email from Bessel

Sun Nov 15 17:48:52 CST 2009

Dear Friends,

I have enjoyed being part of this discussion, as a person passionate about trauma AND psychodrama, this has been of keen interest to me.  

There was very positive response to Cathy N's suggestion -- and I, too, would like to participate.  Though I am relatively new to psychodrama, my background was in relationship-building and marketing in business.   

In regards to van der Kolk, what about good, old-fashioned sociometry? We can do all the research in the world, but if we are approaching it from a defensive position, we may not build the alliance we hope for.  Good sociometry promotes openness, receptivity, belonging, and inclusion (see, Ann. I was paying attention!).  So, I wonder two things.  One, can we build an alliance rather than get into a "proving" position?  And two, can he at least be neutral?  He may agree that every discipline has variation and not every psychodramatist is an abreaction junkie. In fact, the field has evolved enormously in the last 13 years. 

Thanks to Dr. Kate (and others) we have lots of the meaty kind of evidence he likes, credibility, and a method that concretizes strengths and safety long before touching the trauma nerves.  I bet there are also several reams of testimonials.  We can do a great consensus paper (I love that idea).  But let's don't forget the handshake, some great doubles, and an approach that says,"we're all in this together"

Thanks, everyone.  
Connie
Connie Lawrence, MSW, LSW, CET II
Experiential Modalities & "Rock the House!"
clawrence05 at windstream.net
216-233-1600

Visit my blog!
http://experientialmodalities.blogspot.com/
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dr Kate Hudgins 
  To: grouptalk Listserv 
  Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 11:43 AM
  Subject: email from Bessel

  Dear Grouptalk

  Interestingly I just received an email from Bessel this AM.  He was asking me to tone down my use of his name and praise of experiential methods on my website as "the only" treatment for trauma, saying that he supports EMDR which is not an experiential therapy.  I actually DO see it within my definition of experiential therapy...as it focuses on balances the right and left sides of the brain. 

  So...this gives me an opportunity to open a discussion with him about his comment at the workshop...but I need a few more details to do so..so ed....remind me what conference it was,  etc......and then I think I can ask him if he could at least be neutral about PDA or say since he supports my work, as he says in the email he just sent me...could he say something like..."some forms of psychodrama are helpful"....or at least open a dialogue with him.  

  also, I realized that my new book that is coming out early 2010 "Stories from the Frontlines:  Clinical and Community Action Around the World Using the Therapuetic Spiral Model" in some small way begins to do what Cathy N. suggests about gathering a general consensus on what is needed about psychodrama to treat trauma.  what this book does is draw from 14 authors what they all have taken from TSM and kept...what their consensus is from just this one trauma model is.  They are actually all quite clear in what they have all kept.  The Prescriptive roles.  The role of the Obesering ego.....the ability to first develop a role that allows trauma survivors to observe themselves and their symptoms WITHOUT judgement...a neutral observer without shame or blame.  then their need for containment, in tSM the roles of the Body Double, the Containing double and the Manager of Defenses.  Then to build us restoration roles of intrapsychic, interpersonal and transpersonal strengths before EVER addressing the trauma.  

  This is actually nothing new in trauma therapy.  It was fairly new to psychodrama when I first wrote and taught about it 15 years ago.  Now most people do similar things under different names.  but in the trauma field most writers/clinicians know to stage therapy with the first stage being stabalization or strength building before directly addressing the trauma as I said in a previous email.  

  so....Ed...and others  give me a quick email response to I can write back to Bessel's email in a timely fashion and tell him we have been having a listserve discussion about his comment and how can we help himm see psychodrama at least in a more neutral fasion?

  thanks, Kate

  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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