Clinical Work Using Action Methods
A group explores a case in action to deepen their work
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A 10-week course
Every other Tuesday morning
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Are you interested in the mind/body connection?
Action methods, taken from psychodrama, are a powerful addition to the therapists repertoire because they help to incorporate the body, mind, and the unconscious. Action methods help our clients to work through issues by concretizing what is in their heads: when you can see in 3 dimensions what was previously in your mind only, you can start to better understand your issues and to change them.
If you are trained in family therapy or family systems work, psychodramatic action methods are an excellent adjunct to your training. Psychodrama is an effective way to work systemically with individuals.
About the workshops:
Workshops are is designed for therapists and other professionals who wish to learn the fundamentals of psychodrama. Each training session will incorporate different aspects of the method. You will learn about the 5 elements of psychodrama and how to use role reversal to re-create the family system when family members are dead or otherwise unavailable. You will learn why working in the "here and now" is so powerful. You will gain experience with techniques such as the empty chair, role reversal, and doubling. You will also learn how to "concretize" issues, use metaphors, as well as “act out" stories.
THIS COURSE RECEIVED A RATING OF 4.8 OUT OF 5.0 FROM
PARTICIPANTS WHO EXPERIENCED THE CLASS IN PERSON AND ONLINE!
CEU's
I am renewing my application for CEU's for this course.
Here are the 10 classes scheduled for Fall 2025.
Doubling. Doubling is a technique that allows therapists to convey understanding to our clients. It can also be used with couple, families and groups to help family or group members feel understood. It is a powerful tool that is fundamental to psychodrama.
Role-Reversal. Role-reversal is a powerful technique that allows us to step into someone else's shoes. Using role-reversal with couples and families can help build empathy among family members/couples. Learn how to use this important psychodramatic technique to enhance your clinical work.
The Empty Chair. This workshop will explore relationships through the empty chair. The empty chair is an excellent technique to help clients express thoughts and feelings towards important people in their lives in the here and now.
Concretizing Metaphor. Our clients often use wonderful language that poetically describes their circumstances, their thoughts, or feelings. Learn how to put this language into 3 dimensions to deepen your work. This is my favorite workshop!
The Social Atom. Doing family therapy with individuals using the social atom. Sometimes we wish to understand family of origin issues or current family relationships but are unable to get the family to participate in therapy. This workshop will help us explore family relationships, our "social atom" using role reversal, a technique which allows us to work with systemically with individual clients.
The Magic of the Present Moment: How to attend to changes in affect in the here and now. Many therapists over-focus on what their clients are saying rather than how. This workshop will help you understand the difference between process and content and how to attend to subtle changes in mood, thoughts, and feelings.
The Diamond of Opposites; working with ambivalence in action. Ambivalence can be crippling because we can become stuck in indecision and put our lives on hold. This workshop will help you explore your ambivalence by putting it into concrete form.
How to tell your story in action. This workshop will focus on the key elements of psychodrama including the walk and talk, scene setting, role reversal, doubling, and using the mirror position. Content will focus on family relationships.
Telling our stories in action. This workshop uses the elements of role reversal and doubling and will teach the importance of scene setting in order to help us tell our stories in action. Content will focus on loss.
Saying goodbye in action. Ending relationships can be both gratifying and difficult. In this workshop we will explore how we end relationships. Insights gained will help you make your terminations more powerful by concretizing gains through action. Different ways to concretize thoughts and feelings will be explored.
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*A make-up class will be offered in case of a snow day.
I am an experienced LCSW and TEP (Trainer, Educator, Practitioner) of Psychodrama with 26 years of experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups with a wide variety of issues. I am also an AAMFT Clinical Fellow and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. I have supervised (in NJ) social workers, family therapists, and counselors for 23 years. I have a passion for teaching family therapy and psychodrama--two very powerful and complementary methodologies.
In addition to my 15 years of experience in psychodrama, I am the Associate Clinical Director of Family Service League, a local not-for-profit counseling agency, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at NYU and Columbia.
When: TBD
​Where: Upper Montclair, NJ.
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REGISTRATION FEES/CANCELLATIONS/GRIEVANCES
Registration is $995. All requests for refunds and other grievances must be directed in writing to Paula Ochs at pochs@socialworksupervision.net.
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Please contact Paula Ochs at pochs@socialworksupervision.net for instructions for disability access. Chrysalis Clinical Supervision & Training is wheelchair accessible.
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