The person who gave the psychodrama method academicity
Prof. David Kipper – Ph.D., ТЕР, clinical psychologist, direct student of J. L. Moreno, researcher, professor at the University of Chicago, is the author of many publications and psychodrama research. A longtime publisher of the journal “Group psychotherapy, psychodrama and sociodrama”. He is the author of the book “Clinical role-playing games” and in his Bulgarian edition he has included a new chapter. Adam Blatner called it “the most scientific psychodramaist”. David Kipper is the person who gave the psychodrama method an academic.
David Kipper was one of the biggest friends for psychodrama movement in Bulgaria. I met him in 1992 in Montreal at the Congress of IAGP during his workshop “Magic shop”. I asked him to come in Sofia to teach us, and told him that it is difficult to pay him real fee, and he told me “Bulgarian people have done for Jewish people some thing that no other nation have done, now I want to do something for Bulgarians!” And he came! And with him together in 1993 we created Psychodrama Center Orpheus – the first psychodrama training institution in Bulgaria. He conducted the founding five-days training seminar for Psychodrama Center Orpheus in October 1993 and delivered the lecture “Actions Speak More Than the Words” to the crowded audience of the Psychiatric Clinic at the Medical Academy in Sofia.
In the following years Prof. Kipper directed 6 long training cross-seminars and 6 open lectures, supervisions, exams. His lectures in the auditorium of psychiatric clinic in Medical Academy were very, very well attended. His book about Clinical role playing was translated in Bulgarian language and he added additional chapter in this edition.
He dedicated his scientific work to bring psychodrama to academic level.
His last lecture in the same yet more crowded audience was on January 5, 2007: “Can spontaneity be measured? Some empirical data”
Extremely modest, broad-minded, profoundly insightful, rich in soul and interest, he was loved by all trainees in Orpheus, who had the chance to meet him! We learned a lot from him, not only about psychodrama, but also for the world and the life.
After one year of struggle with a serious illness, on 02.12.10 professor David Kipper died. David Kipper stays in our hearts with his warmth, humor, wisdom, generosity and responsiveness!
Farewell David, rest in peace!
Obeisance!
Gabi
(Galabina Tarashoeva)