceremony, silent auction and more. Details here.

Psychodrama advocate Gerry Spence talks about authentic relationships

Attorney Gerry Spence, one of the foremost advocates of psychodrama, talks about the importance of creating relationships in the courtroom. He is the founder of the Trial Lawyers College, which trains hundreds of attorneys in psychodrama.

Fun and colorful look at: "What is psychodrama?"

Super-cool video has just been produced by friends and colleagues at the Sociometric Institute in New York City that answers the question, "What is psychodrama?" Enjoy...

Blog features psychodrama topics on LinkedIn

I've just begin to post business-related articles on LinkedIn, the rapidly growing business social media site. These articles focus on topics related ideas for small business, alternative practices and keeping healthy as a business person. 

Some topics related to psychodrama and sociometry include:

• Be a rock star with role play, discussing best practices for  role play in a variety of settings here.
• Creativity will make your conference memorable, giving examples of how the American Society of Psychodrama and Group Psychotherapy has used creativity to spur engagement with participants here.
• Getting to know you: networking from a holistic viewpoint, making suggestions about easy networking from a sociometric viewpoint here.

If this interests you and you are subscribed on Linked In, please feel free to follow, share and comment.

Zerka Moreno, at 97, talks about learning psychodrama

Sergio Guimaraes, a psychodramatist from Argentina, recently visited the United States to gather material for his Ph.D. thesis, and interviewed Zerka Moreno, the mother of psychodrama, as part of his research. Zerka, now 97 and living in a nursing home in Rockville, Md., talks about learning and teaching psychodrama.

Like this? He has other related videos about psychodrama on his YouTube channel.

Show and Tell Psychodrama is now here!

It's here!

My newest book Show and Tell Psychodrama: Skills for Therapists, Coaches, Teachers, Leaders, is now officially available for purchase, reviews and recommendations. It's available in paperback and Kindle versions.

Find synopsis and bio here.
Look inside to find preview here.
Join book's Facebook page and keep updated on news and other useful links.
Enjoy video here.

Whether you are a curious professional seeking new skills or a student just beginning to fall in love with this amazing method, these 60 bite-size articles give you an easy introduction to fresh ways to support healing, learning and change.

Show and Tell Psychodrama will help you learn how to:

- Spark creativity and spontaneity within you and the people you work with
- Lead safe and effective role plays - from classroom to corporation
- Create authentic relationships in groups in every setting
- Take your role as a leader and understand and manage the roles that others play.

Just a few of the specific topics are:

- Magic Shop
- Canon of Creativity
- Diamond of Opposites
- The empty chair and other useful props
- History of psychodrama
- Rules for role play
- Group guidelines
- Thoughts on ethics
- Sociometry options
- Ideas for addictions counselors
- Anger and experiential work
- Neurobiology of experiential work
- Psychodrama and Jung
- How to find a trainer

Extra bonus: Special section for the psychodrama certification candidate to navigate studying for the national exam with the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy.

John Nolte has a new book coming in June

Another new book for your library: John Nolte's The Philosophy, Theory and Methods of J. L. Moreno: The Man Who Tried to Become God. 

This book outlines Moreno’s early years (his religious phase), the philosophy on which the foundation of his methods are based, and descriptions of the three major methods that Moreno originated: psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy. It provides a more systematic presentation of Moreno’s work and presents his philosophy and theory clearer, more understandable manner. 

John Nolte has a doctorate in clinical psychology from Washington University and was trained in psychodrama by J.L. and Zerka Moreno. He served as director of training for the Moreno Institute after Moreno's death. He is currently working as a training consultant and staff member of Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming.

It's scheduled for publication June 2014.

Expecting the arrival of Show & Tell Psychodrama soon!

About to be birthed -- my new book Show and Tell Psychodrama: Skills for Therapists, Coaches, Teachers, Leaders. We're in the final process of book preparation, with publication scheduled for May 2014. Order here. 

Take a peek. Here's the front cover:

And the back cover:

Psychodrama, 93 years young today!

Happy birthday, psychodrama! Today, April 1, is the birthday of this wondrous action method developed by Dr. J.L. Moreno and his wife Zerka Moreno. Dr. Moreno presented his first non-scripted drama 93 years ago at a theater in Vienna, Austria. The method continues to grow and expand throughout the United States and the world with today's psychodramatists continuing to innovate and create.

Here's a recent video interview with Valerie Simon, a psychodramatist in New York City who works with issues of trauma and addiction as well as performers who want to expand their creativity and spontaniety.

Enjoy!

Psychodrama, all over Facebook

Psychodrama is about groups and social networks, and you can find psychodrama on Facebook. Just for fun, I took a quick tour around Facebook to find out where psychodrama has landed. Here's what I found:

American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama is the U.S. membership organization, and this is its official Facebook page. You'll find news from ASGPP, with special emphasis on its annual conference. Link here.

Midwest Psychodrama especially welcomes members from the Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,  Minnesota, Wisconsin and nearby. Link here.

The British Psychodrama Association  is the accrediting body for psychodrama psychotherapy and sociodrama in Britain. Link here.

The International Psychodrama Group has one of  the larger memberships on Facebook, at 1,072 members. Link here.

U.S. Psychodrama & Sociometry Journal focuses on research with about psychodrama, sociometry and related topics and encourages interest in and writing for the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy, published by the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama. Link here.

Open Psychodrama Study Group by Students, for Students and Practitioners is one of the newer Facebook groups, started by Adam Barcroft and focuses on studying for the U.S. certification exam. Link here.

Toronto Center of Psychodrama and Sociometry is related to the center in Toronto which has provided quality training in psychodrama, not only for residents of southern Ontario, but also for an international community of students. Link here.

Oxford School of Psychodrama and Integrative Psychotherapy is a psychotherapy training organization, originally called Oxford Psychodrama Group, and offers psychodrama workshops in Oxford and an online book shop. Link here.

Young Friends of Psychodrama focuses on younger people interested in psychodrama, but the truth is -- anyone can join! Link here.

Moreno Psychodrama Society comes from the "down under" country of Australia and is moderated by psychodramatist Sue Daniel. Link here.

Psychodrama Morocco, for anyone interested in what's happening in the psychodrama scene in Morocco. Link here.

Oh, yes, there's even more groups -- in Egypt, Russia and other places with alphabets and language that I can't read. Have fun touring and spreading  the word about psychodrama!

A pizza radio psychodrama when we talk about eating disorders

I had the great opportunity to visit with Ted Ehlen of WRJN  in Racine, Wis., to talk about my new book (with co-author Linda Ciotola) Healing Eating Disorders with Psychodrama and Other Action Methods: Beyond the Silence and the Fury. Listen how we create a mini-drama during the radio interview with the characters of Ted, Pizza and Health. We could have added Scale if we had a little more time.

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?

"Little Me" is mandala for healing trauma

Little Me - Circles of Grace by Bill Coleman, TEP, is a little blue book and a manual for creating a mandala to heal trauma. 

Bill, a psychodramatist who practices in Tucson, Ariz., says that the concept is quite simple although the execution can be very cathartic for the client. 

A reviewer describes the book as "a must-have book for any counselor or therapist -- not to mention anyone in recovery -- to help identify the character defenses that are still getting in the way of having a good life, as well as a great opportunity to build self-compassion when exploring the origins of those defenses." Cost is under $20. Find the book here.

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.

Life, art, play looks like psychodrama

Don't know if the playwright and actors of this new play "Psychodrama! A Tender Love Story in Five Sessions" in Cedar Falls, Iowa, actually know the meaning of psychodrama or not.

But they do appear to understand its therapeutic possibilities.

Grant Tracey, one of the playwright-actors, says the focus of the play is "the interface between life and art and how art can create transformations in identity." Here's the description: "A therapist tries to get a young married couple to open up about the dissonance they are experiencing.  In the course of their first session together he has them do a number of exercises that are more akin to theater than to therapy."

The writers developed the text through improvisational methods, crafting three-dimensional, quirky characters and exaggerated situations the audience will recognize. Read full story here.

New "home birth dads" calendar shows the value of role reversal

We're always looking for good examples of the psychodramatic tool of role reversal and how it creates more empathy in our world.

Here's one -- in the form of the new "home birth" dads calendar coming up for 2014, just delivered by Kimberly McGuinness-Rook, a midwife in Racine, Wis., who happens to be a colleague and professional neighbor.

In this fun calendar, the husbands and partners of women who gave birth at home don skimpy sarongs and cooling head cloths  as they play act what it's like to be fully pregnant and ready to give birth. The men volunteered to take part in a photo project that recreated some of the experiences of their partners' most memorable pregnancy and birth moments -- holding a bulging belly, stepping into a warm-water birth tub, gritting teeth after a particularly strong contraction ...

Kim of InnerBirth Midwifery collaborated with professional photographer Katie Hall to create the calendar. She also created the fake "baby bumps" -- using a stretchy maternity support band stuffed  with soft sweaters and scarves for a mold-able shape.

The calendar, meant to be comical,  stirred strong emotions in several of the men. For sure, it was a consciousness-raising experience to find out what pregnancy and delivery "might" be like -- and at least one man started weeping when he was presented with his real-life baby during the photo shoot. That's the idea of role reversal -- to step into the place of the "other" and get a sense of the other's experience.

Oh, yes -- news of this calendar has gone viral! It's been picked up by NBC's Today Show and The Huffington Post, and news has landed in England, London and Vietnam along with a few mommy blogs like this one.

Ten percent of profits will benefit the Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes since this community has one of the highest African American infant mortality rates in the United States, affecting nearly 20 per 1,000 babies born.

Order the calendar here.

Midwife Kimberly McGuinness-Rook, left, and a birthing couple reverse roles. Check the differences!

Ann Hale speaks on fine points of sociometry

I like to call Ann Hale the grand mistress of sociometry, the science of evaluating the social relationships in our lives.While most of us divide our skills between sociometry and psychodrama, sociometry is Ann's true love and she is very, very good at it. She's the go-to person when most of us have a sociometric question.

After J.L. Moreno died in 1974, the training program at the Moreno Institute in Beacon, N.Y., was re-established by Dr. Moreno's widow and collaborator Zerka Moreno. Zerka was the main trainer  and enrolled Ann Hale and John Nolte as additional trainers.

Ann's site is the International Sociometry Training Network, which is rich with content on social relationships. Recently she posted an essay on Grouptalk, the psychodrama community's discussion list, that I snagged to offer to the larger audience.

She writes about sociometry as it relates to spontaniety, action, tele, role theory and more. 

Read on:

As anxiety increases, spontaneity decreases. Taking time to create an environment where participants find ways to become receptive to one another, their differences and similarities, helps decrease the anxiety related to belonging, fitting in and the creation of a "mistakes allowed" atmosphere. This is often referred to as group building. group building can occur with a sequence of psychodramas. However, if you do not take time to look at patterns of choice making for roles, people get lost and their needs for roles unexamined.

If your energy is tied up with hiding your authentic self you have less energy for action.  Being playful is a great energizer.  Being happily connected to others is a springboard to more and more spontaneity. It is important to remember that "play" for some people was fraught with cruelty and humiliation. The action increases opportunities for integration rather than repeating old patterns which once promised safety and which now keep you stuck.

Sociometric exercises may be useful; however, they can be quite hurtful if leaders and group members have inadequate training and haven't the skill to slow the process down to connect choices people make with their personal story.  This is one reason why I do not separate sociometry from psychodrama.  Once the story is explored in action (even short sequences of action), there is a greater awareness of what prevents authentic connection.

I see tele and empathy as a result of having integrated life events; and transference as a result of an internal push within a person to attain completion of a life event in order to reach true integration. The transference is projected onto a likely auxiliary ego who may or may not choose to assist the person's integration.

The cultural conserve where the role perception and role expectation reside,  once challenged,  begins a process of warming up to something new and leaving the role taking position.  Internal or interpersonal supports help a person in their warmup to role playing the options that occur to him or her.  Role creating results from an energetic state where the momentum received from interpersonal connection and enthusiasm generates an "over the top" experience of novelty and usefulness.  Throughout the connections necessary to engage in this process is enhanced by being connected with positive sociometric relationships.

She notes that she has always liked Jonathan Fox's definition of spontaneity:  "Knowing what is happening, and when to articulate it and to act on it. And, when not to articulate it and act on it."  Sociometry is walking that path.