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Concretizing to Warm People Up

The three parts of the interview and demo with Anna focus on concretizing for warm-ups . When we concretize thoughts, feelings and “act hungers” we literally make the invisible visible . We are able to take action with objects that represent changes we want to make within ourselves or in our relationships with others . This technique grew out of Moreno’s Theory of Spontaneity and Creativity (see video 1) which is the basis of both classical and TSM psychodrama. TSM is particularly effective in helping trauma survivors to access those qualities- which have been suppressed because of the “rhythmic rupture” caused by trauma .
For example , you will learn in the second segment that a client was able to spontaneously role reverse with a puppet that resembled ( played the role of ) her actual pet (see video 2). This allowed her to access her spontaneity and creativity while bypassing the defenses that had previously kept her from revealing the truth of her story .
Because TSM views Moreno’s Role Theory thru a clinical lens there is always the installation of strengths before moving into the trauma material . These strengths can be concretized thru use of props as we see in the videos – and with scarves in particular at TSM workshops where a “circle of strengths ” is created as you hear described in the third video (see video 3).
Also in the third video is the use of props to concretize the “triune brain ” and introduces the TSM “Observing Ego” role which provides the element of mindfulness ( to observe thoughts , feelings and “act hungers” with accuracy and without judgment and with compassion ).This is another crucial role in terms of keeping the client/protagonist in “the Window of Tolerance” .
There are many similarities and differences between classical and TSM psychodrama in both theory and practice and Dr Kate and I will be presenting two-part workshops on this topic , offered on zoom Jan 11 and 25 and again on the first four Mondays in May.
In addition, an entire series of Educational Action Explorations programs hosted by Anna will be offered throughout the year with Dr Kate, Mario Cossa, myself and other TSM trainers .
LINDA CIOTOLA, M.ED., TEPLinda’s website: www.healing-bridges.com. Also visit www.ac-ts.com 
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TSM Canon of Creativity

Written by: Cho-Kin Chan (M. Ed., PGDip., B.F.A.) , Theatre Practitioner, Certified Psychodramatist (BPA/UK, HKPA/HK), Drama Therapist (NADTA, US), TSM psychodrama trainee

 

The Wonderful TSM Wizard of Oz

From Canon of Creativity of Classical psychodrama to TSM Clinical adaptation

I’d like to tell you a story. The story was about a man (P) who arrived at the Munchkinland in the magical Land of Oz. P seek help from the wizard. Meanwhile, he was looking at his history with the lens of Cannon of Creativity from J.L. Moreno and experienced TSM adaptation of Cannon of Creativity from Dr Kate Hudgins.

Once upon a time, when P was a child. He witnessed a lot of quarrels and fights from his parents. From time to time, he experienced the unresolved relationship and often held among anger from the authority. He learnt not to express negative feelings, often shows his smiling face or not to feel in his daily life. This coping pattern, or we might say this “Culture Conserve” (CC), was in his life for many years.

One day, P met a young lady, the ballerina from his fantasy, and she was co-working with this guy. He was struck and couldn’t hold his emotion from the flame of love. He couldn’t find the right words when communicating with this lady nor react appropriately when working too close. P tried to hold himself. He was using his energy to suppress the flame and turn himself to numb.

Suddenly, there was a storm. The air in the house was suffocating. The tornado hide the light from the sky. It turned darkness. P was caught up in a cyclone. Meanwhile, he tried hard to open his eyes and he found that there were some images surrounding him. He saw his parents held the TSM trauma roles of perpetrator and abandoning authority. The child self of him was hiding behind the sofa. After watching the scene of his childhood, he reflected on how those experiences turned himself to someone who couldn’t cope well in his intimacy relationship.

It seems that he witnessed how blaming and scolding self was developed in his life. The trauma experience trapped his spontaneity. He wondered if there was no way to resolve it.  Although P felt stuck and hopeless, he wants to improve, become more mature, or have a better self for his future, especially for the intimacy relationship. The tornado brought P to the Munchkinland in the magical Land of Oz.

 

The falling house had killed the Trauma Witch of the East. P was in shock. At that moment, the body of the Trauma Witch of the East disappeared. It remained her voice from the air. She said, “I shall be back!” P was scared and lost.

 

A TSM wizard (W) arrived in the town and met P.

W said to P, “Let her go away at the moment. I am here with you. What do you want from here?” P wanted to go home.

W brought him a map of OZ.

W said to P “P, you should go to see the Powerful Wizard of Oz. He could help. And I like to introduce you a buddy. She is Dorothy (OE), and she is good at observe, support and remind what you need in your journey to OZ.”

 

P talked to Dorothy about what he wants to achieve in this journey. Dorothy repeated P’s message and supports him in his journey.

Next, W introduced Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion to P.

W said, “These 3 buddies had gone through their difficulties and grown. They can support you too.” (Restorative Roles).  P started to look at these 3 buddies, and he felt that he has similar quality with them. He associated the wise quality with Scarecrow. The appearance of Tin Man reminded P that he has a supportive relationship with a best friend. When P was looking at the Lion, the sunlight was shining on his fluffy fur. P felt the warm and containing energy from nature. Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion and P started the journey to OZ.

When P stepped on the yellow brick road to OZ, P was shaking with doubt.

“Could I survive this journey? What I should do?”

“Wow….” A little dog called Toto walked to P.

Toto (Roles of Containment) said, “My legs are shaking, and I don’t know if I could survive. I am now putting my feet on the ground and feel the support from the earth. I could take a deep breath slowly, I am with my buddies now. I know it wouldn’t be easy to go to Oz. And I would take the lead in the team with my pace on the yellow brick road.”

Toto’s voice awaked P. He looked at his buddies. P started to realize that he has a lot of support in his journey. He also felt warm and soothing when Toto put his hand on P’s leg. P became energetic, and he put his hand on their shoulder. The team were hopping, skipping, singing and dancing. They created its own rhythm and moving forward to Oz.

The Trauma Witch of the West saw them approaching with her one telescopic eye. She sent a pack of wolves to tear them to pieces, but the Tinman held P’s hand and used his body and axe to protect the team. She sent a flock of wild crows to peck their eyes out, but the Scarecrow and P knew that crow doesn’t like shiny stuff, high voices and noise. They got rid of the crow attack. She summoned a swarm of black bees to sting them, but the Lion brought the team Citronella, Mint, and Eucalyptus plants, which can repel the bees. She sent a dozen of her Winkie slaves to attack them. Dorothy reminded P that he has the team with him. Toto’s helped P in staying awake with a clear mind and felt grounded. P stood firm to repel them.

The interaction of the team warmed P to spontaneously react to the situation. It created a new way to respond to the dangers. P learnt the skills and integrated the element from each buddy to oneself through the Oz journey. He had developed new coping skills, the self-containment and feeling of grounded in his state of mind.  The new “Culture Conserve” (CC), had developed with the guidance from TSM wizard.

The Trauma Witch came back again. She brought winged monkeys and caught the team. P knew that he has to help himself and the team to stay conscious and be functional. He throws a bucket of water on himself to remain calm. Fortunately, the water splashed on the Trauma Witch, and she melted away. All the creatures rejoiced at being freed from her tyranny.

P walked into the castle, and he found a little boy. They called him Wizard of Oz. P was curious about him. “What happens to this little boy?”

The little boy was dejected. P kneels down on the floor, held his hands and gave him the comfort. After, the little boy looked at P. The TSM wizard appeared and stood beside P.

W said, “P, did you recognize who the boy is?”

P said, “he was my childhood!”

W said, “what do you want to do with the little traumatized P?”

P guided his team to create a circle of safety. Little P was standing in the middle of them. He observed the team slowly. After, he was smiling. It seemed that he likes to play with each team member. Later, he looked up, stretched his arms and had a deep breath. The team took a deep breath with little P. He was awakening! The air of the space became warm and comfortable.

Instantly, P began whirling through the air, and he fell off his feet on his home town Hong Kong. He felt grounded with confidence. P said, “I’m so glad to be home again. And it is my safety and comfort home!” Years later, he found his ballerina and married her on his birthday!

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Report From a TSM Clinician

Written by: Tan Hong Kheng, Singapore

As TSM has become one of my main practice therapy models for my clinical work, case recording was a challenge. I thought of a way I can maintain a record that not only contains my work done in session, but is also a way for better tracking my client’s progress and follow up. Thus I’ve wanted to modify the existing format expecting to meet my new expanding needs, but it doesn’t.

My thoughts keep escalating and growing—-somehow things doesn’t work out accordingly. Then an idea pops in at the time I’m stuck with a C-PTSD client that I need advice from my supervisor on (Dr. Kate Hudgins). Why not TSM clinical map I asked myself with a sense of excitement!

So, I started by “deconstructing” the existing structure of the TSM clinical map.

Initially, I add only those elements which I realized might contributed to the accuracy of my overall assessment such as major events, medical history, medication, stressor and triggers. Somehow, it’s like something still missing. On second review, “making contract” (goal – types of drama) came right into my mind. Then I took an effort to go through again the seminal book on TSM (Experiential Treatment for PTSD:  The Therapeutic Spiral Model by Kate Hudgins 2002). Eventually, I managed to extract a few more essential elements that patched up the “missing piece”. “The stages of change” was the last piece that I intentionally included in to serve a reminder for counsellor/therapist to be mindful of our client’s pacing and where they are in their healing process. It also aligns with TSM’s value of enhancing safety space for healing.

After some final fine tuning, I took courage to presented it on one of my supervision sessions with Dr. Kate. The effort I’ve put in was acknowledge and affirmed.   Here is what I created and now offer to you.

This template/diagram was then translated into Chinese to meet the need for China Supervision Group as Dr. Kate suggested, where I was provided with a practicum site as AL.

After the completion of 5 sessions, they have given much positive feedback and shared that the whole process of supervision which has stimulated their interest of learning TSM further. Indeed, a very inspiring and reassuring experience for me as well.

My take away from the experience was, firstly, it’s another good way to“concretize and tangibly present” (Hudgins, 2002) the missing of actual/physical TSM Drama work that limited by online setting. Secondly, the diagram provides beginners with a comprehensive yet simplified version of TSM Clinical Map. Thirdly, as a learning material, trainees can use it as a route track on their own learning journey as well as client’s progress. During the China Supervision Group, homework was given at the end of each session in order to enhance their learning and understanding, such as to identify specific strengths and roles then fill in accordingly. Lastly, I’m truly happy that the template/diagram serves it purpose well and am glad to share a token of what I’ve benefited from my learning journey to be TSM Practitioner.

Tan Hong Kheng

Care Corner Counselling Centre

Counsellor

Singapore

 

*Hudgins, M. K. (2002). Experiential Treatment for PTSD – The Therapeutic Spiral Model

All psychodramatic techniques have the goal of making the client’s internal reality overly visible both to self and others. That is, psychodramatic techniques concretize and tangibly present all aspects of the client’s internal experience, both verbal and nonverbal, for the purpose of increased awareness, exploration and change. (p.32)

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A Normal Reaction to an Abnormal Situation: Notes from a Youth Worker in Bali

Written by: Mario Cossa, RDT/MT, TEP, TSM Certified Trainer

During my time living in Bali, I have had the opportunity to connect with The Green School, an environmentally-conscious, alternative school for Primary- through High-School students that serves students from around the globe, as well as local children.

I have done a few parent workshops, provided staff training (especially prior to the school’s re-opening with a hybrid model), and offered support for a few students and families. As TSM’s youth specialist, I have brought the principles of our model to my work with adolescents and families.

Since March, 2020, when Green School  went totally virtual to finish out the year (including a ZOOM Graduation for year 12 graduates), I have had many parents contact me about issues their children were having with panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and unsettled (if not unruly) behaviors.

There are several neurological considerations that make adolescence (currently defined as from the outset of puberty until about the mid-twenties) a highly volatile time in the best of circumstances.

The Amygdala, the part of the mid-brain that determines emotional significance, swells to three times its former size. This intensifies feeling states and helps the young person to move from the black-and-white, good/bad thinking of childhood and begin to distinguish between the shades of gray along the good/bad, pleasant/unpleasant, safe/unsafe continuum.

The Pre-Frontal Cortex, responsible for the executive function of the brain that allows control over actions, is still developing (at an enormously rapid rate, but requiring a lor of practice to fine tune.)

The more primitive parts of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, responsible for “fight, flight, or freeze,” do not distinguish between the danger of contemporary life situations and attack of pre-historic humans by predators on the savannah; danger is danger.

Add to these conditions the tremendous changes that occurred during 2020 with a global pandemic, political and social unrest, and shifting climate. In working with these young people and their parents, my first task was to normalize what was happening. I would be more concerned by the young person who did NOT feel anxiety, panic, depressed, or unsettled.

I found that sharing with these young people strategies for releasing tension and anxiety and for re-setting the Ventral Vagus Nerve (or “Smart Vagus;” the part responsible for social connection), combined with validating their experience was generally an effective way to help them gain some stability in this unstable time. What follows are links to several You-Tube videos I thought were clearly presented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1HCG3BGK8I&t=23s and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkJDrfL90rU&t=247s

The good thing about these links is that once you watch them, You Tube starts suggesting others of a similar nature.

One final piece that is important for parents and youth workers to recognize, is that during times of disturbance for the young people with whom we live or work, our own un-resolved adolescent issues are triggered. It is important for us to do our own work so that we can remain in our “adult” roles to support these adolescents.

Watch for future TSI e-blasts for information on a personal growth group I will be facilitating on Wednesdays via ZOOM, May 26 through June 16, at 2 different times to accommodate different time zones: 2-5PM Hong Kong Time, and 6-9PM New York Time.

Contact me at cossa@att.net for details.

 

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Working online with a Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM) healing team.

Written by: Hogenboom, Q.M. (Ina), 2021

Changes in TSM team working online.

Changes seem to occur in dealing with spontaneity, creativity, healing and recovery, action and movement, change, new ways of communicating, use of possible techniques, dealing with technical problems.

Working online generally requires more creativity to meet the challenges of working online. Creativity is needed in finding new ways to use psychodrama techniques. As a group leader who works online, you have to organize the group structure more actively, through sociometry and good warm-ups. Sitting and talking generally does not help to achieve spontaneity, creativity, connections and safety. Online, we also need additional rules, for example about privacy, confidentiality and dealing with vulnerable people.

 

Spontaneity

  • We use the micro facial cues more often to get information about the other person’s emotional responses.
  • Tele- and sociometric connections are present when working online, sometimes visible, sometimes invisible.
  • Extra focus on action and movement is needed.
  • More encouragement is needed to get people moving.
  • More focus on movement, interaction and communication.
  • Use catching and contagious positive behaviour in the spontaneity exercises to overcome self-criticism, shyness and inhibition online, as well as a normalizing and positively labelling attitude of the team.

 

Creativity

  • Online, everybody is a beginner again.
  • Connect again to the basic principle of psychodrama theory, warming up to spontaneity.
  • Warm up as a team together to strengths and spontaneity.
  • Use active spontaneity exercises before, during and after the meetings with strengths, spontaneity, creativity and handling of vulnerabilities.
  • Refocus on healing of other team members and in clearing up things that hinder spontaneity and creativity of team members.
  • Handle uncertainties about technical issues.
  • View working online as a new psychodramatic adventure.
  • Feel the challenge to come up with new online applications of psychodramatic techniques, making use of the technical possibilities.
  • Use play, activity and humour to increase our creativity and the creativity of the group.

 

Healing and recovery

  • Offer online possibilities to ease the suffering of your clients and trainees.
  • Be more alert to the more undesirable effects of working online.
  • Find ways to stay in touch (including technically).
  • Prevent and handle withdrawal.
  • Create supportive connections.
  • Allow emotional release in a safe and balanced way.
  • It seems that the effects of TSM psychodrama is comparable to the live effects.

 

Action and movement

  • Good preparation of technical matters prevents loss of attention and spontaneity during the meeting.
  • Sufficient attention must be paid in the preparation of creating connections and active spontaneity exercises.
  • Connect to your flexibility, because new things always emerge

Handling change

  • Deal with ambiguity and ambivalence working online.
  • Prepare to uncontrollable things
  • Accept things outside the comfort zone, view it as a new challenge.
  • Study the needed technology to overcome your uncertainties.
  • Technical training is needed and provided to work with TSM online to apply the model to its fullest extent.

 

New ways of communicating

TSM Psychodrama online tries to find new ways of communicating to get the TSM-work done.

Talking and singing

  • Talking together in ‘washing the brain with positives’, only bits and pieces of the messages are heard. Therefore repetition is needed for all messages to get through.
  • Let people post their messages in the chat function and read them aloud. This way, no positive message is lost.

Non verbal

  • The tele connections proof to be available online.
  • The tele is visible when choosing roles in dramas and when working with sociometric choices in action sociograms.
  • Make graphs of the sociometric choices, which is not often done in live meetings. This is a great tool to gain insight into non-verbal communication in the group.
  • Use more physical exercises and physical ways to do dramas to get more information from the body.
  • Make more use of maximizing movement, action and facial expressions, possibly using humour and infectious behaviour.

Chatting

  • Use the chat function extensively.
  • Since talking at the same time is not possible, messages and comments from team and group members can be voiced through the chat function.
  • Chatting is more accessible for shy and introverted group members.
  • Use the chat feature for training comments, healing messages, interpretations of what’s going on, relate roles to the TSIRA, etc.
  • The AL can use the chat to make suggestions to the TL without interrupting verbally. This can be done through a public chat or private chat.
  • Use private chats between team members to raise concerns about an individual, possible roles to use, and to inform the TL of responses in the group.

Muting

  • Be prepared to handle muting by participants. Discuss some ground rules.
  • Handle distractions by other tasks such as using their phone, typing an email, or talking to another member of their household.
  • Prepare to discuss some ground rules about privacy when things can be overheard by people who are not contracted in this group.
  • Ask people to unmute, because we need everyone to make a TSM Psychodrama production.
  • Use the group is the common brain, which reflects the common theme, problems and strengths.

Renaming

  • Renaming is very useful for TSM Psychodrama.
  • Let participants rename themselves with their strengths, a message from the OE, a function they fulfil in the drama, a role that emerges through tele or projective identification. This is a fast way of communicating without any verbal interruptions.
  • Create a circle of safety with strengths by renaming the participants to their strengths.
  • Renaming is a new way of communicating from the group to the TL and the protagonist.
  • The offers of strengths are visible in an early stage of the drama
  • The projective identifications are also visible earlier than in live work, with the possible themes to work on.
  • Group members work on themselves by acknowledging their response and needs, making them visible through renaming, and providing a possible direction for further exploration.
  • Let TAE’s actively encourage group members to use renaming in the different stages of the group and in the different drama’s.
  • This process of renaming is crystallizing and refining further and further.

 

Use of possible techniques

Create sociometric diagrams in the background

  • Get a team member (Technical Assistant) to work in the background on creating sociometric diagrams in Powerpoint or Google Slides.
  • Create visual representations of the group with spectrograms, locograms and action sociograms (hands on shoulders).
  • Use names or avatars (photos) of participants.
  • Study and discuss the underlying messages and latent meanings of the group’s sociometric choices afterwards.

Working with screen sharing

  • Use screen sharing to present symbols to the group from which to choose.
  • Use cards to choose an OE or a defense.
  • Let participants make a screen print of their choice.
  • Use screen sharing to choose strengths (words or symbols), the Tian Dayton floor check, archetypes and many other useful models.
  • Show the choices with their avatars (photos), participants like to see that.

Spotlighting

  • Use spotlighting with spontaneity exercises. Activate the participants to make special or funny moves and let others encourage them. This increases spontaneity, playfulness and fun.
  • Use spotlighting when participants present something in pairs. This is more powerful than when presented with a screen full of videos.
  • Use spotlighting with “Hands on Shoulders”. Telling your choice to a specific person on the screen is more powerful. People will use active phrases such as “I choose you”.

Additional screen

  • Use an additional screen with a photo as virtual background (magic shop, empty chair, wisdom chair, different coloured chairs, a stage, a symbol, etc.)
  • Use an extra screen with a “mystery guest”, an extra role from the TSIRA (prescriptive, trauma or post-traumatic growth), a super power, etc.
  • Use an extra screen for recording a meeting, to avoid heavy strain on the original laptop.

 

Dealing with technical problems

  • Technical problems remain a challenge, new unexpected problems will arise.
  • Define a new role for working online, which has to be added as a new team-role. Possible names for that role are: Technical Specialist, Zoom Queen Auxiliary, Technical Auxiliary Ego.
  • Training for this role is available in TSM. Note that this role is still developing.

 

Next training: Working as a Technical Auxiliary in TSM groups.

Date: March 4 from 9-11 am for New York, 3-5 pm Central European Time.

 

 Info and registration: Ina@PsychodramaQ.nl

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TSM Men’s Group

Written by Joshua Lee

The tele flowed across differences too.  It was great to hear the older men share their positive projections of the younger men, stating, “You remind me of all the energy I once had as a younger man.”  And it was delightful to hear the younger men say, “I appreciate the wisdom and life experiences you all have shared in the group. I am glad you chose me to play a role in your dramas that helped you to face one of your fears.  It feels like I grew up a bit.”

The Game Plan for Better Living and TSM

The Game Plan (TGP) is a role-playing tabletop game.  More broadly, it is a trauma-informed and experiential coaching model as well.  Joshua Lee created the TGP to “help people elevate their performance in life’s games.” Examples of areas of life where people play games include their performance in relationships, productivity, peace of mind and their happiness.  There’s a contextual nuance of the use of the word “game”.  In the context of TGP, the word “game” is used to connect thoughts, feelings and actions to one’s beliefs and predominant thinking patterns.  Metaphorically, the idea is that one’s beliefs gives the player the actions they will both take and not take just like the rules that govern, say, a game of football.  Additionally, many elements of the TSM have been mapped onto the framework of TGP.  This makes it trauma-informed because of the use of the clinical map (the TSIRA) embedded in the framework.  By having the TSIRA in the background of coaching sessions, it’s a way to identify any overdeveloped roles, and subsequently, strengthening of underdeveloped roles in more spontaneous and creative ways experientially.   Once the “game”, which brought the player in for coaching, is uncovered by the player, they are usually empowered to take different actions, thereby giving them different results.  The old game is declared retired and a new game is started consciously.

 

Joshua S. Lee, MSW, ASGPP Diversity Award Recipient for 2020, TSM Certified Trained Auxiliary Ego (TAE)

 

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TSM, Social Justice and the Whm Msw Healing Well Method

Written by: Onaje Muid,  Social Work Decolonizer Innovator, Founder and CEO of The Whm Msw Healing Well, Inc.

 

Introduction

The Therapeutic Spiral Module has found its expression in the social justice movement with the creation of the Whm Msw Healing Method, which this article presents. My study of psychodrama started in earnest with Dr. Scott Giacomucci around January 2019, who in turn introduced me to Joshua Lee and Kate Hudgins which lead to an evolving social justice, psychodrama social innovation, Whm Msw Healing Well Method.  Those discussions fostered a collaboration and phenomenal convergence in that, in May of 2019 I was granted a fellowship to co-create The Whm Msw Healing Well Multi-Family Homeopathic Reparations Community Method-The Whm Msw Healing Well Method (WMHWM) for short – with Therapeutic Spiral International, under the leadership of Kate Hudgins, Ph.D., the co-creator of the Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM). Joshua Lee became my supervisor in studying, learning and applying TSM to WMHWM. That Kate had undergone instruction from an indigenous healer during the creative period of TSM , which formed an underlay for its unfoldment and our relationship was significant. It became a sign for me that I was in the right place, with the right person and organization to proceed with this creation as a Sundancer with Cangleska Luta (Red Hoop) Society.

The work attached to this charge was in parallel and central to the partial requirements to satisfy the doctorate in social work at the University of Southern California, Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, which also started in May of 2019. The doctorate in social work requires that a social innovation would need to be paired with one of the 12 Grand Challenges formulated by the Social Work and Social Welfare Academy. Achieving Equal Opportunity and Justice was selected to address the systemic oppression of Descendants of Africans Living in the USA under domestic colonialism, the victims of the Trans -Atlantic Enslavement of African Peoples Maafa (Swahili for great tragedy). A brief rationale, history and status report follows as of January 2021, as I enter the final semester and defense of the capstone project.

 

Brief Rationale

In search for a psychodrama model that specialized in trauma and could be adapted to create a model to address the historical trauma for national oppressed populations, particularly African Americans and their associated internalized psychological oppression, TSM was selected. Steven Beko -slain leader in the South African anti-apartheid struggle- declared that “the greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”. This of necessity demands a process to decolonize the mind. The Therapeutic Spiral Model dared to explore the inner workings of the mind, mapping out trauma through the use of their Trauma Survivor’s Intrapsychic Role Atom (TSIRA). This pathway seemed reasonable because it was discovered that TSI had a history of partnering with a host of organizations worldview in promoting the healing of trauma and provision of training such that social entities could become self-sufficient in their particular healing. The Whm Msw Healing Well Method seeks to employ the autonomous healing center in healing the mind of the oppressed, so that they in turn could heal social relationships on a family, community, nation and people level to make a people whole who had their ontological, cultural structure ruptured by national oppression with the intent to destroy their identity, self-proclaimed purpose and positive direction, that is future development.

The History

“ A people who free themselves from foreign domination will be free culturally only if, without   complexes and without underestimating the importance of positive accretions from the oppressor and other cultures, they return to the upward paths of their own culture, which is nourished by the living reality of its environment, and which negates both harmful influences and any kind of subjection to foreign cultures. Thus, it may be seen that if imperialist domination has the vital need to practice cultural oppression, national liberation is necessarily an act of culture,” so stated  Amilcar Cabral.  From this perspective, Descendants of Formerly Enslaved Africans, commonly called African Americans , are subjects of cultural hegemony and continue to labor to free themselves from historical and oppressive forces not of their making.

The featured aspect of WHWM is a national healing restoration of Maat, which affirms order, balance, harmony, reciprocity, truth, justice and compassion. However, starting with the family and community structures, thus WMHWM is a multi-family therapeutic method. This method is designed to (1) reverse psychological internalized oppression by restoring positive social functioning, using the construct of three phases of the TSIRA-    prescriptive or Rx roles, the TSM Trauma Triangle roles and the transformative roles. (It is contested that the post-traumatic growth can occur for a people still in the grips of national oppression). (2) It introduces a process of cultural restoration by the introduction of the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles of Kwanzaa). Through the introduction of a re-worked cultural adaptation, The WMHWM Method using African centered symbols to explain the TSIRA through the Nguzo Saba. The third aspect, (3) encourages the embodiment of reparations, first within the Black community as an homeopathic remedy to our need to repair our own relationships and to the outside world. The term homeopathic reparations apply the notion that we must find our internal healing center and work outward.

 

Status Report

In this 21st  month of the project, it is reported a number of significant developments  my own personal transformation, my facility as an evolving psychodramatist, the creation of a supervisory TSM-WMHWM structure, the budding WMHWM training group and the near completion of the method itself. I’ve taken the Men’s group as my personal development requirement, the Brain In Action: The Neurobiology of Trauma; Containment: Key to Safety w/Action Methods; Working with Defenses and scheduled for Transforming the TSM Trauma Triangle in February, which would complete Level 1 Core Trauma Courses. Through enrollment a small WMHWM training team is under development, with a few individuals taking the same courses and other courses offered through TSI. Supervision has occurred with Joshua Lee on a monthly basis and with Joshua Lee and Kate on a bi-monthly basis. Not discounting the refinement needed for stage one and two, psychological oppression and cultural revitalization, the third reparation innovation has yet to be flushed out, in the last reiteration of the method. The WMHWM social innovation has developed a change model, a logic model, a data decision model, a budget and established the Whm Msw Healing Well Non-Profit (WMHW-NP) through the state of Pennsylvania and was granted its 501 ( C )3 status retroactive for the same date by the federal government. The non profit’s mission is to provide social and cultural recovery through the restoration of MAAT for oppressed families and communities. National recovery, Whm Msw, is first carried out in the mind, then in families, then in relationships. That is it a multi-family model, it attends to the healing and developmental needs of the family and the community because multi-families represent a microcosm of the community, therefore the name  The Whm Msw Healing Well Multi-Family Homeopathic Reparations Community Method is used. To free the oppressed mind and therefore the oppressed group requires a return to authenticity, spontaneity and self-determination to ensure the process of decolonialization. It is not enough to understand social justice in the confines of cultural assimilation, it must be embrace true pluralism.  The collaboration between TSI and WMHW-NP will birth yet another branch of psychodrama emphasizing social justice for oppressed communities by replacing the oppression mindset with a liberation/reparations mindset.

 

 

Onaje Muid, a doctorate in social work candidate was inducted as a fellow into the New York Academy of Medicine (2016) based upon his stellar career as a consummate behavioral health social work clinician and administrator spanning 35 years of service, just after receiving the Mid- Career Emerging Leaders Award from the National Association of Social Workers (2015). His extensive background includes senior positions in substance use prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery domains, for such agencies as Phase: Piggy Back, Inc, Phoenix House, Bronx Lebanon Hospital and Reality House Inc. His cultural centric orientation to services, initiated by working for Phase: Piggy Back Inc for 14 years, earned him a place amongst his colleagues as the first class of trainers for the OASAS’ Cultural Competency in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention: The Consciousness Raising and Affective Component (2010). This competency approach forged his partnership with colleagues in developing Rules of Engagement: Addressing the Needs of Service Members, Veterans and Their Families by Developing Core Competencies for Behavioral Health Professionals as a graduate of the Addictions Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC) Advance Leadership Institute (2011), after completing the Leadership Institute first (2007). As trainer, he earned a certificate of completion for the ATTC Training Point Model, a specified an uncommon learning exchange for addiction trainers. Upon receiving his Seminar -In- Field Instruction, (SIFI), from Columbia University (2007) he began the compilation of his academic portfolio, first training students as their on- site supervisor. In 2011 he shifted his center of gravity and became an advisor to graduate level social work students at Columbia University, Graduate School of Social Work, for which he held for five years before being asked to become an adjunct lecturer in 2015. As an expert in design and delivery or trauma and culturally sensitive centric systems, he holds a post graduate certificate in trauma from the Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, a certificate from the Justice Institute of British Columbia, in the Aboriginal Focusing -Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma and others and a post master’s certificate from the National Association of Black Social Workers from the African Centered Social Work Academy. He serves as the United Nations Non -Governmental Organization (NGO) representative for the International Human Rights Association for American Minorities (IHRAAM) making the connection between human services and human rights. He holds a master’s degree in social work from the State University of New York- at Stony Brook; a license in mental health and credentials as an alcoholic and substance counselor and family development. For two years e served as  the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Specialist, in the Office of Behavioral Health, Department of Human Services, County of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania. He currently holds the position as the Fatherhood Coordinator for the Healthy Start Program for the Foundation for Delaware County, the Male Health Commissioner for the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) and the co-chair of the Social Justice and Human Rights Committee for Alliance of Black Social Workers in Philadelphia, PA. He is married to Dr. Fatima Hafiz in a blended family with eleven adult children and a bunch of grandchildren. Their work is contributions to the United Nations Decade of People of African Descend (2015 to 2024), affirming recognition, justice and development.

Onaje Muid whwmswhealingwell@gmail.com for further contact, information and orientation for Whm Msw Healing Well.

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/1970-amilcar-cabral-national-liberation-and-culture/

 

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Fundamentals of Psychodrama 1st ed. 2020 Edition

If you are looking for a great book to read Dr. Kate Hudgins highly recommends Fundamentals of Psychodrama 1st ed. 2020 Edition, written by Falko von Ameln and Jochen Becker-Ebel.

Check it out on Amazon 

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Building Resilience in Youth with Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM) Psychodrama, working with Post High School in Bali, Indonesia

Written by Mario Cossa

Abstract This article in the journal Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie explores the foundations of resilience theory and the application of the Therapeu- tic Spiral ModelTM’s (TSM) form of psychodrama in building resilience in youth through increasing the internal locus of control and supporting the ability to internal- ize the positive regard of peers and adult mentors. The author describes a program developed to serve these goals while working with post-high-school youth, ages 17 to 19, in the Campuhan College Program in Bali, Indonesia.

Click Here to read the article.

 

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Psychodrama Revisited: Through the Lens of Internal Role Map of the Therapeutic Spiral Model to Promote Post Traumatic Growth

Abstract Classical psychodrama embodies the theory and practice of spontaneity and creativity as the goal of all methods of change. In today’s world of post-traumatic growth (PTG), this is a perfect match for the view of humans as resilient and always seeking growth, even following traumatic and often violent experiences. This article of the Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie details the Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM), which is a trauma-informed, stage-process model to change the self-organization of people affected by trauma by using experiential methods. TSM presents the first internal role map for working with parts of self, developed through decades of clinical observation (Hudgins 2017, 2002). TSM connects with advances in clinical psychology on trauma and attachment, and the latest research on interpersonal neurobiology, and makes a crucial turn from interpersonal work in psychodrama to the focus on inner parts of self. The trauma survivor’s internal role atom (TSIRA) is presented as a three-stage model to guide all action methods when working with parts of self that include: Prescriptive (RX) roles, the TSM Trauma Triangle, and roles of transformation and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Composite examples are given from a lifetime practice in the global community to help bring the clinical structure of the internal role atom to life for inner parts work.

Click here to read the complete article

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