Program “Director Level”

Second level of training on Psychodrama – for the professional competence of Psychodrama Director

Admission requirements:

Education/profession:

• For a director in the therapeutic sphere (psychodrama therapist) – a master’s degree in medicine or clinical psychology
• For a director in psycho-social and / or educational sphere, organizational psychology or theater (psychodrama director) – a bachelor’s degree in the psychological, social and educational sphere, organizational psychology or theater.

All candidates are required to have knowledge in specific areas that, if absent in their professional education, must acquire in Additional Courses, in parallel with their Psychodrama training, until their graduation: Personality Theories, Psychology of Development, Psychopathology, Basic knowledge for the functioning of the brain, Social Psychology, Theory of Group Dynamics and Group Process, System Theory, Basic Psychotherapeutic Schools and Approaches – Psychoanalytic Approaches, Systemic Approach, Attachment Theory.

Practice: At least two years of work in a professional field, related to their psychodrama training(in the interview the candidate presents his CV)

Personal experience with psychodrama: Successfully completed first level training – psychodrama assistant (a copy of the certificate is required if it is not from Orpheus)

Age: at least 24 years old

Personal prerequisites:

• sensitivity towards own and other people’s experience
• ability for empathy and realistic  perception of others
• ability to confront problems, people, oneself
• spontaneity and role flexibility
• resilience in conflicts
• mental stability

Presentation of an essay: Motivation for training and fields in which the candidate would like to apply the method. Self-reflection – “I – as a future professional, what are the things I would like to develop, strengths and weaknesses  etc. What attracts me to psychodrama as a method” (essays are submitted before the initial interview)

Individual initial interview:
Before the interview candidates for Second Level Psychodrama Training get acquainted with the Training Program and with the Contract for training with the Institute.

During the interview the leader/leading team get acquainted with the candidate and his or her motivation for training, get impressions in relation to his or her personal qualities and the degree to which they answer the requirements for Second Level Psychodrama Training. Professional and personal expectations of candidate in relation to training are discussed, as well as issues concerning the training program and the form of work. The candidate and the leader/leaders define together themes/problems on which the candidate would like to work during the training related to his or her professional and personal development. At the end of the interview a decision is made concerning admission in the training group and sign the contract. If necessary, a second interview can be appointed.

Orientation: work in the fields of psychotherapy, social work, education, organizational psychology, theatre.

Psychodrama training is specialization on the basis of already acquired profession. It does not provide new professional qualification. Candidates who do not have the right to practice psychotherapy on the basis of their university professional education, do not acquire this qualification as a result of their psychodrama training.

Form, duration and content of the training:
The main part of the training is conducted in a constant group with a constant leader/s. The group consists of 8-15 participants and works in weekends of 20 hours, or in blocks of 50 hours in 5 days. In this group students study basic methods and skills and acquire knowledge concerning application of psychodrama. They direct each other under supervision of their trainers and have group supervision of their practice as leaders outside the training group,

Trainees take part in cross-seminars (max. 15% of the training), which could be directed by external (for the group) trainers in a different group structure.

Second level psychodrama training consists of five elements:

1.  Theory – 140 hours
2. Practicing directing in the training group under direct Supervision (constant or cross) group – 140 hours
3. Personal work in the training (constant or cross) group – 60 hours
4. Supervision of directing a group outside of the training group – 80 hours group SV, conducted in the training group, and 20 hours individual / team SV, conducted by the trainer, outside the training group
5. Own practice in directing outside the training group, in a team as a co-director – 160 hours

The theory, practice, personal work and group supervision comprise 420 hours and are organized in 21 working weekends of 20 hours each.

Supervision (direct and indirect, group and individual) – 100 hours. Individual / team supervision consisted of 20 hours of training and the group – 80.

Along with their second level psychodrama training students are required to have 160 hours experience of own practice as leaders of groups in their own professional field of work and their work is supervised in the course of the training.  They should have protocols of all these 160 hours of work outside the training group. For 8 hour practice needs to have 1 hour individual / team supervision = 20 hours, including one initial and one final.

80 hours is group supervision – each group member should have a minimum of three group supervision sessions (3 hours each one) in the training group, on his or her own work as a director in his or her own field of work, and to take part in the supervision of the work of the other trainees.

Second Level Psychodrama Training

With regard to the form of learning theory, practicing skills for a psychodrama director and self-experience and assessment is valid the written in the training program for the First Level.

After the first two thirds of the second level training, each trainee has an individual session with the trainer or the team providing feedback on what has been achieved so far.

Themes on which theory and development of skills are centered in the Second Level of Psychodrama Training

1. Basic concepts of psychodrama as a psychotherapeutic method. Therapeutic factors (action catharsis, action insight, corrective emotional experience, etc.)
2. Therapeutic spiral. Work with early-child trauma, corrective emotional experience
3. Role repertoar of the psychodrama director. “Me as a psychodrama director”. Professional identity.
4. Resistance as challenge
5. Psychodrama work with dreams, fairy tales, fantasies
6. Psychodrama work with conflicts
7. Psychodrama when working with anger and aggression, shame and guilt
8. Psychodrama with victims of violence
9. Psychodrama in coping with losses, trauma and crisis
10. Psychodramatic work with problems in sexuality. Sex roles.
11. Psychodrama in individual therapy and counseling – Monodrama
12. Psychodrama in family therapy and counseling
13. Application of psychodramatic and sociometric techniques in consulting teams, organizations and institutions
14. Conducting research in psychodrama practice

After graduation of Second Level Psychodrama Training trainees should demonstrate, that they are:

• able to apply independently psychodrama methods in their own field
• able to explain them theoretically
• able to analyze them in a professional way

Practical skills,  developed by trainees in the second level:

1. Building a hypothesis about the process of the protagonist and select a suitable type of intervention
2. Capture the keys to track the process of the protagonist
3. Adequate combination of appropriate psychodrama techniques in interventions that drive the therapeutic process and achieve the therapeutic change
4. Independently guiding groups in their professional sphere
5. Analysis and moderation of group processes, structures and activities
6. Skills to conduct researches on the application of psychodrama   method in his professional field (quantitative and qualitative) 

Certification

Requirements:

• 440 teaching hours (of  45  minutes) training and supervision within the proposed training program. A maximum of 30 hours (5%) of absences is permitted. A 160 hours practice as a director outside the training group in trainee’s own field of work. Additional number of hours of training or practicing under supervision can be recommended to the student by the leading team if necessary.
• Minimum of three group supervision sessions on their own group and written protocols for them.
• Minimum of 5 times  participation as a director of a session(protagonist – centered work, sociodrama, sociometry) and submitted protocols for them.
• Submitted protocols for the 160 hours of own practice as a leader outside the training group.
• Written self-reflection on personal and professional development during training.
• Presented in the group and defended in front of examining board written thesis in which the trainee reflects his views on individual and group processes, and his psychodramatic experience in directing the supervised group in his own professional sphere. An overview of the theoretical knowledge and achievements in this field in the world so far. It is highly appreciated to conduct a research of the results during the directing the supervised group.
• Developed practical skills and acquired basic theoretical knowledge, defined as goals of the second level of psychodrama training.

At the end of the second level training , the students take an exam in which they demonstrate their practical skills for conducting a psychodramatic session, as well as their theoretical knowledge, and defend their written theses.

The exam is conducted by an examination board, including a representative of the BSPGT, who, with his signature on the student’s Diploma, certifies that the Diploma is recognized by BSPGT.

Procedure

After completion of the Second Level of Psychodrama Training, the leading team of the constant training group conducts an individual session with the trainee for provision of feedback and recommendations.

Students are certified as Psychodrama Director or Psychodrama Therapist according their University education, after evaluation of their whole participation in the training program and fulfilling the requirements of the Institute for certifying.

Psychodrama Director and Psychodrama Therapist has the right to use independently psychodrama method in his or her field of professional competence.

The Diploma of Psychodrama Center Orpheus for Psychodrama Therapist allows to apply for entry into the National Register of Psychotherapists in Bulgaria (BAP) and application for a European Certificate of Psychotherapy to EAP

It is possible that some of the requirements could be changed in the future in accordance with changes adopted by professional organizations (in Bulgaria and abroad) in these fields or because of changes in legislation and normative documents.

Last update of the program – 09.02.19.
Dr. Galabina Tarashoeva
Director of Psychodrama Center Orpheus