Conference 2020 Programme

Detailed Workshop Descriptions

Thursday Morning Sessions 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Building Trust – a foundation for support in times of trouble – Diana Jones

What has been on my mind for this session is that as coaches, therapists and clinicians, we are ‘there’ for the other. Mutuality in a therapist-client trust-intimacy relationship is built on different functions. Our function as clinicians, coaches and therapists, is the one who responds.

Yet, what about us and those times in our lives when we are the person whose ‘chips are down’. When things go wrong, who has your back, and your best interests at heart? Who would you accept, or choose, in times of crises? Who moves close to you and who do you reach out to? How do we build our capacities to ask for and accept companionship in stressful circumstances so our focus is on recovery and repair? What are the criteria we relate to?

We will use the concept of the ‘social and cultural atom’ as a foundation for applying our discoveries.

Diana Jones is a Sociometrist, TEP, leadership coach, and author. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Diana helps leaders inspire others and impact the world through positive mutual relationships and has been doing this work for over 30 years. She is a former AANZPA treasurer and executive member.

Thinking together, laughing together – no blaming!  – Jane Maher

This experiential workshop will offer time to hang out in a way we create together. There will be a landscape of director directed warm-ups including laughter club exercises and some crying will probably happen. We can tune into ourselves and tune into each other in a “blame-free space”.

Jane runs parenting groups that promote the roles of the doubling parent, the doubling partner, the doubling colleague, the easy double. She runs blame-free family therapy sessions and provides a “judgement-free space” for teens and kids to gather and be friendly. She is a Psychodramatist and family therapist and loves to dance.

A gentle plea for chaos – Sara Crane

The title of this workshop is inspired by my favourite gardening book. I am inviting those of you who are keen gardeners, or who use metaphors from nature, to come and co-create vital spaces. This might be a memory of a secret garden from children, a dream of a productive community garden, a desire for a particular plant or setting… let’s see what happens.

I am a psychodramatist and family therapist. Animals, children, gardening and being in the wilderness, keep me sane. Simon and I live with three dogs, two cats and a very well netted vegetable garden in Otautahi and spend a lot of time in the Red Zone which is now a wild garden paradise.

Responses to the keynote address – Vivienne Thomson

Reflections, action and sharing in response to the keynote address.

Responses to the keynote address – Chris Patty

Reflections, action and sharing in response to the keynote address.

Thursday Afternoon Sessions 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Vocalise! Voice on the threshold – Hilde Knottenbelt

Before we speak, we sound. Earlier still, we absorb the sound of our mother’s heartbeat and the pulsing life of the womb. As we develop our capacity for speech, our sound-making becomes patterned, shaped by the languages we speak and by the ways we use our bodies including our sound-making mechanisms.

To revitalise the sound making palate, to refresh our connection with teeth, tongue, lips, breath, vowels and consonants is to begin to experience the range of vocal expression which humans are capable of. In this way, we can experience voice on the threshold between sound, singing and speech. When we explore this territory as a group, we also have the possibilities of co-creating vocal music, exploring the poetics of spoken word and experiencing what aesthetics and attunement offer the human soul. Come, tune-up, tune in, co-create spontaneous songs acapella style!

Since 1987 Hilde has facilitated vocal improvisation and story singing groups. She works extensively with the many nuanced layers of this form of spontaneous co-creativity. Based in Melbourne, Hilde is on the teaching staff of Psychodrama Australia, Melbourne Campus. Over the years she has been a language teacher, a teacher of bodywork, a voice teacher, counsellor, supervisor and coach. She has facilitated groups in many different settings including in creative arts practice. She is a sessional teacher at MIECAT (Melbourne Institute of Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy) Hilde is experienced in assisting others to express themselves creatively and responsively in a range of settings.

The sociometer theory of self-esteem: The human drive for social inclusion – Charmaine McVea

Leary and Beaumeiandster see self-esteem as a measure of a person’s sense of social belonging. They suggest that the idea that poor self-esteem is a causal factor in psychological ill-health misses this point and that strategies that directly address self-esteem are therefore doomed to fail. Approaches that promote meaningful social inclusion are called for. Their sociometer theory of self-esteem seems to have been designed with the psychodramatic method in mind (serendipity perhaps).

In this session, we will use sociometry and psychodramatic enactments to explore Leary and Beaumeister’s proposition. (Pre-reading for the enthusiasts among us: Leary, M.R. and Baumeister, R.F (2000). The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Academic Press, 32: 1-62.)

Dr Charmaine McVea TEP is the Director of Training for the Sydney-Canberra Campus of Psychodrama Australia. She has a private practice as a psychodramatist and psychologist working out of Brisbane and Sydney.

Ka Maoritia te Pakeha? – Phil Carter

This question was given in the first book written in Te Reo in the early 1800s. It could be translated as: is the Pakeha Maori yet? or, has the Pakeha come into being a commoner? Two hundred years later and it is still a question. How is it that you might say: I am of a native of this place? Let’s investigate this as it is for you personally and for us collectively.

Philip is of Ngare Raumati and Te Mahurehure lineages. He became a psychodramatist in 2002. Psychodrama has also expanded to include him.

Introduction to psychodramatic couple therapy – Walter Logeman

In this workshop Walter will present the psychodramatic approach to couple therapy he has developed over the last decade. The presentation will cover the importance of encounter, eye to eye and face to face when working with a ‘natural’ group. Other topics: cultural conserves impacting the couple, the phases of a group and psychodramatic techniques as they apply to working with couples.

A sociodrama to establish a ‘couple’ and demonstration will follow. Participants will have an opportunity to experience moments of being the director in a couple therapy session with the same ‘couple’ we have established sociodramatically. Discussion and sharing will close the event. Walter Logeman Walter is a psychodrama trainer in Christchurch. He has explored the application of psychodrama to couple therapy for many years. The process has led to the establishment of a Psychodramatic Couple Therapy Training course.

Walter Logeman is a psychodrama trainer in Christchurch. He has explored the application of psychodrama to couple therapy for many years. The process has led to the launch of a Psychodramatic Couple Therapy Training course.

Life in the regions – Selina Reid, Diz Synnot, Ali Watersong, Rosemary Nourse

More information soon

Thursday Evening Sessions 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

How did that happen? A sociodrama on aging – Ali Watersong

As we grow older our lives change, our bodies age, our social atom changes and we are doing different things in our lives. By what means do we maintain our vitality and aliveness in the face of our aging bodies, the changes sometimes thrust upon us and the pressures of a culture where youth is seen as beauty and older people are sometimes ignored. In this session, we will co-create protagonist-centred sociodramas to explore this area.

Ali Watersong has recently turned 70 and after 35 years living in Lyttelton, has moved to Nelson with her partner Bronwen. She sometimes feels 25 years old, sometimes 5 years old and some times 105 years old!! She keeps her vitality by singing, walking with Sophie (her dog) on the beach and maintaining a playful curiosity about life.

AANZPA Soup – Simon Gurnsey and Sara Crane

We think it’s fun to generate ideas about how psychodrama can be taken into our communities in novel ways, with a little help from our friends. This session is based on placemaking organisation Gap Filler’s Christchurch Soup developed following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch.

The Soup idea is that a number of people present ideas which will benefit the psychodrama community, be creative, relationship building and are fun. After the ideas are presented everyone gets together and chats about the ideas and further develops them. At Brisbane Soup at the 2019 Brisbane conference, the group generated a large number of ideas and encouraged each other in their development. We may hear back from some of the people at that workshop about how these ideas have progressed. Some people may want to apply to the AANZPA Project Fund for funding to further develop their projects.

Sara Crane is the CITP’s Director of Training. She is a Psychodramatist, a Trainer Educator Practitioner (TEP, AANZPA) and is a Registered Psychotherapist with a special interest in children and families (and dogs) and has a long-standing involvement with Playback Theatre.

Simon Gurnsey is a Sociometrist and TEPit (AANZPA). His work for place-making organisation Gap Filler includes many opportunities for relationship building. His dog, Mr Brock, works with him, fetching sticks and being persistently inclusive.

Response-ability in the here and now in response to racism – Jenny Hutt and Bev Hosking

How are you going with those moments when you encounter racist comments or behaviour? They can catch us unexpectedly and quite often call for a more inspired warm-up and response than we come up with at the time. Instead, we can withdraw, dither, collude, explode, alienate: experiencing a failure of nerve or imagination, or a lack of finesse. These situations may seem minor, yet they are often complex and have significance over time.

In this workshop, we will look at the experiences you have had and work together to develop our courage, flexibility, originality, social awareness and capacity to refresh our patterns of relating. We will use enactments and role training to engage you in revisiting a range of everyday situations in a spirit of invention and experimentation. As we do this we will draw on perspectives from the current literature on racism.

Bev Hosking is a counsellor, supervisor and trainer who lives in Wellington. She is a Role Trainer; TEP (AANZPA); and Executive Director of the Wellington Psychodrama Training Institute.

Jenny Hutt is a facilitator, coach and consultant who lives in Melbourne. She is a Sociodramatist, TEP and Director of Training at Psychodrama Australia’s Melbourne Campus. In recent years Bev and Jenny have led a range of workshops about belonging and social cohesion, intercultural work and new conversations about race.

Sexual identity: Follow-up from the 2019 AGM – Kevin Franklin

The story of Adam and Eve is common to all three Abrahamic religions. Authors Shively and De Cecco summarised and wrote how scientist psychologists in 1977 had come to understand the necessary components of our human sexual identity. This, now old article, remains a main go-to resource for how people understand this topic today! As people and practitioners, it is important to be familiar with this psychological model and worldview underpinning this generally accepted model of a human being.

Based on their Abstract (follows) I envisage in part-1 of this workshop a group exploration of individual and collective meanings informing Sexual Identity in 1977 and 2020: not a simplistic info-exchange of definitions. And, in part-2, an action-oriented exploration of group emergent theme(s). M G Shively and J P De Cecco. (1977). Components of Sexual Identity. Journal of Homosexuality, 3, 41-48.

Abstract
This paper examines the four components of sexual identity: biological sex, gender identity, social sex-role, and sexual orientation. Theories about the development of each component and how they combine and conflict to form the individual’s sexual identity are discussed. As defined here, social sex-role includes the individual’s femininity and masculinity. Sexual orientation includes the individual’s physical and affectional sexual preferences for relationships with members of the same and/or opposite biological sex. This paper may help to clarify meanings of the following terms used in research on sexual identity: sex, gender, femininity, masculinity, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.

Kevin Franklin, BA DipEd BPsych PhD, is now a Clinical Psychologist in private practice. He was once, incompatibly, an angry young man and also a school teacher: now mostly recovered having resolved that ugly and ignorant conflict-ridden second universe of consciousness (per J L Moreno). I began psychodrama training circa 1976, was certificated as Psychodramatist and T.E.P. and am Director of Training of Perth Campus for Psychodrama Australia (AANZPA). Now, and much older, what are these beautiful ‘green shoots’? Are they true? Is there really a third universe in human development? In this professional development workshop, I’ll first explore with you the Components of Sexual Identity as then understood in 1977.

Songs in the key of life – Cher Williscroft

(maximum 15 people)
Get to know our lives through the songs we love and have meaning to us in a ‘theatre of song’. Let’s listen again to the songs that have meaning to you whether beautiful, ugly, truthful uplifting, poignant, loud, soft, angry, nostalgic or heartbreakingly sad. We will reach into our lives and recall songs that in some way upheld us and gave expression to our experience that ordinary language didn’t quite do. 

We will enact these moments and feel again the life, deep emotions and significance of these important events. You can sing your song, we can sing it with you or have it pre-downloaded on your phone/tablet so it is easy to plug it in and play the song it through speakers. I will use psychodramatic and sociodrama methods to bring your scene alive. Max 15

 I am a Sociodramatist (TEP) and a staff member of the Experiential Learning and Development Centre Nelson (ExLD) as well as Managing Director of Breakthrough Communication. All my life I have sung and danced and memorised words. Many keys to my life are unlocked by hearing a song. I make beautiful playlists and DJ songs that are dance floor magnets.

Freedom to fly: A psychodrama group for women dealing with the effects of sexual abuse – Marian Hammond and Judy Sutherland

Run over the past 21 years in Auckland, this weekend therapeutic group is unique in a number of ways: first, in it’s leadership which involves a team approach of two leaders and 2-3 auxiliaries; second, in the engagement of individual therapists, prior to and after the group; and third, in the tailoring of the psychodrama method to meet the specific needs of sexual abuse survivors. Many of the women who attend the groups have been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of sexual abuse trauma, often with associated attachment disturbances.

Key benefits of the group lie in the reduction of isolation through the power of “Me too”, the alleviation of shame, and the opportunity to be generously supported in the development of progressive functioning. The majority of participants are supported to attend through funding from the Accident Compensation Commission. Referring therapists are increasingly more aware of the value of concurrent individual and group therapy and see the group as a useful adjunct to their ongoing therapeutic work with clients.

This workshop will provide a ‘taste’ of Freedom to Fly by journeying through the initial warm up to the group, and the structure and content of the weekend itself. We will share how the enduring impacts of ugliness and ignorance, associated with sexual abuse trauma, are addressed, together with how the transformative powers of truth and beauty are encouraged and expressed. There will be opportunities to experience various group activities and be introduced to the women we meet in these groups and to learn what works with who, and when. The rationale underlying our work with this client group and all its complexity will be shared throughout. This workshop will be of interest to practitioners working with clients who have been impacted by trauma.

Marian is a psychotherapist and psychodramatist in private practice in Ponsonby where she sees individuals, supervisees, couples, and runs groups. She enjoys the challenge of finding creative ways to work with trauma and shame.

Judy is a scientist and psychodramatist who lives and works in Wellington. In her day job, she uses DNA technologies to study marine organisms, especially seaweeds and manages a small group of scientists.

Friday

Psyychopatology dell’atre – Giovanni Fusetti

All day workshop (maximum 30 people)

A playful and embodied exploration of some of the classic personality disorders through movement theatre and comedy. This workshop emerges at the fertile edge between Physical Theatre and Gestalt Therapy. It dives into the richness of psychopathology with the tools of movement theatre and play.

The Greek word psyche means soul and pathos means suffering: so the first meaning of the term Psychopathology is the suffering of the soul. But pathos also means passion so another, more interesting and exciting meaning of this scary term is passion of the soul.

Pychopathologies, before being dis-functions, neurosis, or psychosis, are adaptations, the best possible and vital solutions to face a very difficult environment. They are extreme states for extreme situations. Extreme solutions for extreme problems. Before being symptoms to treat and normalise they are stories to embody and play, characters to listen and to under-stand, to stand-under.

Psychopathology, before being a cold and somehow disturbing inventory of symptoms, diagnostics and treatments is a script of human behaviours, a repertoire of characters, an amazing regard on the many ways in which the human soul comes to term with the challenges of human condition and the vulnerability of the heart. It is a regard on the passions and sufferings of human soul.

In the Gestalt approach we can see every pathology as an extreme form of contact with the world and with the self, and in Movement theatre each of them can be played as a character, bringing fun and awareness in the process of exploration and integration of the amazing theatre of our Psyche.

In this experimental workshop of awareness through play, participants will explore different vital movement patterns that, depending or their degree of intensity, will lead to different types of characters. Each one of them will reveal their wisdom and provide precious insights.

A fierce and playful curiosity about human folly and beauty is required!

Giovanni is an Italian multi-disciplinary fool. Natural Scientist, Theatre Artist, Pedagogue, Gestalt Therapist, he works internationally as a teacher and process facilitator, exploring theatre as a tool for artistic training, education, healing, personal awareness and political awakening. (more…)

Friday Morning Sessions 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth – Don Reekie assisted by Phil Carter

Don will present, engage and encounter to share action and reality of his personal experience and practice of psychodrama.

Born, 1935. Lives with Gwen in Christchurch on planet Earth. Especially loves sunrise and sunset and all their reflections and hues.

The flow of a group – Noa Gross

In this workshop, we will be exploring group dynamics, our role in different groups in our lives and the different flow of each one. What are the strengths that help us go with the flow? or are there any boulders that stop us from flowing in the direction we want to go? We will dive into the dynamic of the group, no snorkel needed.

Noa is a clinical Psychotherapist with PACFA and Psychodrama and Art Therapist. She gained practical experience working in private practice and schools since 1999 working with adults, families and children of all ages from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Running workshops world-wide.

Considering the truth within – Judith McDonald and Trisha Bennett

Beauty and Truth, Ugliness and Ignorance are potent themes and are perhaps more easily recognisable being played out in others actions, both on the world stage and closer to home. How much awareness as individuals do we hold of the relationship between beauty and truth, ugliness and ignorance in your own selves? What about every shade in between the two ends of the continuum? Are some aspects more acceptable to you than others? How consciously do you act in any given moment? Let’s keep it simple while we explore the meanings we make together.

Trisha Bennett is a certified Psychodramatist residing in Dunedin. Her primary work focus is in the area of transitions.

Judith McDonald is a certified Psychodramatist from Dunedin, who works in private practice as a psychotherapist.

Where did sex go? A sociodramatic examination and investigation of the invisibility of sex in therapy – Peter Howie

More information soon

Peter Howie BSc, MEd, TEP, PhD is a Director of Psychodrama Australia. Peter has been working in organisational settings for over 20 years developing and running deep learning experiential leadership development programs. In these programs, he uses group therapy constructs and psychodrama processes to enhance the group and individual learning. He has also been running psychodrama experiential groups for 25 years and psychodrama training groups since 1998. He recently completed a PhD researching the psychodramatic concept of warm-up. He is the Chair of the Organisational Consultancy Section in the International Association of Group Psychotherapy. Peter operates as an independent scholar clarifying, writing, and researching elements of human functioning used in group processes and psychodrama and is currently on a self-funded sabbatical.

Therapy with Children: A systems approach – Renee Alleyne

Two case studies will be presented. One, a 5-year old boy who has witnessed violence towards his mother. The other a 7-year old girl who has been sexually abused by her uncle. Social atoms will be used in both cases to develop and initiate a treatment plan. A description of the play therapy room will be given with recommended play materials included.

Being a youngish great grandma has assisted me greatly to work with children, along with being a Psychodramatist and having also had some Sand Tray Therapy training. As a private practitioner, I often resist working with children but increasingly I have been making alliances with other counsellors, staff at Te Awhina Marae and NGO’s in our Motueka community, making it less daunting to do this work. I live in a large garden section in a peaceful part of town with my partner of 35 years, Trish, my current sweet dog, Tashi, and our rather magnificent flock of chickens.

Friday Afternoon Sessions 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Reflections on embracing a psychodramatic approach in academic mentoring – Jenny Postlethwaite

How might taking a psychodramatic approach to enhance the quality and efficacy, the form and beauty, of mentoring relationships? Particularly those rooted in conserved cultures where rationality may traditionally be valued over relations. This workshop will begin with a short presentation of reflections on the effect of embracing a psychodramatic approach in a long-running (11+ years) mentoring program for university academics.

These reflections will come from my own perspective as an evolving practitioner, as well as from the perspective of key stakeholders and participants in the program. From there, we will explore, in action, themes which emerge for group members in relation to their own application of the method and their own evolution as practitioners.

Jenny is a Sociodramatist (AANZPA) and Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation), working in the field of organisational coaching and consulting. Since first encountering psychodrama in 2010, she has enthusiastically integrated and applied psychodramatic philosophies and methods into her practice.

A beautiful vision, the ugly reality: Warming up to future orientations – Dianne Pepicelli

I am passionate about psychodrama. It has helped me develop an insight into myself that has allowed me to make positive changes in my life, develop new roles and take leadership in many ways. I am actively involved in training, in the regional AANZPASA association and in applying psychodrama in my own work.

In this workshop, I will use our method to explore options to create and attract a thriving psychodrama community into the future. We will look at a marketing proposal that I applied for a grant from the special project committee for, current marketing activities in the regions, what a survey of members for marketing research could look like and what your warmups to marketing psychodrama are.

I reside in Adelaide and am a psychodrama trainee who works in private practice as a consultant and trainer applying the psychodrama method. After years of managing and running retail businesses, I became an accredited trainer and assessor in 2014 and have spent the last five years teaching business, retail and marketing qualifications.

Sweet are the juices of adversity – Phil Corbett

Sweet are the juices of adversity, which like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Shakespeare – As You Like It

This workshop offers an opportunity to share experiences of a time when you have been faced with a difficult and personal challenge in your life. It could be through illness, accident, grief or loss of any kind, where there was suffering which strangely, however, brought you some new understandings, insight or role development that has stayed with you. Often the common view of such challenging events is that you are supposed to ‘just get on with it’ but within you there persists a deep longing to give fuller expression and sharing of the experience with others in order to really integrate and gain from it.

To not just ‘get back to your old self again’, rather to discover and integrate your new self! The workshop will consist of a group sharing followed by vignettes or dramas to more fully achieve that integration. I see this as not so much a sharing of sadness and suffering as a celebration of the spontaneous and vibrant spirit that lives within us all despite the challenging circumstance.

Phillip is an advanced trainee working towards certification as a psychodramatist. He has a history of working as a teacher of special education, recently retired as a family chiropractor of 35 years in Melbourne and lectured in the School of Chiropractic at RMIT. He has for many years run groups that use psychodrama in the northern suburbs of Melbourne for people experiencing depression and anxiety and is currently writing his thesis based on that work.

Exploring our political spectrum, from reflection to collaboration and action using sociometry and sociodrama – Walter Logeman

We live in turbulent times. A time of wars, imperialism, refugee crisis, climate devastation, extinction, poverty, inequality, and lies. Even as we witness a resurgence of resistance and rebellion, it is easy to feel despair with the enormity of the tasks ahead. What do you make of it all? What are the agents of change? What is possible? What can we do? We will use criteria chosen by the director and the group to sociometrically explore and clarify the participants’ political views and questions. This will reveal how we are the same and how we are different. Respecting our various positions, we will find ways to study and collaborate in action.

Following the sociometric investigation, we will explore how our political views play out in action. Using sociodrama we will construct a near-future scenario that highlights what we know about the current world, local conditions and what we can expect, based on our historical knowledge. We will collaborate to explore possible progressive social and political responses and interventions. Discussion and sharing will be an important part of this session. Walter Logeman Walter is a psychodrama trainer in Christchurch and has a background in social activism. He is interested in how psychodramatic methods can enhance progressive movements.

Walter Logeman Walter is a psychodrama trainer in Christchurch and has a background in social activism. He is interested in how psychodramatic methods can enhance progressive movements.

Creative revolution – Elizabeth Synnot

You will be actively involved in exploring what is required today and tomorrow in a range of contexts for a creative revolution as Moreno envisaged it.

I am a sociodramatist who explores the ways our civilisation is being affected by world-wide and local events and phenomenons. What has this methodology to offer these times?

Friday Evening 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

On the spot: Anything can happen 

Sunday Morning Sessions 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

The road of my life – Noa Gross

At the workshop, we will be working on your personal road vs your professional road. Where did you come from? where do you want to go? Where is the road of your life taking you? Do you play a part in it or are you just riding along? Are there any differences between your past roads? And what are they?

Noa is a clinical Psychotherapist with PACFA and Psychodrama and Art Therapist. Gained practical experience working in private practice and schools since 1999 working with adults, families and children of all ages from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Running workshops world-wide.

Dementia, in the ashes – Phil Carter

Liberation or imprisonment – what, where and how? What is left when the different bits that we have as our Ôself’ are taken away? What is your experience when this is happening to a loved one? Let’s visit this as it occurs for us.

Philip is of Ngare Raumati and Te Mahurehure lineages. He became a psychodramatist in 2002. Psychodrama has also expanded to include him.

Try this at home! – Maria Snegirev and Simon Gurnsey

Sometimes copying how others have done things is really helpful when you want to get something going in your own community. Being stimulated by others idea can produce creative responses for your particular set of circumstances. Also, we find technology (AKA Social Media) has such a big impact on how we communicate and brings its own challenges and solutions.

The focus of this workshop will be to inform, support and inspire you towards generative thinking and creative actions in your local communities. This workshop may help you to strengthen relationships in your local group, or find out about “hanging out together” activities or assist you to find ways to engage and discover more about your people in your own region or neighbourhood. On the other hand, you might want to generate interest in the psychodramatic method by running an event or engaging in an activity, or find some ways to give people in your social or professional networks an experience of psychodrama.

Bring along psychodrama success stories, questions and concerns from your own communities.

Maria has been in the roles of Secretary, Treasurer and President for the Otago region since about 2011. By nature, she is a creative organiser and sometimes a bit rigid (not a bad thing, really). She finds talking to others really helps her to get a fresh perspective.

Simon is the President of the Canterbury Westland region. The ebb and flow of the local psychodrama community and how it replenishes and sustains itself is an area of ongoing interest for him. He loves working collaboratively and in these collaborations seeks out opportunities to assist the creation of community.

Everything is going to be alright: Developing resourcefulness for changing times through role development and encounter – Annette Currie

These title words of the British Artist, Martin Creed, shine like a beacon of reassurance, beautifully and boldly, from the walls of Christchurch City Art Gallery. The words reflect irony, complexity, comfort and also hope, encouraging us to trust that while a major change process is demanding, dynamic and unpredictable, it is also full of potentiality.

For me these words have been inspirational during some major traumatic incidents in this city. We have been stretched, reconfigured and challenged to adapt. We have also been awakened, inspired, humbled and blessed. There is much we have learned, and can learn through such events, enhancing our creativity and spontaneous response to the unexpected.

Using group work, sociometry and sociodrama we will explore some dynamics of change, and the development of resilience and resourcefulness in response to challenging events.

I have a background in psychology, health education and psychotherapy. For the last 20 years, I have been in private practice as a psychodramatist and psychotherapist. My practice includes working with individuals and couples, and also with leaders, managers and business owners to develop more effective leadership.

The dance of intimacy – Dimitrios Papalexis

In this experiential workshop, participants will explore intimacy through the power of story-telling and embodiment by participating in theatre games, improv and storytelling. Playback theatre forms will be used to explore stories about intimacy that will spontaneously emerge as participants embody different aspects of their experience, move and play with others. The workshop will culminate into psychodramatic or sociodramatic enactments on the topic of intimacy.

Dimitrios Papalexis is a counsellor, community developer and artist with many years of experience in mental health, disability, carers, community development and arts. He is an advanced Psychodrama trainee in the Sydney campus and member of AANZPA. He has been awarded a Do it Differently Award from Bayside Council and SESHLD for his innovative project “Everyone has a Story”. Dimitrios has recently won the NSW 2019 Youth Worker of the Year Award. His passion lies in blending creative, community and healing arts for social change and impact.

Envisioning the future – Ali Watersong

How do we keep our hopeful actions alive when confronted by the spectre of climate change, mass wild-life extinction and planetary ecological crisis. This workshop is inspired by the movie “2040” and the book “Drawdown”. In “2040” director Damon Gameau embarked on a journey to explore what the future could look like by 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to save our planet.

It requires a paradigm shift. In the workshop, you will have an opportunity to enact your visions for the future, what you hope for your grandchildren or mokapuna and how you can act now to overcome the obstacles to a sustainable world.

Ali Watersong cares deeply about our planet and sometimes feels despair and rage at what is happening to the earth. She loves being in nature whether that is through tramping, kayaking or playing with her dog, Sophie. She believes that having a vision for what you want can be very powerful in helping to create it.