Utilizing psychodrama, the MPC provides individual therapy and group workshops for personal growth as well as professional training workshops for therapists, lawyers, pastors, CEOs, and other business leaders, as well as others wishing to learn the methods of psychodrama, sociodrama, Bibliodrama and sociometry for professional or personal growth.
The MPC also provides various kinds of workshops and consulting for businesses of all sizes, Bibliodrama (based on Hebrew and Christian Scriptures) for individuals, churches and church groups, and with Dr. Corby’s 30+ years of clinical therapy experience, individual and group therapy.
Relative to business consulting, psychodrama is particularly well suited to assisting groups and work teams in vision planning, sales, and maximizing their creativity and productivity in achieving their goals.
Who We Are
The Michigan Psychodrama Center was co-founded by Elizabeth Corby, Ph.D., TEP and Patrick Barone, JD, TEP.
Dr. Elizabeth Corby is a clinical psychologist and certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT) who is also both a Board-Certified Practitioner (CP) of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy and Trainer (TEP) by the American Board of Psychodrama Examiners. Along with the Michigan Psychodrama Center, Dr. Corby also maintains a private practice in Birmingham Michigan where she helps her clients through the transformative processes of psychotherapy, CBT, and psychodrama. She works holistically with her clients; utilizing a variety of scientifically supportive neurobehavioral, relational and action methods. In both the individual and group settings, Dr. Corby helps her clients integrate mind, body, and spirit thereby providing healing from a variety of challenges including anxiety, depressive disorders, and alcohol and substance use and dependence disorders.
Patrick Barone is a Michigan trial lawyer who first experienced psychodrama in 2007 at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College. In 2010 he began the journey toward practitioner certification. In 2018 he became a Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama, and in 2022 The American Board of Psychodrama Examiners certified him as a “Trainer, Educator and Practitioner” (TEP) of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy.
In addition to his work with the Michigan Psychodrama Center, Patrick also uses action methods in the courtroom as well as in the realms of business consulting and courtroom skills training. He introduces law students to psychodrama in his capacity as an adjunct professor at the Western Michigan University/Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Patrick also has a keen interest in participatory storytelling, commonly known as Bibliodrama, and the use of action methods toward spiritual growth. He also continues his work as the CEO and founding partner at the Barone Defense Firm.
Here are a Few Brief Descriptions
Psychodrama
Reenactment of a personal scene from a person’s life, one that took place in the past, is taking place in the present or that could take place in the future. The goal is either to obtain greater insight into yourself and/or to have an emotional reaction to the event (catharsis).
Sociodrama
The enactment or reenactment of a scene related to a group issue rather than a personal issue. Sociodrama is particularly well suited to workplace learning. Sociodrama has the potential to transform how employees relate to one another and has the potential to transform the way business find, interview, hire and train new employees. And, because sociometry is all about improving group functioning, sociodrama can also transform how meetings are conducted. Sociodrama is also an excellent way to identify and eliminate team and/or group dysfunctions. Sociodrama has also been used to train professionals, including law enforcement, and is an excellent way to employ workplace learning. Sociodrama is also a great method to explore societal issues, such as assisted suicide or police abuses.
Bibliodrama
An exploration of the gaps and ambiguities inherent in any written story. While bibliodrama can explore stories of any kind, at the Michigan Psychodrama Center we teach and explore a type of Bibliodrama experienced as participatory storytelling that was originally conceived and developed by Dr. Peter Pizele. This form of Bibliodrama, which is an adaptation of Midrash, explores the gaps and ambiguities, sometimes called the “white fire,” that exist in the ancient Biblical Hebrew and Christian texts. While this style of Bibliodrama can involve the dramatic it rarely takes the form of reenactment. Instead, participants engage their spontaneity and creativity to thoughtfully consider what the redactor chose to leave out. Participants are often struck with how easily they can become more fully immersed in the stories being explored as they begin to see the ancient stories as mirrors of and into their own lives.