Wise advice from Cathy’s first psychodrama trainer:
“If you never make a mistake, you can’t learn.”
Photo of Cathy & Rene M. Clay (c. 1981
Wise advice from Cathy’s first psychodrama trainer:
Photo of Cathy & Rene M. Clay (c. 1981
Staying Safe
LPTI places participants’ safety and wellbeing as our top priority. We are hopeful we may be able to open safely in October; however, we continue to monitor federal, state and local guidance on public health conditions. Should we be unable to open our doors in October, we will work online until such time as we can gather safely in person.
Notes from Cathy
How May I Help You Today?
Coming Up at LPTI
Wednesday, October 13 & Saturday, October 9: LPTI Cohorts form 2021-2022 begin. Find the application here/ Event Flyer
Sunday, October 24th, 9:30-5:30: Special Topic Workshop: Ethical Decision Making. Event Flyer.
Save the date! March 10-14, 2022 Psychodrama Intensive at the Blue Mountain Retreat Center in Knoxville, MD. See Flyer here.
Cathy’s Virtual Travels in September
September 9, 2021: Turning to the Self with Kindness: Self-Compassion. Second International TELE’DRAMA Conference, Living the Dream: International Sociometry & Action in the Virtual Space (September 9-12, 2021). For information or to register: https://conference.teledrama.org/en
September 14 & September 21: Attached from the Start: Attachment Essentials & Interventions. 09/14: Attachment Theory & Experience. 09/21: Attachment Interventions. British Psychodrama Association Online Festival: Psychodrama and Sociodrama—From Roots to Shoots: Moreno to the Future (September 3-24). For information or to register: Booking here: https://www.psychodrama.org.uk/product/bpa-conference-roots-shoots-from-moreno-to-the-future/
Updates from the LPTI Peer Reading Club
LPTI’s Peer Reading Group, facilitated by Thomas Northrup, is back in session. Look out for announcements from the club about upcoming sessions. This fall, Paula Catalan, LCPC, CP/PAT, will serve as the content expert on the importance of sharing after enactments in one of our meetings occurring in October and November. Final dates TBA by September 30.
New to LPTI: Please contact Cathy to discuss your interest in the Peer Reading Club.
Updates on the Peer Mentoring Program: An interview Cintra Harbold and Will Halm
Click to view the 15-minute video interview between Cintra Harbold, a long-time LPTI student, and Will Halm, also a long-standing LPTI student and supporter, to learn more about the LPTI Mentoring Initiative. This is a special project emphasizing peer support that Will has coordinated and facilitated over the past year with the LPTI training cohort. Here are some quotes from the interview:
“One teaches to learn. For me, teaching has always been something that inspires and engages. It takes you a little deeper into what you want to do… I am excited that in LPTI there is an expansion and growth of people going towards certification, taking it and putting it into action because for me psychodrama has always been a very powerful change agent. I am glad there is another wave of people going out there and practicing it.”
From The LPTI Toolkit:
Warming Up To Directing
In June, LPTI students met with students of Paula Catalan and Sylvia Israel for our Directors’ Intensive. Eight student directors and eight general members attended along with three trainers, who gave the directors feedback. The student psychodramatists each directed a full psychodrama over the course of our two-day Zoom workshop. Knowing your colleagues, it won’t surprise you to hear that every director was successful in guiding their protagonists to a place of healing and contentment.
As a warmup to the intensive, the directors wrote about how they prepare for a psychodrama and how they would be showing up for the weekend. From slogging through the workdays until the intensive arrived, to establishing new routines to get grounded in the weeks before, everyone realized that the days leading up to any workshop always, in some way, prepare them to direct. Most people indicated that they drew confidence from their belief that psychodrama is a valuable method. Others are reassured by their experience as clinicians to hold them as they hold others. The idea that, “I’ve done this before” assuaged many students’ doubts. All student directors recognized some inner strength that allows them to direct from a place of calm. Each personal strength offered encourages the director’s psychodramatic flair and spontaneity. Some of our group’s strengths were: curiosity, intuition, mind-body connection, groundedness, the belief that we are held, practice doubling, energetic attunement, and enthusiasm for psychodrama.
Next time you direct an action structure, what strengths will you bring along?
Written by Thomas Northup
On the Green Carpet
A poem by Laura Greer
Laura Greer
Cartoon Corner
Biggie preparing scarves for the new 2021-2022 Training Cohorts.