Program “Psychodrama with Children”

Training program “Psychodrama with children in individual and group settings, the method of Alfons Aichinger 

This program is created, based on the program of Moreno Institue Stuttgart, by Fabian Blobel and Helena Brem, direct disciples of Alfons Aichinger and Walter Holl, the creators of this method.

The training is organized and conducted in Psychodrama Center “Orpheus”, the Director of the Program is Dr Fabian Blobel.

The program consists of a minimum of 300 hours (each 45 minutes) training in the method of Alfons Aichinger and Walter Holl, including personal experience, group dynamics and sociometry; theory and practice of the method in the training group under supervision.

The aim of this formation is to enable participants to use psychodrama in pedagogic or therapeutic areas. This form of children psychodrama can be used in individual, family or group settings.

The training is directed to people who work as therapists, pedagogues/teachers, social workers in all kind of clinical or social areas, and will apply the method within their own professional competence.

The program presents a form of children psychodrama therapy which is applied in groups for children (age 5-12 years) with chronic socio-emotional difficulties. Alfons Aichinger and Walter Holl created and developed this method on the base of symbol play during the last thirty years in Germany. It is well recognized and applied in many different curative, health and educational settings and institutions within the German speaking countries.

With this group therapy children are helped to heal their emotional wounds in a joyful way. They are also encouraged to experience different and new forms of symbolic roles and social interactions in a secure group setting. Stimulated and guided by the therapist, the child experiences self healing inventing a role that allows him to act out his greatness fantasies in symbolic play.

The therapists, ideally a man and a woman together, actively participate in the play and intervene within their roles on the symbolic level. In the play the whole range of psychodrama interventions can be used – modified in the manner that they fit in the symbolic level of the play. The therapists also guide the group process by facilitating interactions and by helping to create the story.

Within the group therapy the children are supported to interact in a resource orientated and creative manner. The child can build up his/her social skills and is enabled and empowered to create his/her social interactions in a positive and self secure manner.

This training program is divided in two modules consisting of 4 weekend-blocks (Friday to Sunday=30 hours each), plus extra seminars. 

The first module is mainly focused on the learning of directing and playing psychodrama plays.

The second module is focused on the different individual and group disturbances and in special interventions.

Modul 1 “Conducting psychodrama with children”:
First weekend: Role-fantasies and fantasies of greatness
Psychodrama techniques – Entering through children games in own role fantasies. Playing own greatness fantasies every participant will feel and learn by playing the children role the possibilities of the psychodrama techniques in the work with children.

Second weekend: Development of play.  Friendship
Through the active plays participants will start to conduct psychodramatic interventions with the focus on development of play and friendship.

Third weekend: Role development and working with parts. The psychological development through the Morenian view.
Focusing on roles, capacities and resources participants will further learn conducting individual interventions in group situations.

Fourth weekend: Family reconstruction, individual and group dynamic (within formation group)
Personal work to analyze own patterns and its implications for the conduction of psychodramatic plays.

Modul  2 “Psychodrama with children; individual disorders and disturbances in groups”:

First weekend: Binding and Group dynamics
Second weekend: Internalising disorders
Third weekend: Externalising disorders
Fourth weekend: Indication, criteria for exclusion, and group settings

Extra seminars (30 hours each), minimum 2 out of the following:

  • Working with Trauma
  • Working with an Aggressive Child
  • Working with Adolescents (12-15 years of age)
  • Working with Groups of Parents
  • Working with Children of Separated Parents

It is required participants to have professional competencies and licence for work with children and preliminary knowledge and experience in psychodrama or to be in the process of aquiring such. 

After completing the full course and covering the current criteria of FEPTO, the participants are allowed to take the final exam. The participants should have attained 300 hours of training in the program (8 main weekends + 2 out of the 4 seminars = 10 x 30), plus homework (preparation of theoretical input, self-reflection and process analysis of role development) and practice under supervision. The trainees who take their exam successfully will receive Certificate, which gives right to use the psychodrama method with children in individual, family or group format and to apply it in the field of their professional competence – pedagogy or therapy.

Psychodrama center Orpheus also offers the possibility for supervision of work with children and adolescents.