Psychodrama and other action methods are especially helpful in the treatment of the classic eating disorders as well as dieting struggles, body dissatisfaction and associated issues of fear, sadness, silence and shame. This book provides clinicians with sound theoretical information, practical treatment guidelines and a wealth of clinically-tested action structures and interventions. The authors describe how they have introduced action methods to work with a diverse range of clients, and suggest ways in which psychodrama practitioners, experiential therapists and others may integrate these methods into their practice. Offering fresh ideas for tailoring psychodramatic standards such as The Living Newspaper, Magic Shop and the Social Atom to eating disorder issues, they provide extensive examples of psychodrama interventions - classic and specially adapted for eating disorders - for both the experienced practitioner and those new to experiential therapies. They also explain how psychodrama can be used in combination with other expressive, holistic and complementary approaches, including family constellations, music, art, imagery, ritual, Five Element Acupuncture, yoga, Reiki and other energy work. This pioneering book is essential reading for practitioners and students of psychodrama, drama therapy, experiential psychotherapy, cognitive and expressive arts therapies and mental health professionals, as well as professionals interested in complementary health modalities.
Show and Tell Psychodrama demonstrates to professionals how they can enhance and enliven their practices of psychotherapy, health care, law, education, business, spiritual growth, community activism, coaching and more. Psychodrama is the powerful interactive method of invigorating your creative potential to meet life challenges and opportunities. It has its roots in the 20th century and has rapidly spread around the world, continuing to blossom with innovation and inspiration. 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. Reviews "This book is invaluable for trainers, offering clearly worded and concise definitions and descriptions of most aspects of the method, organized in an easy-to-use format." - Rebecca Walters, TEP, co-director of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute "A gift to the new student and the established trainer in psychodrama. The writing is clear and concise. and the breadth of content offered is remarkable." - Mario Cossa, MA, RDT/MT, TEP, co-founder of the Bay Area Moreno Institute, San Francisco, California "An excellent introduction to the field of psychodrama and its many current applications - a great warm up for therapists wishing to expand their use of experiential methods." - Tian Dayton, Ph.D, TEP, author of The Drama Within: Psychodrama and Experiential Therapy "For a quick introduction to a complex method, this offers an easy read. Turn on to the idea of integrating creative collaboration, enactment and improvisation." - Adam Blatner, M.D., TEP, author of "Foundations of Psychodrama: History, Theory and Practice" and "Acting In." "An exceptional tool for learning what's needed for the psychodrama certification exam. It should be part of everyone's tool kit - trainers and their students alike." - Kate Hudgins, Ph.D., TEP, author of "Experiential Therapy with PTSD: The Therapeutic Spiral Model" "Many people, once introduced to psychodrama or other methods of Moreno, will appreciate this easy-to-read compendium of methods, source materials and concise explanations. References within the text direct the reader to explore further right at the moment they begin to think about it." - Ann E. Hale, TEP, International Sociometry Training Network "This is a very good book. Karen has the gift of translating complex and complicated philosophical concepts and constructs into brief and clear articles. She also has the knack for describing simple and practical experiential interventions for use in individual and group treatment." - Dale Richard Buchanan, TEP, former clinical director of psychodrama at St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C.
This accessible, fully illustrated beginner's guide to psychodrama explains the basics of this active form of group psychotherapy in which individuals' experiences and emotions are explored on stage in a safe, stimulating and non-judgemental environment. The authors introduce psychodrama theory and practice and provide explanations of key terms, descriptions of the range of psychodrama techniques, and a step-by-step guide to running a psychodrama session. Psychodrama is ideal for students and professionals, whether as a fun introduction, or as an opportunity to brush up on the basics.
Systemic Constellation Work is a rapidly growing experiential healing process that is being embraced by a variety of helping professionals, both traditional and alternative, worldwide. This book explores the history, principles and methodology of this approach, and offers a detailed comparison with psychodrama - the original mind-body therapy - explaining how each method can enhance the other. Constellation work is based on the notion that people are connected by unseen energetic forces and suggests that the psychological, traumatic and survival experiences of our ancestors are genetically passed forward to the next generation and may live within us. Using insightful case studies from a variety of client groups, this book shows how Systemic Constellation Work can expand the possibilities of psychodrama techniques, and can be successfully integrated with psychodramatic enactment, guided imagery, ritual, concretization and other methods of healing and personal growth. This book will be essential reading for students and practitioners of psychodrama and Constellation work, as well as counselors, mental health professionals, experiential therapists, creative and expressive arts therapists and alternative practitioners looking to widen their knowledge of mind-body therapies.
Experiential therapy is used to locate repressed feelings and re-experience them. Once we feel them in the present, we can come to terms with them and put them in their proper perspective. We can use our energies to truly enter into the moment with all our awareness. The quality of our happiness lies in our ability to experience what is around us. Feelings are often attached to roles. When we experiment with different roles we gain information about our personal history and play with new possibilities for change. Games help us to increase concentration, develop thinking skills and to coordinate thought, emotion and action. They are a way to allow humor and fun to enter into the therapeutic process. This book is designed to help participants get in touch with and express buried feelings in a safe and structured way and to offer training in the ability to be creative and spontaneous.
"This book introduces something substantially new...original, clinically valid and well-thought out ideas which have been extensively ëtestedí in workshops conducted internationally over the last decade...a great book!" Adam Blatner, MD The author presents the Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM), a systematic modification of Psychodrama, for therapists working with people who are suffering from severe trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. A step-by-step guide for using experiential methods safely, the author first explains the theoretical foundations of TSM, research and theories on trauma, and experiential psychotherapy as a basis for understanding its development. Throughout, clinical action structures and advanced intervention modules for using experiential methods are presented. Each chapter contains active vignettes and case examples to demonstrate the process and progress of the spiral technique.
Transformative Language Arts, an emerging field and profession, calls on us to use writing, storytelling, theater, music, expressive and other arts for social change, personal growth, and culture shift. In this landmark anthology, Transformative Language Artists share their stories, scholarship and practices for a more just and peaceful world, from a Hmong storyteller and spoken word artist weaving traditions with contemporary immigrant challenges in Philadelphia, to a playwright raising awareness of AIDS/HIV prevention. Read the stories, consider the questions raised, and find inspiration and tools in using words as a vehicle for transformation through essays on the challenge of dominant stories, public housing women writing for their lives, histories and communities at the margins, singing as political action, the convergence of theology and poetics, women's self-leadership, embodied writing, and healing the self, others, and nature through TLA. The anthology also includes “snapshots,” short features on transformative language artists who make their livings and lives working with people of all ages and backgrounds to speak their truths, and change their communities.
Twenty-four authors describe how they use Action Explorations (techniques from traditional psychodrama) for a wide range of uses, from business coaching to education to personal growth.
This open access book outlines the intersections between social work and the methods of sociometry and psychodrama. Different sections offer essential practice wisdom for both trauma-focused and trauma-informed experiential work for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. This text enriches the understanding of various action-based approaches and highlights how to enliven social work practice. The chapters include clinical vignettes and examples of structured sociometric prompts with diverse populations, topics, and social work settings to enhance the understanding of group practice, individual practice, and community practice. It provides social workers and other professionals with dynamic tools to improve assessment, intervention, activism, and leadership. Strength-based practical tools are offered to readers, along with guidance for theoretical conceptualizations. This integrative book is an essential read for students, practitioners, leaders, and scholars within the fields of social work, psychodrama, the creative art therapies, group therapy, community organizing, and social activism.
