MFT 557Action Methods in Marital and Family Therapy |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Summer 1999
Prerequisites (1) MFT 541; or Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm;
DESCRIPTION: In psychotherapy, action methods are those those techniques that have clients engage in purposeful physical activity at the direction of the therapist. Action methods are impactful and promote significant lasting clinical change in relatively brief periods of time, making them particularly valuable in brief therapy. This course (1) introduces students to a broad spectrum of action methods useful for both assessment and intervention in marital and family therapy, with an emphasis on those derived from theater; (2) examines their effectiveness in relation to other experiential and didactic methods; and (3) gives students hands-on experience with a representative sample of action methods. The course also addresses practical questions regarding the conditions for which action methods are appropriate and what uses of the self of the therapist are required for the successful employment of action methods. By the nature of its subject, this course predominantly features learning-by-doing, rather than conceptual learning-about. Active participation in exercises during class is central to the learning experience. FORMAT About two-thirds of class time is devoted to enacting clinical scenarios and experiential exercises using action methods and to critiquing these enactments. The remainder will be used for lectures, discussion of readings, guest presenters, and viewing videotapes illustrating the clinical use of action methods. Some use will also be made of in-class video feedback to assist students in improving their skills in leading enactments.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the completion of this course, students will be able to: (1) classify clinical interventions as didactic, experiential, or action; (2) identify the requisite conditions for employing action methods across a diversity of clinical situations; (3) demonstrate a capacity for designing, adapting, and implementing action methods in designated broad categories of marital and family therapy situations; (4) understand which of their own personal characteristics are assets or deficits in employing certain action methods.
TOPICAL OUTLINE Note that these may vary, depending on the availability of guest presenters.
REQUIRED WORK AND GRADING 55% - Class Participation - Your grade is based on both quality and frequency; come prepared each class to discuss current assigned readings and to be involved with experiential exercises, either as participant or observer. Far more than in lecture classes, regular attendance is necessary for sufficient participation. 20% - Class Presentation - Each student will have an opportunity to lead other volunteer students in the enactment of an action method which has been approved in advance by the instructor. Class presentations should be planned to last a total of 20 minutes for instructions, enactment, and discussion. Other students complete a feedback form immediately following the presentation and give it to the presenter for analysis. Presentations are videotaped; students are encouraged to review the video of their own presentation. Immediately following the presentation the instructor will provide a brief oral critique. Your grade is based on: (1) your demonstrated skill in giving instructions; (2) your demonstrated skill in processing the enactment with participants immediately afterwards; and (3) a brief written summary of what you learned from the presentation experience, including an analysis/summary of the data on the feedback forms. The summary is due at the class meeting immediately following the one at which you presented. During the third class meeting, time slots for class presentations will be chosen; presentations will be made beginning the fourth class meeting. Once scheduled, you are responsible for that time slot; if, for any reason, you are unable to present, it is your responsibility to arrange a substitute presentation for that slot. 20% - Course Project/Paper - There are two options to meet
this requirement. The second option is a videotape clip showing you conducting
a specific action method useful in MFT, other than the one used
in your class presentation. Grading
NOTE: There will be a reduction of a half-letter grade (an A becomes an A-, etc.) for any work submitted beyond the due date in the syllabus, for whatever reason. REQUIRED TEXTS: Baldwin, M. & Satir, V. (1987). The Use of Self in Therapy. New York: Haworth. [B&S] Wiener, D. J., (1994). Rehearsals for Growth: Theater Improvisation for Psychotherapists. New York: Norton. [RfG] D. J. Wiener (Ed.), (1999). Beyond talk therapy: Using movement and expressive techniques in clinical practice. Washington, D.C.: APA Books. [BTT] There will also be a number of Handouts, which will be distributed in class [H].
PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES Blatner, A. (1988). Acting in: Practical applications of psychodramatic methods. (2nd Ed.) New York: Springer. Duhl, B. S. (1983). From the inside out and other metaphors:¡ Creative and integrative approaches for training in systems thinking. New York: Bruner/Mazeêl. Emunah, R. (1994). Acting for real: Drama therapy process, technique and performance. New York: Brunner/Mazel. Chasin, R., Roth, S. and Bograd, M. (1989). Action methods in systemic therapy: dramatizing ideal futures and reformed pasts with couples. Family Process, 28, 1, pp. 121-136. Gilligan, S. (1993). Therapeutic rituals. In S. Gilligan, & R. Price, (Eds.), Therapeutic conversations. (pp. 237-252). NY: Norton. Guldner, C.A. (1990). Family therapy with adolescents. Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama and Sociometry, 43, (3), 143-156. Hayden©Seman, J. A. (1998). Action modality couples therapy. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson. Imber-Black, E., Roberts, J. & Whiting, R. (Eds.) (1988). Rituals in families and family therapy. New York: Norton. Johnson, D.R. (1992). The Dramatherapist in-role. In S. Jennings (Ed.), Dramatherapy: Theory and practice 2. London: Tavistock/Routledge. Jones, P. (1996). Drama as therapy: Theatre as living. London: Routledge. Kelly, G. A. (1955). The psychology of personal constructs. New York: Norton. Kipper, D. A. (1986). Psychotherapy through clinical role playing. New York: Bruner/Mazel. Kopp, S. (1977). This side of tragedy: Psychotherapy as theater. Palo Alto: Behavioral Science Press. Landy, R. J. (1986). Drama therapy: Concepts and practice. Springfield,IL: Charles C. Thomas. Meldrum, B. (1994). A role model of dramatherapy and its application with individuals and groups. In S. Jennings, A. Cattanach, S. Mitchell, A. Chesner, & B. Meldrum (Eds.) Handbook of Dramatherapy. London: Routledge. Nachmanovitch, S. (1990). Free play. Los Angeles: Tarcher. Nerin, W.F. (1986). Family reconstruction: Long day's journey into light. New York: Norton. Papp, P. (1982). Staging reciprocal metaphors in couples groups. Family Process, 21. Papp, P. (1976). Family choreography. In P.J. Guerin (Ed), Family therapy: Theory and practice. 465-479. New York: Gardner Press. Riebel, L. (1992). On with the show. Family Therapy Networker, 16 (5), 32-35. Roberts, J. (1994). Tales and transformations, New York: Norton. Roth, S. & Chasin, R. (1994) Entering one another's worlds of meaning and imagination: dramatic enactment and narrative couple therapy. Chapter in M. Hoyt (Ed.), Constructive therapies. New York: Guilford. Scheff, T.J. (1979). Catharsis in healing, ritual and drama. Berkely: U. of California Press. Seeman, H. & Wiener, D. J. (1985). Comparing and using psychodrama with family therapy: some cautions. Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama and Sociometry, 143-156. Watanabe, S. (1986). "Cast-of-Characters" work: Systematically exploring the naturally organized personality. Contemporary Family Therapy, 8, 75-83. Wiener, D. J. (1991). You wanna play?, Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, Vol. 3, Nos. 1 and 2, pp. 213-219. Wiener, D.J. (1998). Family assessment using subjective genograms. In T. S. Nelson & T. Trepper (Eds.), 101 Interventions in Family Therapy, Vol. 2, New York: Haworth. Wiener, D.J. (1998). Feeding the relationship by feeding each other. In L. Hecker & S. Deacon, (Eds.) The Therapist's Notebook. New York: Haworth. Wiener, D.J. (1997). Presents of mind. Journal of Family Psychotherapy. Wiener, D.J. (1996) Tug-of-war: A theatrical technique for marital therapy. Dialog, No. 27, (2), 37-43. |