Frequently Asked Questions

A leader who has an appreciation of life is what we are shooting for. This is not so much a style as an attitude to other people. A leader who appreciates life,is a leader who can be respectful, creative and engaged with individuals. A leader who appreciates life is a leader who can see the strivings and motivations of others and works in concert with those strivings. A leader who appreciates life is a leader who celebrates the efforts and achievements of others, especially the small and seemingly insignificant ones.See a fuller description of a leader who appreciates life by clicking here.

Leadership development is a key part of our training programs. Leadership development happens from the inside out. Learning "about" leadership is not enough to become a leader. Finding out what others have found to be good leadership is not enough to become a leader. Knowing the theories of leadership is not enough to become a leader. Leadership is something that is learned over time, based on life experience, learned knowledge, successes and failures and often with help and guidance from peers and mentors. We believe a leader is able to maintain creative contact with themselves and with others in life situations that are simple or complex and in reflective unpressured times as well as in crises. A leader maintains an inner harmony and stability whilst at the same time projecting themselves outward toward others. Thus leadership is based on the development of abilities over a long period of time. It is not based on the acquisition of techniques or skills.Our leadership programs are based around your development by capitalising on your life experience, that of those around you and your capacity to critically reflect and integrate your learnings.

The question often arises - what is psychodrama? Aspects of the answer appear on this page. Psychodrama is a profound way to look at life in all its complexity and chaos.

Psychodrama is deep and complex

So much training and self-development is shallow and simplistic: ‘Learn this and you will be able to do that'. But human beings don't work this way, because real life is complex and unpredictable. Knowing what to do is very different from being able to do it. Psychodrama is a profound way to look at life in all its complexity and chaos. And to do this in a teachable, straightforward manner. This way you can face life with confidence and spontaneity.

‘Psyche' relates to the spirit or mind, while ‘drama' relates to the stories acted out in life every day. By combining mind and action, psychodrama gets to the reality beneath the surface. It teaches you to ‘feel colours' or ‘see smells', as it were. It may sound a bit ‘airy fairy' but it's not. Once you get below the surface you can learn things about yourself and the roles you play that will help you make a real difference to your life and the lives of people around you.

A typical psychodrama session

How does psychodrama work in practice? In a typical session, a small group of enthusiastic people work cooperatively to do their personal psychodramas and are led by an experienced practitioner. The trainer will ask someone to get up and act out some of their deepest personal or communal concerns, such as being bullied in the workplace, or the plight of the homeless in society. Others in the group will join in, acting the extra roles in the person's drama. The session develops spontaneously as each person in turn takes the lead role in their own drama or support roles in other people's dramas.

In this open-ended way, people find ideas and solutions they didn't know they had, and which they would never have found using conventional training or self-discovery methods. Instead of passively absorbing ‘the answers', they actively find their own answers and help other people find theirs. The whole thing is spontaneous and fluid, not didactic and rigid.

Exploring what is important for you

As a participant in a psychodrama session you can explore the life situations that are of interest and concern to you through this type of dramatic enactment. In the course of the enactment you can express, refine and integrate new ways of being and doing. Psychodrama works for people of all ages and cultures with a wide range of life experiences. It strengthens your sense of self. It also strengthens your relationships with others and your effectiveness in groups.

Psychodrama assists individuals to:

• re-examine their current life situations, their past, their social networks and cultural context
• generate new perspectives on particular events or situations
• develop fresh responses to entrenched relationship dynamics
• prepare for future situations in which they wish to function with a greater degree of flexibility, vitality and immediacy
• bring together action, insight and ‘here and now' experience as they engage with life
• enlarge perceptions of themselves and others
• check out the personal development programs

Psychodrama assists groups to:

• examine themselves and constructively work through the dynamics of group life
• recognise patterns of interaction and interpersonal dynamics
• investigate both the formal and informal relationship networks
• recognize their collective functioning and make informed decisions about changing group norms
• check out the Core program and the calendar of training events

History of psychodrama

Psychodrama is based on the philosophy and methods conceieved of by psychiatrist Dr Jacob Moreno (1889-1974). It grew out of his experiments in Vienna in the 1920's with the theatre of spontaneity, a form of improvisational theatre. Moving to the USA in 1925 he continued to combine this with his interest in social science, exploring the possibilities of treating clients using group psychotherapy. This work has been further refined by many practitioners and training institutes around the world including in the United Kingdom, Central and Eastern Europe, USA, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Though somewhat younger, Moreno was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, and like Freud he developed techniques to get below the surface of ordinary life to help people heal. Yet where Freud used the couch, Moreno used the stage, and instead of sitting passively he was an active participant on this stage.

Moreno developed several techniques related to psychodrama, including sociodrama, sociometry, role theory and group psychotherapy, all of which are studied within the QTIP program.

Psychodrama is being actively used and taught throughout to the world. In places such as North and South America, Canada, the European Union, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Japan.

Experiential Training

Psychodrama is taught experientially. This means that the training is highly interactive, involving you with working with yourself, your life, the life of others and the the development of the group. This method of teaching provides a form of deep learning that grounds the learning in your identity not just a series of ideas.

Prelude to training

Becasue the training is so profound and deep it is important for potentialk trainees to have the opportunity to both experience the method and to experience the training. To that end we have a wide range of experiential psychodrama programs available (with more to come) and they can be found by clicking on this line. A series of training program are also available for people who would like to try out the method and be exposed to the theory and practise. 

Psychodrama training is an exceptionally engaging training method. Each person's life is a drama, and each person acts many roles in their life. Through deep experiential learning programs to teach you the psychodramatic method, The Moreno Collegium for Human Centred Learning, Research and Development works to help you find ways to improve life for yourself, those around you, your family, your organisations, communities and world. Our programs give you the skills to work with your's and other's life dramas and dilemmas with confidence, creativity and spontaneity. The training done with The Moreno Collegium for Human Centred Learning, Research and Development takes authorship back from authorities and places it squarely where it belongs with individuals and communities working in their local contexts.

The training is experientially based, is profound and involves participants working with the psychodramatic method as both participant, observer, researcher and student.

The training is taught through supervised experiential learning. The aim of this type of learning is for trainees to know the different aspects of the psychodramatic method through their experience. Every member of a training group becomes a group leader, a director of a psychodrama, a sociodrama, a role training session or a sociometric exploration, or assists by playing a role in someone else's drama and participates as a group member in group interaction.

Psychodrama is taught experientially. This means that the training is highly interactive, involving you with working with yourself, your life, the life of others and the the development of the group. This method of teaching provides a form of deep learning that grounds the learning in your identity not just a series of ideas or techniques.

Those who participate in training sessions experience themselves in a wide range of roles. The ability to interact spontaneously and develop new creative solutions to problems of living are developed in sessions. The teaching is in response to what the trainee says and does in the training sessions. The purpose of the teaching is to develop a greater flexibility in functioning, a greater perceptiveness, and a wider range of functioning in the here and now situation.This builds a person's capacity to deal with what life thorws at them especially when working with other people.

 

The longer term programs which run over the year are designed to create a stong learning cohort. This cohort of peers will greatly assist your learning. It will give you a vehicle to practice the method as well as discuss areas you are challenged by or working through. This cohort helps to reduce isolation and usually a strong colleagiate bond forms with people doing the training.

An integration of theory and practice occurs. Trainees see and feel development occurring. As they apply learnings in their work, in their personal lives and in activities in the training group further supervision and teaching leads to refinement of abilities and the opening up of new areas of learning. Reading, written assignments and relevant tasks are recommended.

So much training and self-development is shallow and simplistic: ‘Learn this and you will be able to do that'. But human beings don't work this way, because real life is complex and unpredictable. Knowing what to do is very different from being able to do it. Psychodrama is a profound way to look at life in all its complexity and chaos. And to do this in a teachable, straightforward manner. This way you can face life with confidence and spontaneity.

‘Psyche' relates to the spirit or mind, while ‘drama' relates to the stories acted out in life every day. By combining mind and action, psychodrama gets to the reality beneath the surface. It teaches you to ‘feel colours' or ‘see smells', as it were. It may sound a bit ‘airy fairy' but it's not. Once you get below the surface you can learn things about yourself and the roles you play that will help you make a real difference to your life and the lives of people around you.

A brief history of psychodrama

Psychodrama is based on the philosophy and methods conceieved of by psychiatrist Dr Jacob Moreno (1889-1974). It grew out of his experiments in Vienna in the 1920's with the theatre of spontaneity, a form of improvisational theatre. Moving to the USA in 1925 he continued to combine this with his interest in social science, exploring the possibilities of treating clients using group psychotherapy. This work has been further refined by many practitioners and training institutes around the world including in the United Kingdom, Central and Eastern Europe, USA, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Though somewhat younger, Moreno was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, and like Freud he developed techniques to get below the surface of ordinary life to help people heal. Yet where Freud used the couch, Moreno used the stage, and instead of sitting passively people became active participants on the stage of their own life.

Moreno developed several techniques related to psychodrama, including sociodrama, sociometry, role theory and group psychotherapy, all of which are studied within the Moreno Collegium program.

Psychodrama is being actively used and taught throughout to the world. In places such as North and South America, Canada, the European Union, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Japan. In Australia the Australian and New Zealand Psychodrama Association Inc is the professional body which oversights and manages the professional training and development of people studying the methods of JL Moreno.

Psychodrama assists groups to:

1. examine themselves and constructively work through the dynamics of group life;
2. recognise patterns of interaction and interpersonal dynamics;
3. investigate both the formal and informal relationship networks;
4. recognize their collective functioning and make informed decisions about changing group norms;
5. investigate possible changes to group norms and how these might play out.

Individuals who use psychodrama can expect to be able to:

1. re-examine their current life situations, their past, their social networks and cultural context;
2. generate new perspectives on particular events or situations;
3. develop fresh responses to entrenched relationship dynamics;
4. prepare for future situations in which they wish to function with a greater degree of flexibility, vitality and immediacy;
5. bring together action, insight and ‘here and now' experience as they engage with life;
6. enlarge perceptions of themselves and others.

Psychodrama works for people of all ages and cultures as well as with people with a wide range of life experiences. It strengthens your sense of self. It also strengthens your relationships with others and your effectiveness in groups.

As a participant in a psychodrama session you can explore the life situations that are of interest and concern to you through dramatic enactment. In the course of the enactment you can express, refine and integrate new ways of being and doing. You may prefer to be part of the audience or to join in with others as they try out new forms of lining their own lives.

In a typical session, a small group of enthusiastic people work cooperatively to do their personal psychodramas and are led by an experienced qualified practitioner. The practitioner will ask someone to get up and act out some of their deepest personal or communal concerns, such as being bullied in the workplace, or the plight of the homeless in society. Others in the group will join in, acting the extra roles in the person's drama. The session develops spontaneously as each person in turn takes the lead role in their own drama or support roles in other people's dramas.

There are many books published in a number of languages since the 1920's. An extended bibliogrphy is available at Jim Sack's bibliography. There are numerous scientific journals published around the world in languages such as English, French, Gernam, Scandinavian, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Chines, Japanese and others as well as articles in a wide range of other journals. New books are published on various uses and aspects of psychodrama every year. 

Psychodramatic method

The psychodrama method began it's development in the early 1900s by J L Moreno, and it has been expanded, researched, practiced and taught since that time.

What is psychodrama?

So much training and self-development is shallow and simplistic: ‘Learn this and you will be able to do that'. But human beings don't work this way, because real life is complex and unpredictable. Knowing what to do is very different from being able to do it. Psychodrama is a profound way to look at life in all its complexity and chaos. And to do this in a teachable, straightforward manner. This way you can face life with confidence and spontaneity.

‘Psyche' relates to the spirit or mind, while ‘drama' relates to the stories acted out in life every day. By combining mind and action, psychodrama gets to the reality beneath the surface. It teaches you to ‘feel colours' or ‘see smells', as it were. It may sound a bit ‘airy fairy' but it's not. Once you get below the surface you can learn things about yourself and the roles you play that will help you make a real difference to your life and the lives of people around you.

A typical psychodrama session

How does psychodrama work in practice? In a typical session, a small group of enthusiastic people work cooperatively to do their personal psychodramas and are led by an experienced practitioner. The trainer will ask someone to get up and act out some of their deepest personal or communal concerns, such as being bullied in the workplace, or the plight of the homeless in society. Others in the group will join in, acting the extra roles in the person's drama. The session develops spontaneously as each person in turn takes the lead role in their own drama or support roles in other people's dramas.

In this open-ended way, people find ideas and solutions they didn't know they had, and which they would never have found using conventional training or self-discovery methods. Instead of passively absorbing ‘the answers', they actively find their own answers and help other people find theirs. The whole thing is spontaneous and fluid, not didactic and rigid.

As a participant in a psychodrama session you can explore the life situations that are of interest and concern to you through this type of dramatic enactment. In the course of the enactment you can express, refine and integrate new ways of being and doing. Psychodrama works for people of all ages and cultures with a wide range of life experiences. It strengthens your sense of self. It also strengthens your relationships with others and your effectiveness in groups.

Psychodrama assists individuals to:

• re-examine their current life situations, their past, their social networks and cultural context
• generate new perspectives on particular events or situations
• develop fresh responses to entrenched relationship dynamics
• prepare for future situations in which they wish to function with a greater degree of flexibility, vitality and immediacy
• bring together action, insight and ‘here and now' experience as they engage with life
• enlarge perceptions of themselves and others

Psychodrama assists groups to:

• examine themselves and constructively work through the dynamics of group life
• recognise patterns of interaction and interpersonal dynamics
• investigate both the formal and informal relationship networks
• recognize their collective functioning and make informed decisions about changing group norms

History of psychodrama

Psychodrama is based on the philosophy and methods conceieved of by psychiatrist Dr Jacob Moreno (1889-1974). It grew out of his experiments in Vienna in the 1920's with the theatre of spontaneity, a form of improvisational theatre. Moving to the USA in 1925 he continued to combine this with his interest in social science, exploring the possibilities of treating clients using group psychotherapy. This work has been further refined by many practitioners and training institutes around the world including in the United Kingdom, Central and Eastern Europe, USA, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Though somewhat younger, Moreno was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, and like Freud he developed techniques to get below the surface of ordinary life to help people heal. Yet where Freud used the couch, Moreno used the stage, and instead of sitting passively he was an active participant on this stage.

Moreno developed several techniques related to psychodrama, including sociodrama, sociometry, role theory and group psychotherapy, all of which are studied within the QTIP program.

Psychodrama is being actively used and taught throughout to the world. In places such as North and South America, Canada, the European Union, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Japan.

Experiential Training

Psychodrama is taught experientially. This means that the training is highly interactive, involving you with working with yourself, your life, the life of others and the the development of the group. This method of teaching provides a form of deep learning that grounds the learning in your identity not just a series of ideas.

Sociometric methods have been developed over time, with the principle that the investigator is an active group member. Material generated from the group, belongs to the group members. Is not taken away by the researcher and managers to make decisions about the group. Sociometric interventions bring flexibility to systems and groups by investigating the choices with the people who make them, and displaying the patterns of relationships created by those choices. Stimulated by this information, group members create new patterns for themselves, and enhance authentic companionship and greater mutuality in the group. It brings to mind the principle that when human beings can see and measure what it is they are doing and are apart of, of their own accord, set about improving the situation.

The sociodramatist applies principles of sociometry, role theory, organisational theory and psychodramatic techniques to assist individuals to bring about effective group and inter group functioning. The sociodramatist produces interaction in groups of different sizes and configurations to identify the social concerns of the group and formulate a sociodramatic question, develop a dramatic portrayal of the social system, and makes an analysis. Group members develop their own new perceptions and new approaches are opened upfor the whoe group that lead to more open group norms and creative behaviour.

The sociodrama director enables a group and it's individuals to:

1. Explore in action the unique social and cultural forces from the past, present and future that impact on our every action in life;
2. Help individuals, groups and organisations to free themselves from restrictive values and belief systems that are transmitted through culture since birth;
3. Orient participants to those values and belief systems that assist in the creative expression of one's unique vitality in any group situation;
4. Unravel the social and cultural makeup of groups through analysis of sub groups, describing the value and expectation systems that are operating;
5. Have a purposeful exploration of the relationship between the self and the groups they belong to within society and the world;
6. Promote deep understanding and respect between cultures, groups and sub group;
7. Observe and analyse a social system in order to improve group, community, organisational and team development;
8. Learn effective metho ds in the resolution of conflict.

Sociodrama is the application of the methods of Dr J L Moreno (1889-1974) to address social and group issues. Sociodrama has applications in education, organisational and community settings. The premise of sociodrama is that all human growth and human functioning is powerfully influenced by wider social influences in our culture. A human being grows up in a social field that exerts enormous influence that may be largely beyond conscious awareness. All our lives we have been bombarded with belief systems, value systems and ideas about how life should work. These social and cultural forces have a powerful influence on our every day actions at home, in groups, at work at play, in silence, when alone or when in relationships and in all group situation. Sociodrama addresses these social and cultural forces whether in the world, our country, our communtiy, our work place, our family or even all together.

In an open-ended way of people trying out and enacting different roles and responses to difficult problems, people find ideas and solutions they didn't know they had, and which they would never have found using conventional training or self-discovery methods. Instead of passively absorbing ‘the answers', they actively find their own answers and help other people find theirs. The whole thing is spontaneous and fluid, not didactic and rigid.

The psychodrama method began it's development in the early 1920s in Vienna, Austria by J L Moreno, and it has been expanded, researched, practiced and taught since that time. There are professional associations in most continents and conferences and world congresses have been held for many years.

"Moreno" is the name of the creator of psychodrama, sociometry, sociodrama, role training and group psychotherapy. Jacob Levy Moreno developed these methods early in the last century and promoted them around the world for many years. His widow and co-creator of much of psychodrama is Zerka T Moreno who in her early 90's is still an active psychodramatist, philosopher, writer and group worker. She gave us her blessing to use the Moreno name for our organisation.

Take a train to the Coopraroo train station. Clarence St is adjacent to the the train station and 45 Clarence is up the end away from the station, about 5 minutes walk.

There is no on-site parking but there is plenty of on street parking. There is also parking in nearby streets and a large car park adjacent to the train station. Just don't park on neighbours properties especially during working hours.

Clarence St at Coorparoo runs off Cavendish Road and is adjacent to the Coorparoo train station. We are about 200 metres from the train station down the cul-de-sac end. Here is a google maps link.

There are a number of ways that you can follow your interest or curiosity. You could read through these FAQs and see what answers you find. You could email a general enquiry. You could call Peter on 0411 873 851 and set a time for a coffee or tea at the main training venue. You could come to one of our open evenings designed for interested parties and you will find those details here. You could come along to one of our wine and cheese evenings to meet the staff and trainers and other interested folks.

Sociometry is a methodology for stimulating, exploring and measuring interpersonal relations invented by Dr J L Moreno (1889-1974). The purpose of sociometry is to facilitate group task effectiveness and satisfaction of participants by bringing about greater degrees of mutuality amongst people and greater authenticity in relationships. Moreno noticed groups and communities function with people being attracted to or draw away from others and the subsequent networks and patterns of interaction these created. He discovered when people chose whom they interacted with, there was a higher level of satisfaction in being together, greater sense of belonging and achieving their purpose.