Trauma, van der Kolk and psychodrama

Mon Nov 9 13:21:49 CST 2009

How good that documentation and studies are now being available and able to
demonstrate this information. Of course, there are some psychodrama
directors, as skilled and as creative as they are, are not knowledgeable
about the most recent updates and research on trauma and how they link with
action and experiential methods. This is why I have found Kate's Therapeutic
Spiral Model so valuable, along with other practitioners' contributions
including Donna Little and others.

I now integrate Kate's model with other bits, including bilateral
stimulation and Systemic Constellation Work and refer to Reiki, bodywork,
yoga and/or acupuncture when appropriate. One of my early trainers, Gerald
Tremblay, always announced, when talking about trauma, "Go slow, like a
turtle."

Dr. Van Der Kolk says that experiential methods are the treatment of choice
for trauma survivors. And we should add -- when anchored in clinical theory
and employed by a competent and well-trained practitioners, who are trained
well not only in psychodrama but informed about the updated research and
sensitive to the nuances of trauma. 

Kate, please count me in your corner as a supporter!

Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP

Lake House Health & Learning Center

932 Lake Ave.

Racine, WI 53403

(262) 633-2645

karenc at wi.rr.com

Web: http://www.lakehousecenter.com

Wellness blog: http://lakehouseracine.blogspot.com

Coaching blog: http://wholepersonmarketing.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lakehousecenter

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karencarnabucci

  _____  

From: list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org [mailto:list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org]
On Behalf Of Dr Kate Hudgins
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 12:53 PM
To: Edward Schreiber
Cc: ASGPP grouptalknew
Subject: Re: Trauma, van der Kolk and psychodrama

Yes I know why he says this.  He was the keynote speaker at ASGPP in 1996
and had a very bad experience there seeing uncontained abreactive
psychodramas done again and again at the conference.  I had lunch with him
at the conference and told him about the Containing double and TSM.  He told
me it sounded good and could set psychodrama" back on the right path" but
that I needed to do research on it.  We have had several letters of
correspondence over the past 13 years but they have been few and far in
between. 

 I have since done several research studies that show it does contain the
uncontrolled nature of abreactive trauma as it also DEFINES spontaneity..
there is now a 3 year study in Taiwan by Dr Lai Nien Hwa supported by
government funding showing that a program using TSM and art therapy worked
with woman and children effected by domestic violence who have PTSD works.
It is being published in a the the Journel of Counseling in Chinese and in
my new book Stories at the Frontlines:  Clinical and Community Actions in
the Global Community using The Therapeutic Spiral Model (In Press)

I am willing to try and talk to Bessel but I am not willing to do it alone.
Iwould do it as a representative of the ASGPP, as a representative of the
psychodrama community.  He at least knows who I am and knows my name.  But I
am very busy right now, writing a TSM Basic training manual with Nien Hwa
Lai and two other colleagues in Chinese for taiwan, a chapter for using tSM
cross culturally, as well as trying to re-establish a USA training group and
working with Colleen Baratka to continue our quarterly eating disorders
group that goes between Charlottesville and Philadelphia.  

As many of you know I have not been part of the American psychodrama
community for 10 years while I concentrated my work in Asia.  I have pulled
back from working in China due to many bad experiences there but am
expanding work in Japan and solidifying work in Taiwan as I also return to
the UK and continue work in Canada as I rebuid my work in America.  So, if I
am to approach Bessel, I want support to do it.  I do have research to show
him of the Containing double in individual therapy, at the commmunity level,
and this work of Dr Lai's in a year long therapy group.  As you know I won
the Scholar's award this year.  So I think I can begin a dialogue with him.

Who will support me?

Kate

On Nov 8, 2009, at 8:01 PM, Edward Schreiber wrote:

Dear Colleagues,

I had dinner tonight with a psychologist out here in Western Mass.  She is
in private practice, but worked in a clinic serving traumatized kids

and families for many years.  In any case, she was concerned about a
conference she recently attended in the Hartford, CT area, in which

Dr. Van der Kolk as the keynote speaker.  Interestingly enough, he mentioned
yoga and "theater" as helpful in the resolution of trauma.  This

colleague has known of our method for some time so she raised in front of
300 people the question to him, about the work of J.L. Moreno and

psychodrama.  This conference was a few months ago.  Dr. Van der Kolk
resolutely announced psychodrama as counter-indicated for the

treatment of trauma, suggesting abreactive nature of the method, as he
experienced it some time ago, makes the situation worse for traumatized

patients.

Does anyone know how to reach him, what we might do to address this with
him?  Does anyone have a connection with him and why might he

be saying this - around the country - about psychodrama?

Ed

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Kate Hudgins, Ph.D., TEP

Clinical Psychologist

Director of Training

Therapeutic Spiral International, LLC

ww.therapeuticspiral.org

drkatetsi at mac.com

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