Psychodrama
in pastoral care and pastoral work
standards
acknowledged education in pastoral psychology
by the
German Society for Pastoral Psychology
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pastoralpsychologie, DGfP)
section:
Gestalt-pastoral care and psychodrama in pastoral work (GPP)
Structure
The section of Gestalt-pastoral care in pastoral work (GPP) at the German Society for Pastoral Psychology (DGfP)
The further education within the curriculum of psychodrama in pastoral care, congregation pedagogy and pastoral work takes place in line with the standards of the section Gestalt-pastoral care and psychodrama in pastoral work (GPP).
Gestalt therapy and psychodrama, two methods that hold prominent position in the area of human psychology - though holding differences in detail - share a common system of values:
- respect for the human being in his/ her individual development,
- promotion of relation capability and
- promotion of individual and social responsibility.
Both methods have long since had an affect on church education and further education in a variety of ways, especially in the fields of pastoral care and pastoral work.
The relation of tension between psychology and theology is seen as an attractive and necessary challenge. It is the goal to find a personality-specific form of life and form of faith - in between development and restriction, as well as to enable identity and professionalism in pastoral care and pastoral psychology.
Which target group does the curriculum want to reach?
People who work in the pastoral field such as pastors, priests, pastoral assistants, deacons and deaconesses, theology educators, parish consultants, parish pedagogs, as well as employers that work professionally or honorary as pastors for pastoral care with special missions (e.g. in hospitals, schools, prisons, geriatric care centers) or in advice centers.
Which enrollment requirements are necessary?
Applicants should have finished their academic education (university, college) and should, if possible, have 2 years of relevant professional experience in the field of church and diaconia. For the level of supervision and further education, professional work of at least 2 years in the church context is required.
Aims of the pastoral psychological education with psychodrama
- to perceive and respect oneself and others in the respective social, autobiographical and spiritual contexts.
- to discover and develop the potential of the individual and of a group.
- to transmit and understand traditions and expressions of faith, as well as to promote the clarification and development of a personality-specific faith.
- to get to know theological and methodological concepts of pastoral
psychology and pastoral care and to defend, use and develop further one's own concept.
The psychodramatic method and its relevance for pastoral work
The triadic approach of Moreno covers the areas: psychodrama, group therapy and sociometry. Moreno is seen as the founder of group therapy. With the assistance of sociometric procedures, social and personal relation structures in a group (or in society) are made visible.
The methodological repertoire of psychodrama and sociometry is an effective support, especially where people who work in churches also work with groups. In addition to the variety of roles and fields of duties a pastor must fulfill, experiences with psychodrama and group dynamical and sociometric insights can be helpful.
Psychodrama can "be described as the method that penetrates the truth of the soul by action" (Moreno). In contrast to all "classical' methods of therapy, psychodrama emphasizes action.
The classical psychoanalysis tries to endeavor the 'truth of the soul' by free association, dream, daydream and fantasy. But psychodrama tries to grasp the deeper layers of the soul by action, namely in play and in communication between human beings.
On the psychodramatic scene, early childhood trauma as well as present life topics are replayed and worked through. By action, in the replay of the traumatic experience on the psychodramatic scene, the location of what is meant by to work through is found:
Namely the conscious once-again-experience; and with this, the integration of the conflict from its unconscious (neurotic) compromise-construction into the conscious - including the possibility to experience new competence of action. In this sense, "every true second time states the liberation from the first," Moreno.
From its origin psychodrama is a therapeutic theory and practice for and with groups. For pastoral work this means that psychodrama can be made fruitful, wherever the development and widening of the scopes of experience and behavior of individuals in their respective networks of relations becomes an issue.
When pastoral action wants to mobilize the healing powers within individual and in groups, and if pastoral action aims to accompany human beings and groups on their search for the origin and meaning of life, psychodrama can make its own contribution.
Curriculum structure and time extent of the further education
1. Basic level
After an introductory and admittance seminar (weekend seminar), the further education starts in a continual, closed group of about 8 to 10 participants. Usually the group meets for three-day-seminars during the week or on weekends. The time extent is 18 hours, (each 60 minutes), which corresponds to three education units (WE).
1.1 aims
In the continual, closed group the most emphasis is placed on self-experience in the group (to become acquainted with and work through one's own life topics). Over and above that, the aim is to learn methodological repertoires of psychodrama and sociometry as well as to perceive and understand group dynamic processes.
1.2 requirements
- general enrollment requirements (see page 3)
- introductory and admittance seminar
- a primary interview with the instructor
1.3 Extent and content of the further education at basic level
- Self-experience in the continual, closed group (230 hours in 13 group meetings within two years)
- four extra seminars with pastoral psychological and psychodramatic topics - two theory seminars
- two records of an own or an observed protagonist-play or group-play
- presentation of a paper on a psychodramatic or pastoral psychological topic - ten single supervisions:
Aim of these single supervisions is to reflect over and to develop one's individual professional or voluntary work. The connection between professional respective voluntary work and the individual person will especially be emphasized. The supervision should be done by a supervisory qualified psychodrama leader.
After the conclusion of the basic level, the graduation as assistant for psychodrama in pastoral care, congregation pedagogy and pastoral work (DGfP/GPP) can be acquired. The course leaders issue a corresponding certificate.
Together with the recommendation for the user level, the extraordinary membership in the German Society for Pastoral Psychology (DGfP)/ section of Gestalt-pastoral care in pastoral work (GPP) can be applied for at the commission for further education of the GPP.
The leading of the basic level can furthermore make recommendations for individual candidates for further education and to continue the education at user level.
2. User level
2.1 aims
At the user level, candidates for further education shall independently work psychodramatically in their respective fields of activity. The self-reliant work will be supervised.
2.2 requirements
- general enrollment requirements (see page 3)
- graduation of the basic level of the curriculum for education "psychodrama in pastoral care, congregation pedagogy and pastoral work" with a certificate or a graduation of the basic level with a certificate from another recognized psychodrama education.
2.3 Extent and content of the education at user level
- continuous, closed group (130 hours corresponding to 21 education units): self experience in the group, accompanying group processes, practiced leading of protagonist and group plays, theological and pastoral psychological reflection of psychodramatic action.
- single supervision (15 hours, each 60 minutes)
- group supervision (36 hours corresponding to 6 education units)
- 2 extra seminars with pastoral psychological and psychodramatic topics
- 1 theory seminar for reflection and deepening of psychodramatic and pastoral psychological topics with special focus on the individual psychodramatic practice.
- free studies (50 hours)
- documentation and analysis of what was learned (40 hours)
- written paper about a pastoral psychological topic in the context of psychodrama
The ending of the user level is made by a colloquium of the group, together with the course leader and a co-opted DGfP-instructor on the basis of the submitted written paper.
After the conclusion of the user level, the graduation as leader for psychodrama in pastoral care, congregation pedagogy and pastoral work can be granted. The course leaders issue a corresponding certificate.
An application can be made at the commission for further education, section GPP, by which the full membership at the German Society for Pastoral Psychology (DGfP)/ section of Gestalt-pastoral care in pastoral work (GPP) can be acquired.
3. Supervision level
3.1 aims
At the supervision level the education candidates shall be qualified for the supervision of individuals, groups and teams in church and other working areas. The aims of the education are:
- diagnostic competence
- competence to act
- competence for group analysis
- field competence
- competence of method
- creative competence
- sociometric competence
- systemic competence
- competence of theory
- pastoral psychological competence and theological competence
3.2 requirements
- general enrollment requirements (see page 3)
- successful graduation from the user level
- written recommendation of the course leader from the user level
3.3 Extent and content
The pastoral psychological education in supervision usually takes two years. Contents of the education in the continuous, closed group (90 hours, each 60 minutes corresponding to 15 education units) are:
- education in theory of supervision (18 hours)
- supervision training in the group (60 hours)
- self experience in the group (12 hours)
Furthermore:
- individual supervisory practice: learn supervision (90 hours, each 60 minutes)
- supervision of one's own supervisory practice: teaching supervision (70 hours - of which 16 hours are individual supervision and 54 hours are group supervision)
- theory and methodology of supervision (100 hours in 6 seminars of theory with three education units of 6 hours each), overlapping of sections possible.
- free studies of theory and methodology of the psychodrama-supervision
- mutual supervision in the group of education candidates: peer intervision (50 hours)
- one written final paper
- final colloquium
Recognition follows after the:
- application to the commission for further education
- certification of the absolved units of education
- written reflection of a supervisory process (final paper)
- recommendation of the leader of the continuous group
- recommendation of the supervisory instructor
- colloquium with the commission for further education of the GPP
The commission for further education pronounces the recognition of a supervisor. The title supervisor DGfP is awarded. This is certified by the section.
For further informations contact: kjs@psychodramaseelsorge.de