Author: sgiacomucci (Page 4 of 7)

Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama: Experiential Approaches for Group Therapists, Community Leaders, and Social Workers

by Scott Giacomucci, DSW, LCSW, BCD, FAAETS, PAT

Open-Access Book by Springer Nature; free eBook here – https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-33-6342-7

Buy a physical copy of the book on Amazon here

Book Description:

This open access book outlines the intersections between social work and the methods of sociometry and psychodrama. Different sections offer essential practice wisdom for both trauma-focused and trauma-informed experiential work for individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. This text enriches the understanding of various action-based approaches and highlights how to enliven social work practice. The chapters include clinical vignettes and examples of structured sociometric prompts with diverse populations, topics, and social work settings to enhance the understanding of group practice, individual practice, and community practice. It provides social workers and other professionals with dynamic tools to improve assessment, intervention, activism, and leadership. Strength-based practical tools are offered to readers, along with guidance for theoretical conceptualizations. This integrative book is an essential read for students, practitioners, leaders, and scholars within the fields of social work, psychodrama, the creative art therapies, group therapy, community organizing, and social activism.

The book content also includes vignettes and examples from drawn from Scott’s work at the Phoenix Center providing clinical services, supervision, and training. In its first week of publication, the book reached the #1 New Release spot on Amazon in the category of Medical Psychology Research and the free eBook was downloaded over 21,000 times!

Published as the first book in a new international book series: Psychodrama in Counselling, Coaching, and Education

The Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy is named after the legendary figure of the phoenix. Mythology suggests that the phoenix dies and is reborn from its own ashes – it is a symbol of transformation and resilience. This phenomenon of growing after experiencing trauma has been labeled “Post-Traumatic Growth”.

Visit our website to see how one of our clinicians might be able to help you cultivate post-traumatic growth – www.PhoenixTraumaCenter.com

#Trauma #TraumaTherapy #PostTraumaticGrowth #Phoenix #ptsd

We are grateful for the beautiful Creative Arts Therapy Symposium yesterday at Center for Families in Bryn Mawr!

Dr Scott Giacomucci & Dr Steven Durost presented an afternoon workshop on Sociometry, Psychodrama, & Experiential Trauma Group Therapy and engaged the entire audience in the short psychodrama piece! All of the presenters yesterday creatively integrated content & process for a fun and exciting training experience for all.

We are happy to support the growth of the creative arts therapies in our community by both presenting and providing CEUs for this event. Thank you to Sean Rodgers for all his work organizing this event and to Mirmont Treatment Center & Ashley Addiction Treatment for sponsoring the event!

Another powerful post-graduate training today “Experiential Social Group Work: Tools for Therapists, Educators, Supervisors, & Community Leaders” at Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research with Scott Giacomucci & Amy Stone!

Today we explored the utility of sociometry & psychodrama in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Experiential Education, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and mutual aid were emphasized as uniting factors between group therapy and other group work arenas.

Visit our website to learn more about future training opportunities – https://www.phoenixtraumacenter.com/training/

#SocialWork #GroupWork #GroupPsychotherapy #Sociometry #PsychoDrama #MutualAid #ExperientialEducation #InterpersonalNeurobiology

We are excited to announce the opening of our new office!

We are now able to take new clients & referrals – 484-440-9416

This new space will allow us to continue to grow as new clinicians join our team to help keep up with the community’s needs for trauma therapy & educational services.

Check out our newest trauma therapists, both taking new clients:

Rachel Longer, MSS, LSW, CET 1 – https://www.phoenixtraumacenter.com/rachel-longer/

Leela Ehrhart, MA, CET 1 – https://www.phoenixtraumacenter.com/leela-ehrhart/

Our new space has multiple individual office spaces and a large group room. Stay tuned for newly forming groups including:

-experiential trauma therapy client groups

-personal growth intensives

-supervision groups for licensing, psychodrama, & experiential trauma therapy

-EMDR consultation group

Special thanks to Amy Stone for all the amazing work she does at the center and to Maria Sotomayor & Chad Tingley for helping to decorate!

Also stay posted for an open house in the next month or two!

Post Traumatic Growth in one of these 5 domains is actually statistically more likely to occur after a traumatic event than PTSD!

25% adults that experience a trauma will develop PTSD (or every other child) while around 66% report post traumatic growth in at least one of these five domains.

Our namesake of the Phoenix is a symbol of post traumatic growth and guides our philosophy of trauma therapy.

#posttraumaticgrowth #traumarecovery #traumatherapy #ptsd #traumaticstress

Adult addiction and mental illness are strongly correlated with childhood adversity including trauma, abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study asked thousands of participants if they had experienced 10 different types of adverse childhood experiences. The higher the ace score, the higher the likelihood of addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, and medical health issues.

These numbers highlight the importance of addressing the impact of childhood adversity which fuels addictions, mental disorders, and medical illnesses.

We are excited to share that Phoenix Center’s Director/Founder, Dr. Scott Giacomucci, has been awarded Fellow status in the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (FAAETS).

This is the highest honor that the academy can bestow upon a member based on significant contribution to the field.

Scott was also recently granted Consultant status through EMDR International Association.

Check out Scott’s training page for upcoming events – www.phoenixtraumacenter.com/training/

Or email him directly for information about a newly forming EMDR consultation group and supervision group – Scott@PhoenixTraumaCenter.com

Today’s workshop, The Social Self in Experiential Therapy: Relationships, Attachment, & Interpersonal Neurobiology, presented the interpersonal theory and social atom of Jacob Moreno.

We explored the integrations of attachment theory, sociometric theory, and interpersonal neurobiology as they relate to experiential trauma therapy.

Moreno’s developmental phases (doubling, mirroring, & role reversal) were explored from the position of attachment within multiple parallel processes including the infant-caregiver dyad, the client-therapist dyad, the victim-perpetrator dyad (in our case today, a spontaneous sociodramatic vignette about slavery and white supremacy), within the development of a psychodrama vignette, and the layered interpersonal experience of the group itself.

Attachment styles were presented with emphasis on their role-reciprocity and role-complimentary natures. Participants explored their own attachment styles and considered its impact on their clients, supervisees, and colleagues.

Participants created social atoms and action sculpting was used to put one social atom into action integrating relational ideals into all our relations!

Today Dr Scott Giacomucci facilitated a session for incoming doctoral students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice.

The historical, philosophical, and theoretical connections of social work, Sociometry, and psychodrama were presented. Students then engaged in experiential Sociometry processes to explore shared experiences, fears, hopes, and goals.

The TSM circle of strengths was utilized to concretize the collective strengths of the cohort-as-a-whole and create a container of safety and inspiration for the years ahead as doctoral students.

Empty chairs were used to verbalize the positive & negative messages from the dissertation, the DSW degree, future self, and friends/family. Finally, students engaged in a psychodramatic vignette role reversing with themselves as future doctors of clinical social work.

#UPenn #SOCIALWORK #Psychodrama #sociometry #experientialteaching #experientialtherapy #emptychair

Giacomucci, S. (2019). Psychodramatically Becoming Your “Future Doctor Self”: A DSW First Year Immersion Session. The Clinician, 7(1): 6-7. Access Article Here

Related article here:
Giacomucci, S. (2019). Moreno’s Methods in Academia (or the lack of): A Call to Action. Psychodrama Network News. Fall 2019, p. 20. American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama.