The Theatre of Spontaneity - Sunday 28 April 2013 with Di Kearney

 Salutations Psychodrama Friends!

The Theatre of Spontaneity is Coming Around Again

Cherry season is over, and it was a bumper season, the peaches and apricots are harder to find, and we’ve planted our leeks and kale. Freesias and daffodils left in last year are poking their little green fingers up. They’re a reminder that Spring will follow Winter. But not yet! Winter’s a-coming ……

Come along to the Theatre of Spontaneity and feed your soul, paying tribute where it’s due, join in a community gathering, as since ancient times. Feel free to bring “a little something”, found object, poem, whatever, that connects you with yourself and or expresses something for you, and which you feel ok to share in our Theatre.

Here we are in the first month of Autumn, and approaching the end of April. It’s a time when the sun moves lower across our skies, the evening comes down earlier and rapidly with a poignancy that can pierce the heart, and even the crickets who have been so persistent are subdued.

We live our lives in the perpetual cycle of growth and contraction, Death and Rebirth, tied to the movement of our Earth and its Sun.  The Celts held a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year, when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter.

In our country below the equator, by 30 April–1 May we will be half way between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  It can be a time when old losses rise to consciousness, a sort of “balancing of the books” before the inevitable hibernation which will follow: an in-between-not-altogether-comfortable sort of time.  Perhaps it’s because we ourselves are made of the dust of the cosmos and unto that dust we will return, we can feel at this time very mortal and close to our departed loved ones. We have an opportunity to remember those who have gone before us, to pay respects to our ancestors, family members, elders, friends, (including “pets”), who have passed on.

It can also be a time for “bedding down” as farmers prepare the land to lie fallow before the seeding of Spring, when the world will awaken and spawn new life. But that’s another story ……..


Di Kearney is a Psychodramatist and Social Worker who works with children and adolescents.

Details for this event:

Gather together for a cup of tea or coffee from 6 p.m for a 6.30 p.m sharp start at the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne, 155 Langridge St, Collingwood.

$20.00 ($15.00 MPS Members) SUPPER provided! 

RSVP by Friday, 15 February 2013 to Gavin O'Loughin 0403 597 685

www.psychodrama-institute-melbourne.com

A Special Evening with Jonathan Moreno, Friday 5 April 2013

The God Player

We are delighted to announce that Jonathan Moreno is in Melbourne and looking forward to meeting us at PIM this coming Friday.  He is giving a talk entitled, "The God Player", which is taken from a chapter in his new biography of J. L. Moreno concentrating on JL's early years.  J. L. Moreno is the creator of psychodrama, group psychotherapy and role playing.  He is the founder of the psychodrama method.  

Jonathan is a David and Lyn Silfen University Professor, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and of History and Sociology of Science and a Professor of Philosophy (by courtesy) at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.  He is also the son of JL Moreno and Zerka T. Moreno.   

Fee: $20.00 ($15.0 for MPS members and PIM trainees)

Date: Friday, 5 April 2013

Time: Gather at 7 p.m for commencement at 7.30 p.m sharp.

Supper will be served.

RSVP

PIM office: 9416 3779 or the Administrator: 0410 536 791

Vale - Max Clayton, 1935-2013

Vale

Max Clayton, 1935-2013

Max Clayton was one of the major pioneers of psychodrama in Australia.  He and his first wife, Lynette Clayton, author of “The Personality Theory of J. L. Moreno”, and other articles on role theory and its applications began their training in Perth at the Wasley Centre around 1976.  With Teena Lee and Tom Wilson, the Claytons formed the first Board for the accreditation and certification of psychodramatists, role trainers, sociodramatists and sociometrists early in the 1980’s. 

Max was a powerful force on the Australian psychodrama stage.  His forte was that he taught the true Morenian psychodrama method, preserving the techniques, theory and philosophy in his workshops.  This served the test of time – almost 40 years - and psychodrama proliferated not only in Australia but also in Aotearoa (New Zealand).  Heather Maclean was the first person to bring psychodrama to Australia and Lorna McClay to New Zealand (Aotearoa) but Max is known, along with Lynette, Tom and Teena for training a generation of first wave psychodramatists and group leaders, who have since trained further generations of psychodramatists.  Writing wasn’t his strong card but one book stands out, “Directing Psychodrama: A Training Companion”.  Max first became ill at the end of the 1980’s with one of several cancers, the final one eventually taking his life.  He was brave, creative and spontaneous.  Max was a psychodramatist and a priest, who lived his religion to the end.  We celebrate his life.

Sue Daniel

Autumn Craft

Come along and learn to create your own beautiful felted 100% wool autumn leaf garland and candle holder.  The workshop will be led by Nikki Fletcher who has been teaching nature inspired crafts to parents since 2005. 

 www.toadstoolhouse.blogspot.com

Nikki is the partner of Rob Nagel, who is in the level 1 group at PIM.  We are delighted to promote Nikki's workshop, which sounds beautiful. In this workshop you will learn wet felting, needle felting and other handwork techniques to bring the magic of autumn inside. In addition, Helen Charge will inspire you with a talk on autumn and how to honor and celebrate the changing seasons with our family by creating a seasonal table.  Beginners welcome!

Sat  27thApril. 10am – 3.30pm. $50, $40 concession, $20 deposit
@ Little Sophia 35 Abbotsford St, Abbotsford (03) 9417 2537

Bring 2 towels, an apron and a plate to share for lunch

For more info or to book call Nikki 0401 335 005 .You can pay your deposit at Little Sophia or by direct transfer or PayPal by emailing:  nikkifletcher@internode.on.net.

More about Jonathan D Moreno

Jonathan D. Moreno is one of 14 Penn Integrates Knowledge university professors at the University of Pennsylvania, holding the David and Lyn Silfen chair.  He is also Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, of History and Sociology of Science, and of Philosophy.

Moreno is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, where he edits the magazine Science Progress.

In 2008-09 he served as a member of President Barack Obama’s transition team.

His book, The Body Politic: The Battle Over Science in America, was named a Best Book of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews.  A revised and updated edition of his book Mind Wars: Brain Science and the Military in the 21st Century,is available in paperback.  He frequently blogs for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.  His course on neuroethics will be available online as part of the Coursera network in 2013.

Moreno is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and is a National Associate of the National Research Council. He has served as a senior staff member for three presidential advisory commissions, including the current bioethics commission under President Obama, and has given invited testimony for both houses of congress.  Nominated by the U.S. government, Moreno is a member of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee.  He was an Andrew W. Mellon post doctoral fellow, holds an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University, and is a recipient of the Benjamin Rush Medal from the College of William and Mary Law School and the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from Tufts University.

Moreno has served as adviser to many non-governmental organizations, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is a member of the Governing Board of the International Neuroethics Society, a Faculty Affiliate of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, a Fellow of the Hastings Center and the New York Academy of Medicine, and a past president of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. He advises various science, health, and national security agencies.

Moreno’s books have enjoyed favorable critical attention. Kirkus Reviews said that Moreno’s book, The Body Politic: “illuminates intricate threads of history and complex philosophical arguments. Patient general readers, as well as scholars and students of bioethics, will benefit from Moreno’s erudition and fairness….”  Publisher’s Weekly called it “[a]n important analysis of the societal currents swirling around volatile scientific issues . . . Moreno delivers a powerful defense of science [and] respects his readers’ intelligence in this nuanced and thoughtful book.”

JAMA described Progress in Bioethics (2010) as “provocative and stimulating.” Publisher’s Weekly said that his book Science Next (2009) “brings hope into focus with reports of innovation that will enhance lives.”

The journal Nature called Mind Wars “fascinating and sometimes unsettling.” The New York Times said that Undue Risk: Secret State Experiments on Humans (1999) was “an earnest and chilling account.”

His other books include Ethical Guidelines for Innovative Surgery (2006); Is There an Ethicist in the House? (2005); In the Wake of Terror: Medicine and Morality in a Time of Crisis (2003); Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research (2003); Deciding Together: Bioethics and Moral Consensus (1995); Ethics in Clinical Practice (2000); and Arguing Euthanasia (1995). Moreno has published more than 400 papers, reviews and book chapters, and is a member of several editorial boards.

Moreno’s father was J.L. Moreno, the pioneer of psychodrama and role playing, group psychotherapy, and social network analysis.  He is currently writing a book about the human potential movement and his father’s work.

Books

    The Body Politic

    Progress in Bioethics

    Science Next

    Mind Wars

    Is There an Ethicist in the House?

    In the Wake of Terror

    Undue Risk

    Deciding Together

www.jonathandmoreno.com

The Personality Theory of J L Moreno - A Readers Discussion

This is the first Lunchtime Reading and Discussion Group for 2013.

We will be looking at Moreno's Role Theory as it pertains to the personality and personality development.  Moreno did not have the view that the personality was set.  This was and is revolutionary.  At this coming Friday's discussion group we will be discussing an article by Lynette Clayton, "The Personality Theory of J L Moreno".  

Discussant: Sue Daniel

RSVP and for copies of the article: 0417 586 791

Date: Lunchtime, Friday 22 March 2013.  Meeting just after 12.30 for a 12.45 pm start.  Tea and freshly brewed coffee is provided.  Bring your own lunch and $10.00, which goes toward books for the Zerka Moreno library at PIM.  The session finishes at 1.45 p.m sharp.

Address: 155 Langridge Street, Collingwood.

"The God Player" - A Talk by Jonathan Moreno

We are delighted to announce that Jonathan Moreno will be in Melbourne, just after Easter and will be presenting a talk at PIM on Friday, 5 April.

"The God Player" is chapter one of his intellectual biography of JL Moreno concentrating on JL's early years.

Jonathan is a David and Lyn Silfen University Professor, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and of History and Sociology of Science and a Professor of Philosophy (by courtesy) at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.  He is also the son of JL Moreno and Zerka T. Moreno.   

Fee: $20.00 ($15.0 for MPS members and PIM trainees)

Date: Friday, 5 April 2013

Time: Gather at 7 p.m for commencement at 7.30 p.m sharp.

Supper will be served.

RSVP is essential and best by Thursday 28 March.

PIM office: 9416 3779 or the Administrator: 0410 536 791

JL

Zerka T. Moreno

New Horizons

Four Non Blonds in their song What’s going on wrote “twenty five years and my life is still, trying to get up that great big hill of hope to a destination”. This song has been ringing in my ears recently.

For almost twenty five years drugs have been in my family. And everyday we’ve grappled with the great big hill of hope, hope for a life free of drugs, hope for a life free of anxiety of what will happen, hope for a life free of harm. It’s been a very long journey.

The journey started without us, but we were very soon travelling companions. There were small signs/ steps initially; the anger, the arguments; the holes in the wall, things going missing, he went missing. Burgulary, violence, death, prison.  An avalanche of anger, fear and despair. Would he survive, would we survive?

Do we cut ties, let him go on his path alone? Do we hang in, how do we hang in? How do we hold onto hope?

We grappled with acceptance, grappled with harm minimisation, grappled with acceptable boundaries, grappled with responsibility, grappled with pain and we grappled with guilt. What helped was thinking about and experiencing his many roles.  Loyal defender, humorous comedian, creative cook.

Psychodrama and PIM has been my belayer, my safety harness.  No matter how tenuous my grip on hope, I’ve been held. As we’ve climbed the hill or crashed down, you’ve been my companion.

You’ve helped me sustain myself and maintain my belief in the power of relationship, the power of connection.

For the first time in 25 years his eyes are clear, vivid, sparkling, determined. I’d not realised how clouded they’ve been until now.

The power of relationship; the power of purpose; the power of a new life in the family; the role of father;  the joy of a daughter. He’s thrown out his bong, gone cold turkey. His eyes are clear.

A decisive decision, to maintain his relationship with his daughter for now, for the future.  New emerging roles. Hope is strong.

Like the bear that went to the top of the mountain to see what he could see, it feels like we’re at the top of our hill looking at a new horizon. The journey isn’t over, but there’s a sense of new paths being taken, on a different side of the hill.

I am excited, I am proud. I have an amazing brother.

Anonymous 2013

Join the Caravan of Dreams, 6 April 2013

Marie Watt invites you to a whole sleeping world that can be awakened through playing psychodramatically with dream images...

When: Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 10 am - 5.30 pm

Fee: $175.00 or for MPS members and PIM and PIA and Tasmanian Trainees, $150.00

Bring along your dreams and some lunch to share.

All enquiries: PIM Office 03 9416 3779

Or contact our Administrator, Ted on pim@netspace.net.au

Inaugural visit to Chennai, India

Sue Daniel conducted a series of workshops in Chennai from 7-18 December 2012.  The collaboration for this ongoing project is between the IAGP and the East West Center for Counselling and Training, with Magdalene Jeyarathnam, Director of EWCCT.   

Sue led three workshops: 1) A Three-Day Experiential Process Group: Through the Mirror, from 7-9 December, 2) A Three-Day Psychodrama Training Group: Developing New Perspectives from 10-12 December and, 3) A Five-Day Intensive Psychodrama Training Workshop: Being in the Here and Now from 14-18 December, the latter comprising part of an Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) Diploma course between the Women's Christian College, University of Madras and the East West Center for Counselling and Training. 

In addition to the workshops, Sue gave 5 Lecture/Demonstrations on Psychodrama, Sociometry, Sociodrama, Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes on the 13th and 17th of December at the following Colleges and Universities: 1) Department of Psychology, Women's Christian College (WCC), University of Madras, 2) Dr. MGR Janaki College of Arts and Sciences for Women, 3) The Madras School of Social Work (MSSW), 4) Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) and, 5) Justice Basheer Ahmed Syeed College for Women (JBASCW).   

The organisation for all of these activities and the generosity of the following people was most appreciated by Sue: Dr. Veena Easvaradoss, Head of Department of Psychology (WCC), Dr. Lydia Eric, Head of Department of Psychology (MGR), Dr. Sheela Hemalatha Julius, Head of Department of Counselling Psychology (MSSW), Mrs Rachel Kabi (ADBU), Dr. R. Subashini, Head of Department of Psychology (JBASCW) and, Magdalene Jeyarathnam and staff of EWCCT.