psychodrama new zealand prisons

[Peter Parkinson]

If we are expanding the discussion to ³might otherwise be in prison¹ clients
then I should share the experiences that we had around the combined General
medical practice combined with psychodrama that I and others ran for 13
years in a rural town ³Thames² in Aoteoroa, New Zealand for 13 years.

Integral to the primary medical practice was ongoing open group work ( at
least one and sometimes as many as 5 groups were conducted each week) , one
to one sessions, clients centered psychodrama, a drop in centre at the
surgery, and surrogate family support groups that were natural consequences
of the ongoing groups that we conducted.

The visiting Judge and Magistrate and the local barristers were aware of the
work that we did and some attended the groups from time to time. As part of
the practice we would accompany one of practice clients to court and, should
both we, the barrister and the judge consider the person safe to remain in
the community we would offer an alternative program utilizing the above
services and functions.

Should one of our clientele go to prison then we would keep close contact
with him or her and support team members would (sometimes) pay them a visit
while they were inside. Upon release we would do our best to find him/her
employment, work with his her family and associates and both a group and
support team were waiting for them.

Provided that the client was an ongoing member of the practice, and was part
of a support group (surrogate whanau) the outcomes were most gratifying. Any
attempts that we made of accepting referrals and creating groups for a
specialized purpose gave inferior results and potential disasters. It was
the friendships that healed people,.

I enjoyed this part of the practice immensely and and I felt enriched and
learned so much as the family and social context of their functioning became
evident as their psycho dramatic work unfolded.

It was part of the natural marriage of primary health care and Moreno¹s work
and one way in which Moreno¹s statement that the healing process should
involve a whole community and not just individuals.


On 14/05/09 7:36 AM, "Martin Putt" <martinputt at orcon.net.nz> wrote:

> Thank you Adam, Ann, Clark, Peter, John.
> 
> Marlyn Robson and I  have made contact with Sophia re our work with sexual
> offenders, albeit not in prison settings but offenders all the same. We will
> meet with and  support her and her research.
> The tele is strong, positive and fast moving!!
> 
> Best wishes
> Martin Putt
> Auckland , NZ
> 
> 
> On 13/05/09 4:13 PM, "Adam Blatner" <ablatner at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
>> Can any of you help this woman? Warmly, Adam
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Sophia Chamberlain" <mammamia.soph at yahoo.co.nz>
>> To: "Adam Blatner" <adam at blatner.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 9:06 PM
>> Subject: Re: Psychodrama program enquiry
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hi Adam,
>> 
>> Thank you so much for your prompt reply to my email.
>> 
>> I am struggling to find information or people to talk to in this field who
>> are based in 
>> New Zealand. However, I have spoken to a Senior Psychologist within the
>> Community 
>> Probation and Psychological Services here in Auckland who stated that: "We do
>> not use 
>> psychodrama in the pure form at the treatment units in New Zealand. It is
>> used in the form
>> of role plays (skills training in the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation
>> Programme (MIRP) for
>> medium risk men, Kowhiritanga (for women) and at the Child Sex Offender Units
>> for the 
>> victim empathy module."
>> 
>> This was useful to some extent, but I would sincerely like to be in touch
>> with people who 
>> do implement some form of Psychodrama here in NZ, even if this is within the
>> most simplist 
>> of forms such as role-play.
>> 
>> So yes please, if you could forward my email on to anyone whom you believe
>> may be able to 
>> help me further that would be kindly appreciated.
>> 
>> Thank you so much for your help,
>> 
>> Hope to hear from you soon
>> 
>> Kind regards,
>> Sophia Chamberlain
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Adam Blatner <ablatner at verizon.net>
>> To: Sophia Chamberlain <mammamia.soph at yahoo.co.nz>
>> Sent: Wednesday, 13 May, 2009 1:49:51 PM
>> Subject: Re: Psychodrama program enquiry
>> 
>> Dear Sophia, please let me forward this email to people who are working with
>> prisoners.
>> May I? I may even find some people in Australia / New Zealand. May I inquire
>> and let you 
>> network with some leaders in the field there? Have you had any contact with
>> psychodrama 
>> people in your country? Would you like that?
>> 
>> Sincerely, Adam Blatner
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sophia Chamberlain"
>> <mammamia.soph at yahoo.co.nz>
>> To: <adam at blatner.com>; <adam at blatner.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:15 PM
>> Subject: Psychodrama program enquiry
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hi Adam,
>> I wonder if you can help me?
>> 
>> I am an undergraduate Psychology student in New Zealand. I currently have an
>> assignment on 
>> whether psychodrama can effectively reduce recidivism in New Zealand prison
>> and community 
>> based treatment programs.
>> 
>> I am currently doing some research, coming up with some insightful journal
>> articles but 
>> want to know even more information. The articles lack any information into
>> what future 
>> research can be done and whether psychodrama can reduce recidivsm effectively
>> rather than 
>> the standard CBT. Also, I am interested in knowing whether there is a broader
>> market for 
>> psychodrama in adult and adolescent offenders, and what level of offending it
>> needs to be 
>> targeted at.
>> 
>> I have downloaded articles from PsychInfo but majority of these are based on
>> programs 
>> throughout the US and UK, so my general understanding is that it is used
>> infrequent here 
>> in NZ.
>> 
>> Any help, advise or info you can provide me with would be greatly
>> appreciated.
>> 
>> Yours sincerely,
>> Sophia Chamberlain
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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