Research marketing and the changing the cultural conserve

Tue Nov 4 14:54:24 CST 2008

It's good to know that in some places, people are actually doing research on psychodrama.  I'm really excited about Kate's publication of research.  Will this be published in English?  If so, what's the title and expected publication date?  I think statistical data is crucial to getting insurance to pay.  Peter's research is interesting in that in some ways, even though what we do is worlds different from what Beck or Ellis originally proposed, every session involves a cognitive and behavioral intervention... Ideally there is a catharsis of insight somewhere in the session and at least a small bit of role training.  When I did my internship, this is how we coded everything.  However, I will add the caveat that my supervisor at the time was opposed to paperwork, treatment plans, etc.  Our supervision sessions were somewhat like sitting with a zen master and getting a weekly Koan.  

 I agree with Erica - all treatment should be evidenced based... does what we're doing look like it's helping.  This is not what the psych professors I work with are talking about when they talk about evidence based treatment.  They are talking about statistical studies (some - perhaps most - that in my field would be challenged due to sample restrictions (not random), numbers (small = you probably won't get published unless you are doing qualitative research and that is held in low regard in my field - painful as that's what I do); and generalizability - who is in the sample and do they represent the general population or are groups over included and/or underincluded).  

 And it's also pretty clear, based on past behavior, that here in the states, most of us are not interested in doing the sort of research that it would take to get in the major journals.  There are of course alternatives --Rosalie suggested an alternative track that would create a space for this... and certainly having psychodrama included into more post graduate academic programs - I think only West Chester, Leslie and University of Kentucky emphasize psychodrama - would help.  

 Beyond this though, again, is the idea of changing the cultural conserve...  Marshall Rosenberg has done this with Nonviolent Communication.  I don't really know of a big wealth of research supporting Rosenberg's work.  Most of what I have seen are case studies presented by Rosenberg or his accolytes.  Still, the technique, when used correctly - oh so simple and yet, like breathing, how easy to not quite get - is amazingly popular, at least here in Columbus, OH.  What we have to offer - I think, is much more powerful.  Rosenberg's model, and as I've seen it practiced, demonstrated by a number of well trained people, including Rosenberg himself, is very cognitive and therefore limited - at least in light of the information we know about the limbic brain and the storage of memories. 

  So, how can we also get back into the public light, especially since few us us have the kind of charisma I've heard attributed to J.L.  How can we use our tools to challenge the cultural conserve?

 I think, somehow, the time is right give the information coming out about the mind body connection - coming from cellular biologists, neuropsychologists, mentioned in "A General Theory of Love" and capitalize on people's rush to alternative mind body techniques such as energy healing (reiki, NSFH healing, etc), acupuncture, yoga and yoga therapy?  What we have to offer, I think, is more powerful because we work both with cognition and behavior and the underlying energy systems.

 To this end... are there any studies of psychodrama and brain wave states?  Hypnosis - as I understand - seems to take place in the Theta (and possibly) the Delta state....   my guess is - given the trance that can happen in psychodrama - and the access to the unconscious or sub-conscious mind (my experience not science based) is somehow significant to outcome as well.. and though fringy - so was the concept of tele back in the day and now there's some research - which made it to the NY Times - indicating support for J.L.'s idea.  How can we capitalize on other fields to change society, to get our society unstuck from the deterministic model and religous belief in the power of statistics (without critical understanding of what they mean)?

regina sewell, Ph.D.

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