By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Ann Hale, who would have celebrated her 80th birthday today, truly was the “mistress” of sociometry” within the world psychodrama community.
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I always appreciated her presence and contributions to our American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama  conferences, including workshops, plenaries and keynotes, especially the still-memorable “Stone To Roll” where she used Jo Salas’ song “Little Stone to Roll” to support sociometric connections in the introductory large session. With the song’s the catchy words and inviting music, she created a sweet and amazing warm up that beautifully encouraged all us to meet, greet and connect.

Ann, one of the students of Dr. J.L. Moreno and Zerka Moreno, became one of the shining stars in our psychodrama community, as a trainer, teacher, innovator, mentor, author and artist. Originally educated in music, communications, and library and information sciences, she later received her director’s certificate at the Moreno Institute in Beacon, N.Y., and was the director in residence there from 1973 to 1975. 

She also completed the requirements of the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy to receive the TEP credential and established the Toronto Centre for Psychodrama and Sociometry as well as a training center in her hometown of Roanoke, Va.

Her obituary after her death on Dec. 9, 2021 noted that she enjoyed a wide circle of friends, many of whom she met through her 50 years as a trainer in psychodrama and sociometry. She was past president of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama and recipient of the organization's highest honor, the J.L. Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award.

Several years ago, when I was getting my book Show and Tell Psychodrama: Skills for Therapists, Coaches, Teachers, Leaders ready for publication, I asked her to read the book and make any suggestions about the  essays on sociometry, which was Moreno's invention to explore human relationships in groups.

She generously responded with several excellent suggestions about how the discussion of sociometry could be improved, and she insisted that I include the Diamond of Opposites sociometric structure as an important addition to the book, since its layered and faceted complexities about the strength of our choices offered so much sociometric richness and inclusivity than the more typical sociometric tests, like the spectrogram and simple hands-on choice.

Wise words from Ann

Later she shared with me some of her writings on sociometry, both the how-to as well as the philosophical parts. She wrote:

"The sociometry I practice is both in the group AND in the stories we dramatize. So, of course, sociometry in one-to-one therapy is a dynamic element. Becoming conscious of the underlying dynamics of our choices can be explored during guided imagery, pen and paper drawings of connectedness, trance work, role reversal in a social atom exploration, etc.  It is not enough to choose, we need to choose with heart, mind, body and spirit and with a collective consciousness of the impact of our choices on 'all our relations.' "
 
And how access to roles is related to the ability to emotionally self regulate and support group regulation:
 
"We also have ways to look at hierarchical structures and the degree of access people perceive they have to roles that have high value for him/her. This information clarifies the existence and dynamics of act hunger (or the degree to which it is sustained or abated) the degree of self-regulation present and available, and the presence of co-regulation available in a group (cohesion).  Access to roles is central to skill development, enlarging ones repertoire for interpersonal relating, spontaneity. "

Finally, looking at connection as transformation:
 
"By paying attention to the degree of connection people experience, and involving ourselves in actions which decrease interpersonal stress and resolve rigid and chaotic patterns of interpersonal interaction, we assist in that transformation process which leads to healing of interpersonal wounds and fosters integration of those new ways of being. We grow further belief in ourselves and others and trust we are necessary to one another and have become partners in health."

She also provided me with a complimentary of one of her books, which I have to this day. I wish I had gotten “more” of Ann’s wisdom and teachings, but I will say gratefully that it was enough.

About Ann's books

Ann's books and teaching materials are available for purchase here at the site of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute, with proceeds to benefit the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama.
     
About Karen

Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, is the founder of the Lancaster School of Psychodrama and Experiential Psychotherapies in Lancaster, Pa., which teaches transformational learning in a variety of experiential methods and practices, including psychodrama, sociometry, Family and Systemic Constellations, sand tray, group skills and more. Subscribe to her e-letter for professionals and get first notice of training events, Early Bird discounts, helpful links and inspiring and supportive info. You may subscribe here.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Just few weeks ago, I moved out of my lovely practice space at Liberty Place in Lancaster, Pa.  With the pandemic still causing a great deal of uncertainty, it hasn’t been practical for me to rent a full-time dedicated space right now. But whatever the logical reasons, I still wanted to say goodbye – a good goodbye.
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Good goodbyes are important. I learned this fact many years ago, when I worked as a psychotherapist for a well-known intensive five-day program for adults who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise chaotic homes. It was my first job as a helping professional and my first experience in this kind of program, which bonded small groups of people very quickly as we worked all day, every day, proceeding with heart-changing transformational work.  And then the goodbye.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Professional conferences offer opportunities to connect with colleagues, learn what’s new in the field and inspire participants to move forward with fresh ideas when returning to our daily schedule and calendars of the work week. During the 80th annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, which ended Sunday, April 3, all that happened — and more.

I've already blogged about my 10 takeaways from the 80th annual psychodrama conference, gathering the rich and sparkling gems that I found on the adventure of the conference. Even with the online version of the conference -- absent of hugs in hallways, shared meals in present time and the modifications of the tried and true psychodramatic techniques -- we still managed to learn, to teach, have fun and feel connected.  You can read my blog article  about all of that on Medium here. And there's more...

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Just the other day, I had a session with a supervisee who wanted to explore if she should get her clinical social work license or pursue certification in a particular bodywork modality that she had started to study. Another supervisee was looking at choices in trauma-informed certification and was seeking feedback about what choice might enhance the credentials she had already earned. A third wondered if she needed to be certified at all.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I get as a supervisor and trainer is about certification, whether relating to psychodrama or other fields and disciplines.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

It was kind of like a cold, with a runny nose and big sneezing.

It was kind of like a bad case of bronchitis, with fits of coughing in morning, noon and at night.

It was kind of like the flu, with a hint of a headache.

After a thorough internet search, I came up with my own diagnosis: bronchitis. But when the coughing persisted, I made an appointment with my doctor’s office at the end of November.
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Pretending not to look too miserable, I confidently announced my diagnosis of choice when the doctor arrived in the examining room.
He seemed pleasant, but tired, and listened patiently.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Some people say that 2021 has been the longest year. And, as we review the year with its continuing threats and realities of pandemic infection, political turmoil and the great suffering of the earth itself, 2021 certainly has challenged us to hold steady in the face of the unknown and the uncertain.
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However, I can tell you this --  today,  on Tuesday, Dec. 21, is definitely the longest night of the year.

​By Alan Swanson

The importance of gratitude cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental aspect of our true nature. Expressing gratitude for the food before us is an opportunity to experience that nature. Such an expression is transformative – producing a scientifically observable change that takes place within the food we eat and the water we drink. This becomes a way of attuning to the earth environment of which we are a part.

By Linda Ciotola, M.Ed., TEP
 
To begin with, action methods such as psychodrama provide valuable tools to assess, build and strengthen the therapeutic alliance necessary for effective treatment of eating disorders. As the clinician finds engaging ways to create a supportive therapeutic relationship and safe environment, enactment then puts these struggles into action by externalizing them for treatment.  Now these struggles are no longer hidden, and they have been given voice  to the suffering person's inner conflicts and feelings.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Adam Blatner, philosopher, bon vivant, cartoonist, singer, dancer, writer, psychiatrist, physician, promoter of playfulness, "Whizzard of Ah's," romantic, character, teacher, grandpopala, metaphysician, imaginologist, elf, psychodramatist, theoretician, etc.  Died   x    After a remarkably full, rich, eventful, many-faceted life. He succeeded in promoting a number of causes, developing a variety of ideas, including a fair number of original ones, networking up a storm, mentoring a good many folks, healing many others, and bringing out some extra magic in countless numbers by fostering song fests and other activities that celebrate the "child within."

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Here we are, at the threshold of June. And you know what that means – people will be taking vacations, staycations and other blocks of time away from work.

This means that your psychotherapist will likely be taking some time off as well.
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You may have lots of reactions about his, her or their impending absence, and that’s all right. Even though you intellectually understand that your therapist is fully entitled to time off for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, you may notice contradictory feelings that don’t match the logic of the situation.