Therapist offers psychodrama workshops
Psychotherapist Carol Parkinson-Jones. Photo: Neil Wilson.
Having settled back into the Bay after eight years away, psychotherapist Carol Parkinson-Jones will offer psychodrama workshops that explore problems, concerns, dreams and aspirations through dramatic action.
The first workshop, to be held on 6 June, will be about analysing dreams.
“Dreams can spark the regenerative process within us. Dreams are very interesting in psychotherapy, and when people reach a certain level in counselling they often offer me a dream and we explore it together psycho-dramatically. It is always amazing what comes out, and it is often a turning point for people.”
Carol explained that “psychodrama cultivates spontaneity” to assist personal change. By raising spontaneity, a system, either an internal human system or an organisational system, can begin to become creative and develop new solutions to old problems, or find solutions to new situations and concerns.
Psychodrama is generally used as a group work method and has strong elements of theatre. The audience is involved with the dramatic action through personal interest in the concerns of the leading actor, called the protagonist, or through playing some roles of the drama, as the protagonist can be helped by the active engagement of audience members.
Together with her partner Simon, Carol returned a year ago from the hustle and bustle of Christchurch, where they looked after family and Carol threw herself into working life as a counsellor at Matthew Brodie House and Child Youth and Family Services. Returning to Golden Bay had been a good move, Carol said.
“I feel Golden Bay is my home; it is loving and nurturing. There have been changes in the Bay, of course. There are a lot of new, lovely people I have never seen before...There are also a lot of people who were children when we left and who have grown into enchanting adults.”
“There is also a lot more regenerated bush around. When we came here, all the gorse you could see on the northern side of the Rainbow Valley is now regenerated bush. I can see the riverbed is getting bigger and whole ecosystems are developing around it.”
Human development interests Carol, and she mused that her life as a middle-aged women has had a lot of positive sides.
“I am very interested in the transition from middle to old age. I think I went inwards for some time when I reached a certain age and I think it happens for quite a lot of people. Now life gets better and better all the time. I am lucky that I had good role models in my life and close relationships with a lot of older women who shared their wisdom.”
Carol’s career in social work, counselling and psychotherapy started with a degree in anthropology followed by an MA in Social Work from Victoria University.
Simon and Carol later founded Te Whare Mahana, which over a decade later continues to provide a range of community-based mental health services, and as Carol points out “has gone from strength to strength”. Today it employs twice as many staff as when they started, including Simon, who has returned to work there as a clinician.
Carol has set up her own counselling practice at the GB Work Centre Trust. She can be contacted for appointments or for psychodrama workshop enquiries on 525 8542. Psychodrama numbers are limited to 10 participants.
Ina Holst
