NEWSLETTER OF THE AU STRALIAN & AOTEAROA Nov 2013 Edition 3 NEW ZEALAND PSYCHOD RAMA ASSOCIATION A Tribute to Max The very first tribute to Max was SOCIO sent in for the last edition of Socio by Colin Martin. I missed including Welcome to Edition Three... the tribute and today it receives pride of place on From the AANZPA Executive page one. Greetings to all - We continue to keep you all in mind as we follow through with the tasks we set ourselves at our last meeting in Melbourne. As we are preparing to meet again in January we look forward to renewed physical contact Max Clayton and a reprieve from emails and Skype meetings. I am revelling in the beautiful spring weather and the abundance of life in my garden which sustains me. As I write this I realise that I am warming up strongly to the I learned so much Melbourne Conference and looking forward to being with you there. from Max that affected deeply my Sara Crane work, my well-being and my life. On workshops Max often pushed In this Edition From the Editor me to where I

did not wish to go, Message from Sara Crane and a 1 I am pleased to present the third and so I learned. I tribute to Max Clayton edition of Socio to you. love Max and Garden of Spontaneity 2 remember all the This edition features reminders Regional News: Qld 3 good times we had about the Melbourne AANZPA Regional News: WA; Canterbury; 4-8 Conference in January; news from together, on Octago; NSW/ACT; Victoria the regions and an article from AANZPASA 9 Anna Schaum whom some of you workshops, on met at the Wellington AANZPA travels, on holiday, AANZPA Northern Region 10-12 Conference. and just sitting and Hui Koukourarata Marae 13 relaxing and talking. Article from Anna Schaum 14 Thanks to all contributors. Theses 15 Colin Martin Margie Abbott 1

GARDEN OF SPONTANEITY

From the Convenor Julia Hailes Convenor - Julia Hailes [email protected] It is my pleasure to give you an update on behalf of Registrations - Joan Hamilton-Roberts the AANZPA Vic Region 2014 Conference "The [email protected] Garden of Spontaneity" planning committee. We are generating and following through on plans to Treasurer - Haydn Gibson. host a stimulating and enjoyable conference. Registrations are available online at aanzpa.org/ [email protected] conference/2014/register and it is delightful to see the names of those of you who have We Look Forward already registered for the conference as well as pre and post conference workshops. We look forward to welcoming you The Gardeners our psychodrama colleagues to Melbourne and are committed to producing an enjoyable and fruitful The gardeners on the planning committee have been conference for you. We look forward to seeing you busy sowing seeds of creativity in smaller groups in January 2014. oriented to specific areas of work with outcomes produced in the program development, pre and post conference workshops, organizing accommodation, Warm wishes catering, bookshop, flowers and decorations, welcoming conference participants, the dinner Julia Hailes dance as well as financial and registration AANZPA Vic Region 2104 Conference Convenor management. Honouring Dr Max Clayton During the conference there will be time and space ***** AANZPA 2014 to honour the life and work of Dr G. Max Clayton whose generous teaching has influenced and will Conference early bird continue to influence many of us in our lives and work. registrations open

until Dec7th ****** Inquiries For inquiries related to the overall conference, registration or payments please contact the following people:

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FROM QUEENSLAND

AANZPA CONFERENCE 2014 We had a busy year and ran a number of events specifically for our committee and members; and for Garden of Spontaneity some of the events we invited friends and associates who we thought would benefit and enjoy the presentations. The evenings allow us a place to get A focus on spontaneity within the life together with training and peer group gatherings. cycle of our human unfolding and They are informal and usually fun. endeavours in our social context. Listed below are the presenters and presentations we had this year. Date and Time: Wednesday 5p.m. 22nd January Psychodrama and Family Therapy…Hugh to 2 p.m. Sunday 26th January Thompson…14/ March 2013

Venue: Newman College—University of Melbourne Neuroscience and Psychodrama: Confirming Moreno’s experiential insights…Deborah Johnston Pre-Conference Workshop: 21-22nd January and Jane Morgan…9/5/2013

Post-Conference Workshop: 27th-28th January Attachment and Play…Nadine Littledale…22 August For further information 2013 http//aanzpa.org/conference Spontaneity and Creative Living…Christo Patty…26 September 2013 To finish the year, On the 8th of December we will have Associate Professor Leon Petchkovsky leading us in a session that focuses on the Archetype of Nurturance, and occasionally uses baby-talk/babbling to get the process going. Sounds like a fantastic blast. This is what the committee has organised. There is also the ongoing Qld. Campus training run by Diz, Peter and Brigid. Wendy McIntosh

Newman College Melbourne

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From Western Australia

The WA Region has embarked on a creative process to encourage new members and a new way of working. Over many months the group has been working towards three main areas of development. Firstly, to expand experiential workshop opportunities and participation; secondly to explore ways of establishing the new training program under Psychodrama Australia guidelines; and thirdly, extending our networks to engage people in psychodrama methods for their work within their own training centres or workplaces. One aspect of the work is that each planning meeting involves a shared meal, which is building relationships as well as providing the ‘food’ for creative ideas. We have run several open sessions where we have time to connect, some psychodrama enactments and sharing, and then those who are interested can stay on for ‘processing’ to explore and integrate the learning. We have had several new people attend these sessions. We are also running an experiential learning session monthly until the end of the year and are planning on a full program for next year. One example of working with people in their own workplace is this report from Kaye Keam: “A few months ago we met with some members of the Perth Playback Theatre Co. and learnt that there is a vibrant new group of young people who are passionately developing their work in this field. They are aware that playback began as an offshoot of psychodrama and one member had attended a workshop in the UK with Jonathon Fox. They are interested in making further connections with us to learn more about the history and applications of action methods. Two of them attended one of our experiential workshops and enjoyed the experience. In the first week in October I ran a PD session with them to introduce them to role theory as a co-creative systemic approach. Fifteen people attended resulting in a very productive role training session. They are keen to keep up their links with us which we look forward to into the future. Kaye” Although we have not established a formal AANZPA Regional Group, this may emerge as the work develops. We were very heartened to learn that Executive is developing approaches to engage the Regions more and we look forward to connecting more solidly with them and other Regions in the future. Helen Phelan

4 From Canterbury Aotearoa New Zealand

AANZPA meetings closing session. It is delightful to by extensive interviewing Here in Otautahi/Christchurch see the changes in people after a for role while the auxiliary we have bi-monthly AANZPA day of being together in this chosen improvises the meetings. The first part of the way. counter-role. meeting is devoted to business For the last two years we have Those of us who could attend and after supper there is a been running monthly Theatre of this evening left feeling presentation. At our recent Spontaneity evenings. These are stimulated and enlivened. September meeting some of the open to anyone and have been advanced psychodrama training conducted by Paul, Sara and group (Noel Marceau, Simon Walter. Gurnsey and Sheryl Horomona- Practitioners meeting Gardyne) introduced the rest of their group in action. All the There are 12 practitioners in members of this group are Canterbury/Westland region and working at their writing as they we have bi-monthly practitioner warm up to assessment. The meetings. At our recent October variety of thesis topics was meeting we had a wide ranging discussion: inspiring. The trainees were interested to hear from the  we considered the benefits practitioners present about the of reading novels as process of assessment. professional development. Psychodrama for the  we explored the warm-ups community of those considering We held our annual community presenting workshops at the day entitled "Life in Action" in Melbourne Conference early September. People from with some coaching. the public are invited to come  we reflected on the along for a day of psychodrama. difference between how Some of the members who gathered Paul Baakman conducted a large Zerka Moreno uses Role at the September meeting. group warm-up and Ali Begg Reversal (as evidenced in a and Walter Logeman each ran a DVD of her working with a session in the morning. After a protagonist) and how we do delicious lunch provided by the it here in Australia/ branch, Ali Watersong and Don Aotearoa/New Zealand. Reekie conducted afternoon Zerka uses role reversal sessions. Sara Crane completed minimally and relies on Ali Watersong the day with a very lively warming up the Protagonist

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OTAGO

Snapshots. Pictures of our lives - An Introduction to psychodrama. at their best. All of the workshops were well attended and In Otago our focus for the year was to build a participants gave positive feedback. The workshop community of practice. With that in mind we presenters all reported that they had enjoyed the started planning for our open day on 3 August experience and had gained a lot from offering these 2013 workshops. Sandra held a closing session which The workshops were run by senior trainees and people fully engaged in. Psychodramatists. Joss Phiskie Sandra Turner held a lively and engaging warm- up session with 25 participants. Cinnamon Boreham and Trisha Bennett offered a workshop entitled “Before the photo was taken - getting ourselves ready”. The workshop focused on positive memories and collective knowledge to explore the processes of warm-up and how this influences our experience. The workshop provided snapshots of several psychodramatic methods in the process. Joss Phiskie and Ika Peuckert offered a workshop entitled “Where I played and found strength - exploring childhood scenes”. They focused on setting out scenes of childhood where participants’ played, had fun and connected with themselves and others. Participants’ were served a delicious lunch and had time to connect with the members of AANZPA. Maria Snegirev and Judith McDonald offered a workshop in the afternoon entitled “A snapshot of networks in my life”. They focused on key relationships in participant’s lives reflecting the nature and strength of these relationships, Annie Huntington (pictured) together with Trisha exploring how they influenced participant’s Bennett offered a workshop on the day. current place in the world.

Annie Huntington and Trisha Bennett offered a workshop entitled “Pictures of our lives. Who am I when I am at my best”? This workshop offered participants an opportunity to connect with and cherish images from their lives reminding them of who they are and how they feel when they are

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NSW/ACT

At our AGM this year, we set out a The news here has been of a very full year. Our focus spectrogram using figures and cloths, depicting on professional development has been very successful. our well developed roles and happenings for We had 2 weekend workshops: one with Sara Crane on the year and our activities and roles that need more work. “The Influence of Our Ancestors” and one with An- nette Fisher on the Ericksonian developmental stage Here is the well developed end (very pleased “Intimacy vs. Isolation”. We have had 3 sessions pre- that is so crowded!): sented by members who are in the midst of completing their theses. Oliver O’Connell presented on the use of psychodrama with Addiction, Jo Dewar presented on the use of psychodrama with telephone counselling and Colleen Guray on the development of spontaneity in organisations. Here is Colleen working with us in a simulation of actual events at one of her workshops.

Here is the end that needs work: The 2016

AANZPA Conference in Sydney is that

enormous whiteboard!!

In exciting news, Jen Barnett has had her thesis passed (called “Developing Inner Trust”- now available on the AANZPA website) and is now preparing for her prac- tical assessment as a psychodramatist in November in Sydney. Go Jen! Kath Howard attended the British Psychodrama Con- ference in Dublin, Ireland and conducted a psychodra- ma workshop (Women and Power: The authentic self Final exciting news: as you might see from our in relationship) in County Tipperary at the Wise Wom- name, ACT and NSW have now officially an Weekend. She is also conducting a psychodrama workshop at the Australian Goddess Conference in merged. We are delighted to welcome the ACT Sydney on the “Wild Goddess Within”. representative, Willi Boettcher, onto our committee!

Kath Howard

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AANZPA VICTORIA

The main focus of our activity in Melbourne naturally has been the planning and preparations for the Annual Conference. All is going well with Conference Convenor Julia Hailes leading a strong local contingent of enthusiastic local members and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our many friends in AANZPA to join us here in Melbourne in January.

I am pleased to report however that we have still managed to take time to hold other activities that bring us together in this region.

On Saturday 31st of August we held our mid winter warm up movie night at the Augustine Centre in Happy 70th birthday Cecilia Hawthorn for AANZPA members. After sharing a Winkelman delicious meal together prepared and served by Phillip's daughter Jasmine we enjoyed a delightfully entertaining French movie called Mic Macs about a group of wacky but talented misfits who band together to take on the might of two armament manufacturers. Brendan Cartmel acted in his usual capable capacity as movie projectionist. The evening proved yet again to be a good opportunity for members and their partners to come together for a good chat over a shared meal followed by an enjoyable movie.

On the weekend of 14 and 15 September we were pleased to warmly welcome Chris Hosking back in Melbourne to facilitate a two day workshop entitled Intervening in a Critical Moment. Participants travelled from Sydney and Canberra to join the local trainees in what proved to be a stimulating and informative workshop. Chris guided us in appropriate application of role theory to identify and work more deeply with those critical moments that arise in group work.

See you in Melbourne in January!

Newman College at night. Phillip Corbett

8 AANZPASA

Open Nights This year we offered three Open Nights. Several interested people have attended and are excited about learning more about psychodrama. AGM On 22nd November we will hold our annual AGM. Our region has not elected officers for several years. However, we meet and maintain our connectedness.

Margie is moving to Geelong Margie and Helen AANZPSA will farewell Margie at the AGM. Margie will remain on the staff of Psychodrama Australia SA campus and return to Adelaide regularly for core curriculum training with Tony Densley.

Practitioners Tony Densley, Margie Abbott and Patricia O’Rourke actively work applying psychodrama in their regular work. Patricia continues to offer supervision to seven groups who primarily work in infant mental Training Group health care. Singapore Margie Abbott and Helen Densley completed the core curriculum of psychodrama training for women from six East Asian countries (China; Korea; Malaysian/Singapore; Taiwan and Vietnam) during the month of July. The training will continue in July 2014 and July 2015.

Helen Sharmini and Margie

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AANZPA NORTHERN NEWS

AANZPA Northern News psychodrama trainer there. Psychodrama has been in Taiwan since 1974. He has been invited back to run some experiential groups. He also The spirit of psychodrama continues to live on in went to Japan and spent a wonderful few days the work and lives of the members of the with Hiromi and Isao, visiting temples, tramping Northern Region as expressed in the following in a beautiful national park and getting a sense of news of members’ activities. their work.

This year in Auckland a group of certified practitioners offered a series of groups titled A Taste of Psychodrama. Their aim to provide a gentle, yet engaging experience of what the psychodrama method has to offer has been well responded to by the community.

At Queens Birthday Weekend Craig Whisker from the Central Region and Marian Hammond led the first Psychodrama Retreat at the Tauhara Centre in Taupo. Over the years many psychodrama events have been held at this venue, particularly with Max Clayton and Chris Hosking. The group drew people from 3 of the 4 corners of the North Island and has now become an annual event. In June, Phil Carter returned to Taiwan for a short trip after twenty years away. He lived there for seven years in the 1980s. He was delighted to find that he still gets invigorated by the energy, fascinated with how people work in so fluidly with each other, a friendly, easy going, gentle anarchy. He made some new connections with the indigenous peoples. He enjoyed a playback session and introduced psychodrama to the playback troupe working with some of their group dynamics. They are transitioning from being led by a strong leader, Shuling, to a collective leadership. He enjoyed very much connecting with Lai Nienhwa who is a

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AANZPA NORTHERN NEWS

Selina Reid and Cushla group and seeking to make group. Clark are about to run their theatre based on their own This was a successful third two day training stories and life experiences weekend. I enjoyed workshop titled Working with was a central part of their life particularly having a number Parent’s Anger: Finding the and identity. I decided that of methods to be able to "pull Calm in the Storm. Playback theatre had much to out of the hat". I loved how This work involves helping offer these young men and effective they were, and loved professionals working with would be a useful vehicle for working with playback parents who are angry to learn us to meet the kaupapa of the methods again after a long about anger escalation and de- work. What occurred was time relying on psychodrama. escalation and to acquire skills astounding. Not only did they The spontaneity factor in the for effective parenting of their take in the forms of Playback group and in me was strong children. quickly but they did it with and the warm up, taking into more gusto and heart than any account group relationships other group I can and imaginative play, recall teaching Playback to. generated creativity which In September Martin Putt The day ended with a deep flourished throughout the offered an exciting new group story of betrayal and weekend. We all finished tired using playback and fatherhood which was but uplifted, wanting more. psychodrama with young poignantly played back to the Maori and Pacific Island men. sounds of two guitars and two He writes: harmonising voices. The Marian Hammond following day we worked with In September 2013 I was invited by Corbans Arts Estate Playback fluid sculptures to to lead a weekend for young develop the ability to double men who are all members of the teller's experience, and then used the psychodramatic the Phoenix NZYP, the Corbans Estate ‘Youth Wing’. method to bring to life Their aim is developing vignettes of different men's confidence, skills and experiences in families. Into expression in young people the afternoon I used role training for difficult moments through performing arts. The participants were all young working together with others. Maori and Pacific Island men How do we call each other on aged 15-35. Beginning with a stuff when culturally (both mixture of highly physical youth culture and PI warm up activities and culture) it is not 'how we sociometric investigations it roll' ? As usual the sharing was clear these guys wanted to phases of the work laugh, play and to look into strengthened sociometry, what connected them as a bringing the group closer group and inspired them to be together, widening the criteria together. Their experience of for mutual knowing, being part of a performing arts acceptance and trust in the Shots of Auckland

Page 11 SOCIO

11 Hui (gathering) at Koukourarata Marae

The Canterbury/Westland Branch of AANZPA hosted a hui at Koukourarata Marae recently This is where the name of Ohomairaki was gifted to us in 2004. http://aanzpa.org/about/ohomairaki

We started with Whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building), did Tai Chi Maori style, sang waiata (songs) and learned a haka in beginning preparations for the 2015 conference which will be hosted in Ōtautahi Christchurch. We discovered new creativity in harakeke (flax weaving) and mauri kōhatu (stone-painting). Thirteen adults and two children enjoyed each other's company as we had a replenishing and re-connecting time together. One of the highlights was playing charades on Saturday night. Join us next time! Sara Crane

The Ohomairaki Hui at Koukourarata Marae, Te Pataka o Rakaihautu Banks Peninsula, was a lovely restful and creative time. Thanks to all. I really appreciated Maurice coming over to give us a real feeling for the place. Simon Gurnsey

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Hui (gathering) at Koukourarata Marae

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The Dominant Ear of Timing and Grace in New Zealand

literally “cut from the same cloth.” (I was wearing a Dear AANZPA friends and colleagues, dress made of the same fabric that had inspired an entire series of Valerie’s paintings).

This is a long postponed letter to thank you for a - Learning through presenting my workshop on truly remarkable conference last January. I had Music and Interpersonal Attunement in a country intended to submit my reflections to Socio last new to me, what I will do differently next time to pre spring, but then received the news that Max had -heat the warm up. died. Struck pondering how precious time and - Accepting Hilde Knottenbelt’s gracious invitation timing are, and humble in my newness to your to co-facilitate a workshop as a last minute community, I have waited until now to reflect replacement. The kinship I experienced with her as a publicly on my conference experiences. facilitator and musician, and the depth of sharing There is a concept in jazz called “the Dominant Ear that happened with the participants, continues to fuel of the Moment”. Jazz musicians learn to trust and me. support the Dominant Ear, which is sensed by - Being found a fiddle to borrow for that master musicians within the ensemble. The spontaneous workshop. I had not brought my own, dominant ear is perhaps like the musical equivalent so the instrument gave me a more full “vocal range” of tele and spontaneity combined. The key is to with which to present. follow the thread of the dominant ear as an - And probably most significant to my emerging role ensemble, to trust how the tune itself wants to be as a Psychodrama trainer and community leader, played. I think of the Dominant Ear as a metaphor finding myself onstage with Max, playing roles of for the invisible connections that inform relational Master and Ingénue in Phil Carter’s writing experience: connections of notes, connections of workshop. Those few minutes with Max were a roles, connections that can’t be composed ahead of spontaneous and precious initiation for me. time in life, but must emerge in the moment. So many, many thanks, and more thanks after that to

all of you who made the conference possible. I hope I like to play with the idea that I was following the to be back in 2014 – 2015. Dominant Ear when I sat at my computer late one night last year, and realized that the deadline for Much warmth, many smiles, submissions to present at the AANZPA conference Anna Schaum, Portland, OR, USA was that very day. Following are further moments that continue to resonate in me: -Discovering on my first night in the country that the wild haired woman and svelte, spritely gentleman squished next to me in the van, were none other than Chris and Max themselves. - Soaking the Maori welcome ceremony into every cell of my parched American nervous system, and feeling valued for my efforts in coming from so far away. - Drinking in the warmth of tea time (we don’t do formal tea time in the States), and getting to know your faces and stories between sessions.

- Finding myself sharing a presentation slot with Rex 14 and Valerie Hunton, and learning that we have been

THESES

From Kevin Franklin (130) by Brendan Cartmel Two new theses are available on the AANZPA THE PRACTICE OF A WORKING website. SOCIODRAMATIST (129) Jen Barnett “Developing Inner Trust” This thesis demonstrates the application of Abstract sociodramatic principles in groups, organisations

This thesis addresses the questions: ‘how can and society in general. Psychodrama assist people to live their lives from It presents examples of the sociodramatist a place of inner trust?’, and ‘what makes encountering increasingly more complex forms of Psychodrama effective in this work?’ social systems and becoming involved with

I discuss where this work fits within the overall increasing developmental response. This is field of therapy, focusing on Expressive therapies followed by an example of sociodramatic group as they combine thought feeing and action. In work as developmentally targeted social particular, the approaches of Psychodrama and remediation. Gestalt therapy are explored as to how each relates Descriptions provide the basis for drawing out to these questions. A deeper examination is then implications for the theory and practice of made of Psychodrama. sociodrama. The key concept of developmental

A detailed description is given of three sessions social remediation interlocutor is explained, and with clients where the development of inner trust reasons are given as to how it is the best is both part of the process and a significant elucidation we have to date to enable work to be outcome of the work. truly socially innovative and genuinely sociodramatic. Criteria for assessing Reflections on this process affirm that the developmental remediation are presented and areas Morenian theory and method as practiced in for further research are proposed. Psychodrama is effective in enabling people to create a sense of becoming unified and be in good contact with their inner being. This brings a sense of inner trust that the challenges and difficulties of living life fully can be met in a confident adequate way.

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