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Social Group Work in Action: a Sociometry, Psychodrama, and Experiential Trauma Group Therapy Curriculum

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Social Group Work in Action: a Sociometry, Psychodrama, and Experiential Trauma Group Therapy Curriculum University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations School of Social Policy and Practice Summer 6-18-2019 SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM Scott Giacomucci University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2 Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Giacomucci, Scott, "SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM" (2019). Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations. 124. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/124 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/124 For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM Abstract The demand for group work in social work practice has steadily increased while the group work education provided in social work programs has exponentially declined. Social work education and social work practice are intimately linked – one cannot be examined without considering the other. The historical, theoretical, and clinical intersections of social work with groups and the triadic system of J.L. Moreno (sociometry, psychodrama, and group psychotherapy) will be explored. Moreno’s work will be framed through a social work lens with primary concepts defined. woT trauma-specific psychodrama models (Therapeutic Spiral Model and Relational Trauma Repair Model) will be outlined with their emphasis on strengths, containment, and safety. The clinical research and integrated neurobiology research will be presented as a growing evidence base for psychodrama and experiential trauma therapy. Next, an overview of the state of sociometry, psychodrama, and experiential group psychotherapy education will be outlined to provide a global and historical contextualization with an emphasis on experiential education and its complimentary nature with social work education. Finally, an MSW course curriculum will be provided to mediate the existing hole in social work education resulting from the decline of group psychotherapy training. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Marcia Martin Second Advisor Sari Skolnik Third Advisor Catherine Nugent Keywords Social Work with Groups, Group Therapy, Group Work Education, Sociometry, Psychodrama, Experiential Trauma Therapy Subject Categories Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/124 Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 1 SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM Scott Giacomucci, MSS, LCSW, CTTS, CET III, CP, PAT A DISSERTATION In Social Work Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work 2019 Marcia Martin, Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Sara S. Bachman, Ph.D. Dean, School of Social Policy and Practice Dissertation Committee Sari Skolnik, PhD, LCSW, PAT Catherine D. Nugent, LCPC, TEP Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 2 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to Zerka and Jacob L. Moreno – the parents of psychodrama. This project brings me a step closer to fulfilling my personal commitment to Zerka to help carry the psychodrama method to the next generation. “Moreno long wished his work to be identified as a way of life, instead of merely categorized as a therapeutic procedure. He further declared that instead of looking at mankind as a fallen being, everyone is a potential genius and like the Supreme Being, co-responsible for all of mankind. It is the genius we should emphasize, not the failings.” -Zerka T. Moreno “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” -Aristotle Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 3 Acknowledgements First, I must acknowledge my wife Maria for her support, encouragement, and patience. Her flexibility and support as a partner made this DSW possible. Nobody has listened to me talk about this dissertation as much as she has. A social worker in her own right, she has provided invaluable insight, encouragement, love, and self-care reminders during this process. I wish to acknowledge my parents – Steve and Michele. Upon the completion of this dissertation, it is clear that my strengths are an integration of their strengths. I’ve inherited my father’s attention to detail, efficiency, awareness of systems, appreciation of history, and love of learning and reading. These are in addition to my mother’s compassion, service to others, attention to relationships and community, spirituality, and emphasis on the dignity and worth of each person. While my parents were both the first of their family to complete a graduate degree, I will be the first in my family to be awarded a doctoral degree. I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their guidance and support during this process. I was blessed to have the collective experience, wisdom, and knowledge of these three women on my side – Marcia Martin’s knowledge of curriculum development and social work education, Sari Skolnik’s expertise in social work and psychodrama, and Cathy Nugent’s experience teaching multiple psychodrama university courses. I have had numerous teachers and mentors on my journey that have contributed to shaping me into the person and professional that I am today – including Frank M., Ted L., and Jim Frank. I would not be the psychodramatist that I am today without several years of mentorship, training, and supervision by Kate Hudgins, Edward Schreiber, and David Moran. Additionally, I am indebted to the generosity of Mirmont Treatment Center administration and my supervisors over the years (Tom Cain, Peg Costello, Michelle McIver, John Halloran, Jess Molavi, and Valerie Cannon) for embracing my work as a psychodramatist and supporting my development as a practitioner and trainer. I would like to express my gratitude to the University of Pennsylvania for the opportunity to learn from the incredible faculty in our social work school. I would also like to thank Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research for the opportunity to put this dissertation project into action and teach my curriculum during the 2019 Spring semester. I wish to thank the International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG) SPARC program for their endorsement of this dissertation project. Finally, I would like to thank Jacob L. Moreno for his life’s work developing Sociatry, Sociometry, Psychodrama, and Group Psychotherapy, as well as Zerka Moreno for her immense contribution to the field of psychodrama and for her personal acknowledgement to me. Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 4 Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 5 Abstract SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN ACTION: A SOCIOMETRY, PSYCHODRAMA, AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAUMA GROUP THERAPY CURRICULUM Scott Giacomucci, MSS, LCSW, CTTS, CET III, CP, PAT Dissertation Chair: Marcia Martin, Ph.D. The demand for group work in social work practice has steadily increased while the group work education provided in social work programs has exponentially declined. Social work education and social work practice are intimately linked – one cannot be examined without considering the other. The historical, theoretical, and clinical intersections of social work with groups and the triadic system of J.L. Moreno (sociometry, psychodrama, and group psychotherapy) will be explored. Moreno’s work will be framed through a social work lens with primary concepts defined. Two trauma-specific psychodrama models (Therapeutic Spiral Model and Relational Trauma Repair Model) will be outlined with their emphasis on strengths, containment, and safety. The clinical research and integrated neurobiology research will be presented as a growing evidence base for psychodrama and experiential trauma therapy. Next, an overview of the state of sociometry, psychodrama, and experiential group psychotherapy education will be outlined to provide a global and historical contextualization with an emphasis on experiential education and its complimentary nature with social work education. Finally, an MSW course curriculum will be provided to mediate the existing hole in social work education resulting from the decline of group psychotherapy training. Keywords: Social Work with Groups; Group Therapy; Group Work Education; Sociometry; Psychodrama; Experiential Trauma Therapy Social Group Work in Action Giacomucci 6 Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ 3 Abstract .............................................................................................................. 5 Table of Contents ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Introduction........................................................................................................ 9 Part 1: Group Work in Social Work Practice and Education ............................... 14 Chapter 1: Placing Group Work within the Historical Context of Social Work Education .... 14 Chapter 2: Group Work in Social Work Practice ...............................................................
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