Friday, May 22, 2009

The Moreno Psychodrama Society
presents

O P T I M I S M
A One-Day Conference - Saturday 11 July 2009
9 a.m – 6 p.m
Registration at 8.30 a.m

The Abbotsford Convent
Providence 1, St Heliers St, Abbotsford

Being in the moment, working with ‘what is’, brings about new perspectives, change and development, connection and spontaneity. In experiencing this and trusting this process, we can expect that things will turn out well. The psychodramatic method brings about new life in people, which affects their relationships with others, in small and large groups, in their work and daily life.

The purpose of this day is to present a selection of eight concurrent sessions of 1.5 hours each on the application of psychodrama in various settings. There are workshops on the applications of the psychodrama method relevant for groupwork, community, organisational and staff development, with children, adolescents and families, with refugees, in individual and group therapy, unemployment and in educational settings.

Program at a Glance
(Workshop and Presenter descriptions and Registration information follows)

8.30 a.m: Registration with tea and coffee in the Bishop’s parlour

9 a.m: Warm-Up Session - “Being in the Here and Now: Psychodrama Today” presented by Sue Daniel

9.30 - 11 a.m: 2 concurrent sessions:
1a: Nikki Alderman –“Spinning Straw into Gold” - Psychodramatic Practice in the Field of Addiction
1b: Danielle Forer – “Groupwork with Refugees utilising Psychodrama: Rebuilding Hope, Facilitating Recovery.”

11a.m: Morning Tea – Tea, coffee and freshly baked mini sweet pastries/gluten free muffins

11.30 a.m - 1 p.m: 2 concurrent sessions:
2a: Sue Daniel – Bringing Joy into our Work and Life – Loving Ourselves, Loving Others
2b: Di Kearney – Generating Spontaneity: Psychodrama and Play Therapy with Kids.

1 – 2 p.m: Lunch – Assorted sandwiches, baguettes/vegetarian selection/gluten free salad, juice, organic coffee and tea
1.30 – 1.50 p.m: Lunchtime “Laughter Group” with Gillian Blackwell

2 - 3.30 p.m: 2 concurrent sessions:
3a: Patricia Green – “Working in a Healthcare System using Sociometry”.
3b: Hien Bui and Stephanie Lee – “Between Doors”

3.30 p.m: Afternoon Tea – warm homemade scones with jam and cream/gluten free cake

4 - 5.30 p.m: 2 concurrent sessions:
4a: John De Bono and Keran Howe – “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” (L.Cohen): Celebrating our very Human Journey.
4b: Julia Lau – “Personal Responsibility”

5.30 – 6 p.m: Closure and Reflection

Fee: $75.00 with lunch and refreshments (MPS members) $85.00 (Non-Members) by 26 June
(After 26 June - $90.00 (MPS members) $100.00 (Non-members)

Registrations with cheques payable to:
Moreno Psychodrama Society
Postal Address: Box 371, East Melbourne 8002

Enquiries: MorenoSociety@netspace.net.au
www.psychodrama-institute-melbourne.com


Workshop and Presenter Descriptions

Warm-Up Session: “Being in the Here and Now: Psychodrama Today” presented by Sue Daniel

The essential elements of psychodrama are being in the 'here and now' (the present moment) and always being in relationship to some thing or someone. This session demonstrates this in the context of the conference and the group. The language and concepts of Psychodrama have permeated our culture worldwide. Barack Obama used the word 'psychodrama' in his book "The Audacity of Hope." The word 'role', concept of role, and role model are terms often used on an everyday basis, albeit with a spin of some kind, and role play is not psychodrama. Yet psychodrama is intrinsically about relationship, with nature, animal, our environment and with each other. It is very simple yet complex. Our opening session of 20 minutes puts the psychodrama on the scene in relation to each other and the day ahead.

Sue Daniel enjoys her work as a trainer, consultant and supervisor in Melbourne and other cities around the world. She is the Director of the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne in Collingwood and has a psychotherapy practice in East Melbourne. Sue values the companionship that emerges from mutual relationship.

1 a) Spinning Straw into Gold: Psychodramatic Practice in the Field of Addiction with Nikki Alderman

This workshop is for any practitioner who works with individuals, families or groups affected by addiction. The application of psychodrama in this field works with an optimistic focus on the adequate roles people bring to the therapeutic space – the things that have worked for them but have gone unseen in the wider picture. The purpose is then to build on these roles and develop progressive roles. The fairy story of Rumplestiltskin provides inspiration as the young woman may not have known how to spin straw into gold herself but she knew someone who could. Often our most creative resources for development are those roles in ourselves barely noticed or taken for granted in the face of life’s bigger challenges like addiction.

Nikki Alderman is a Psychodramatist, Psychodrama Trainer, Supervisor and Psychologist currently working in the field of addiction as one aspect of her private practice. She has experience in organisational training, university teaching, individual, relationship, family and group counselling as well as currently teaching at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne (PIM).

1b) Group Work with Refugees utilising Psychodrama: Rebuilding Hope, Facilitating Recovery with Danielle Forer

This workshop demonstrates the connection between Psychodrama and the Trauma and Recovery Framework, which has been developed by, and underpins the approach of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (VFST) when working with refugees. Group sessions will be described based on groups run with unaccompanied refugee minors from Sudan; women from Afghanistan and Burma and a reunification group for Afghan and fathers and their children after many years of separation. There will be an experiential component in the workshop.

Danielle Forer is a psychodramatist and social worker who works at Foundation House, conducting programs and groups for young refugees and their families. She is working in the Level 1 training group at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne in 2009.

2a) Bringing Joy into our Work and Life – Loving Ourselves, Loving Others with Sue Daniel

Psychodrama is about ‘what is’, seeing things as they are in the moment. Loving ourselves means seeing ourselves clearly. From here we can take steps to the new. Once we can release resentments, disappointments and anything else that holds us back from loving ourselves or others we can be lighter and open to joy. This workshop aims to assist our clients, and us in loving others and ourselves while developing and maintaining clear boundaries.

Sue Daniel enjoys her work as a trainer, consultant and supervisor in Melbourne and other cities around the world. She is the Director of the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne in Collingwood and has a psychotherapy practice in East Melbourne. Sue values the companionship that emerges from mutual relationship.

2b) Generating Spontaneity: Psychodrama and Play Therapy with Kids with Dianne Kearney

Moreno said "Roles do not emerge from the self, but the self emerges from roles." Phoebe refused to speak at all, and stayed physically present under sufferance. Thomas engaged by patting which somehow so quickly became pinching and punching. Bonny and Tammy quickly entered the bracing spritz of psychodramatic and role theory waters from the quicksand of transgenerational family themes, reducing their own anxiety and creating for themselves life-giving meaning. Chloe, the oldest sister warmed up differently drawing from me as director, different thoughtful and considered roles. Johnno found joy again after the loss of his "little champ"
Moreno's assertion is confirmed in the emergence in each child of significant roles during play. I use a variety of facilitating techniques with psychodramatic theory as the informing context. In the session I will present some of these children - (their names are changed) and we will discuss together.

Diane Kearney is a visual artist, arts therapist and psychodrama–assistant with a wealth of psychodrama training and experience working with aborigines in Alice Springs. She works with children and families.

3a) Working in a Healthcare System using Sociometry with Patricia Green

This workshop will focus on the exploring ways of applying sociometry in the workplace, a method developed by J. L. Moreno, that qualitatively measures social relationships. By graphically depicting the systems communication processes with the use of a sociogram, it will demonstrate how to improve communication processes in complex work systems, to facilitate improved health outcomes for patients and the staff. Participants can then explore ways to use this tool to improve psychosocial wellbeing in their own workplaces.

Patricia Green is currently employed as a Clinical Nurse Consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Addiction Medicine Service. This role includes clinical consultancy, staff education, policy development and liaison on all wards of a large teaching hospital. She has completed her certification as a Psychodrama-Assistant and is in her 6th year of training at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne.


3b) Between Doors with Hien Bui and Stephanie Lee

Doors shut and doors open. At times we pass through one to the next without hardly noticing, and sometimes, a more significant pause is required before embarking upon a new adventure. This gift of space can be seen as one of inactivity, when in reality there is often much to do: such as letting go of past doorways, tuning in to where we are, preparing to cross new thresholds, as well as envisaging new doors to come . In this workshop, we aim to appreciate and explore this precious space, between doors.

Hien Bui is a psychodramatist in training. She has worked with individuals and groups in the community sector for over 15 years as a support worker, community development worker, training development worker and facilitator. She is currently in “between doors” of her vocational life while immersing herself in the delightful role as a mother to two active children.
Stephanie Lee is also a psychodramatist in training. Over the past three years, she has found psychodrama provides her life with a valuable grounding effect; assisting her to build better relationships with herself and others. Presently, Stephanie is peeking through new doors to a more connected, creative, community-involved existence.

4a) “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” (L. Cohen): Celebrating our very Human Journey with John De Bono and Keran Howe

This session will play with the concept of ‘differentness’ and explore the rich possibilities that ‘differentness’ can evoke. It will look at the ways in which fixed concepts of social acceptability can narrow our tolerance of others and our own self-acceptance. In doing so it will challenge the notion of ‘imperfection’ as a useful concept in how we view the world.

John De Bono is the Director of GroupWise and consults in the areas of organizational development, spirit at work and transformative education. He utilizes a range of interactive learning dynamics and is informed by archetypal psychology, humanistic education and psychodrama. John is an accredited Psychodrama-Assistant and is currently completing his practicum year at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne.

Keran Howe is social worker, researcher and advocate whose focus is health, gender and disability. She is interested in challenging the ways that groups of people, and in particular people with disabilities, are conceptualised within our Australian society. She is a trainee at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne and interested in the ‘co-creativity’ of psychodrama as a method for transformative change through people working in mutually affirming ways.


4b) Personal Responsibility with Julia Lau

If I change, the systems will change. Change is what therapists want their clients to do and they move their clients towards this. But are therapists, counsellors and group leaders practicing this in their everyday life? This workshop offers an opportunity to explore this question and anything that gets in the way of positive change and more effective interaction. At the end of this experiential workshop participants can hope to be more aware of where they are and walk their talk, setting an example.

Julia Lau, psychodramatist who follows the principle of humility as described by Lao Tzu and Confucius in all aspects of life. She is a member of the Moreno Psychodrama Society (Australia). She has worked in administration for education institutions, a counselling agency and in private industry for over 30 years. Julia has had extensive involvement in a variety of multicultural group settings.

Gillian Blackwell is presenting a 20-minute “Laughter” Group during the lunch hour. Gillian is a psychodramatist with many years experience in the health field.


Enquiries: John De Bono (Administrator) 0429 427 873 OR PIM Office: (03) 9416 3779
Email: MorenoSociety@netspace.net.au
Conference Blog: http://optimism2009.blogspot.com


FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS/FORM GO TO OUR WEBSITE:

www.psychodrama-institute-melbourne.com