It’s official – Patrick Barone, co-founder of the Michigan Psychodrama Center, is now a Board-Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. Mr. Barone learned that he had successfully completed his examinations via an email dated January 15, 2018. The email bore the subject “Congratulations You Are Now Certified,” and began;
Congratulations! On behalf of the American Board of Examiners, I am pleased to inform you that you are now a certified psychodramatist (CP).
Mr. Barone, a Michigan trial attorney, first learned about psychodrama when he attended a workshop through the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College in 2007. Three years later, in 2010, he deterimined to become a certified practitioner. Certification is available only through the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy, and is typically a five to seven-year journey.
Prior to receiving ABE approval to be examined for certification, the applicant must meet the following five criterion:
Education:
- A master’s degree from an accredited university in a field relevant to the applicant’s areas of practice. Applicants must document postgraduate training/education in the following areas: human growth and development, theories of personality, abnormal behavior (psychopathology), methods of psychotherapy, and social systems.
Training:
- A minimum of 780 hours of training in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy from individuals certified by the Board.
Professional Practice:
- Fifty-two weeks of supervised experience in the practice of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy is required. The fifty-two weeks of supervised experience is to be comprised of 80 psychodrama sessions, each a minimum of 60 minutes in length.
Supervision:
- At least 40 supervision sessions of at least fifty minutes each must be obtained for the 80 psychodrama sessions that make up the field experience
Professional Activities:
- The applicant must also demonstrate appropriate professional memberships, activities and/or publications which demonstrate the applicant’s participation in the fields of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy.
Subsequently, the applicant must also obtain three endorsements of professional competency, then prepare and submit a lengthy application demonstrating the completion of the above.
This list consists of the minimum requirements which must be completed prior to the submission of an application for certification. Many candidates have far more training and supervision than is required to meet these minimum requirements.
After completing the application and being approved to sit for the examination, the applicant must then successfully complete the comprehensive written examination, which assesses candidates on seven areas: History, Philosophy, Methodology, Sociometry, Ethics, Research/Evaluation and Related Fields. Written exams are administered once per year, on the third Saturday in October. This is a full-day essay exam.
After completing the written board exam candidates must also successfully complete an onsite examination, which consists of having an American Board of Examiner’s designate observe the candidate direct a two to three-hour psychodrama session.
Mr. Barone sat for the written exam on October 21, 2017, and his onsite examination was held on December 9, 2017. As indicated above, he learned of the successful completion of both, and thereby become a “CP” or “Certified Practitioner,” on January 15, 2018.
During his 52 weeks of supervised psychodrama experience, Mr. Barone gained expertise in sociodrama and its use in business consulting and trial skills training. In his capacity as business consultant, Mr. Barone has worked with business owners and executives in businesses of all sizes throughout Michigan, including by way of example, TGI Direct, Movimento, AcuMax, A2 Energy Systems LLC, Spry Publishing, Compliance Training Partners/Drakeshire Dental, Booms Stone Co., The Hunter Group, LLC., Vistage Michigan, and dozens of other businesses and executives.
Additionally, Mr. Barone trained in Bibliodrama with Dr. Peter Pizele and continues to train with him on a monthly basis. Bibliodrama is a method of literary investigation where participants are invited to “enter into” the stories and to consider what’s behind the words on the page. There are disparate motivations to engage in such exploration. These might include individuals wishing to engage in this form of Biblical exploration, perhaps for spiritual growth in the faith setting, to trial attorney’s wishing to discover the story of their client’s cases.
Mr. Barone intends to continue with his psychodrama training and eventually become a “TEP” which is a “Trainer, Educator and Practitioner.” The intermediate step is a “PAT,” which is a “Practitioner Applicant for Trainer” and he intends to have completed the necessary paperwork for this purpose by early February. Obtaining TEP certification is typically and minimally an additional four-year process.
In the meanwhile, Mr. Barone continues to practice law with the Barone Defense Firm and co-leads workshops with the Michigan Psychodrama Center.
In his capacity as a business consultant, Mr. Barone has worked with business owners and executives in businesses of all sizes throughout Michigan.
Additionally, Mr. Barone continues to practice law and is the founding partner and CEO at the Barone Defense Firm.