Projects

Faculty Projects: The Family Institute serves as a platform for faculty to join together in shared projects or interest groups. These projects may include curriculum offerings, community endeavors, and action-research projects. Current projects include the Witnessing Project, the Psychodrama Interest Group, the Center for Women's Empowerment, and the Theater for Social Healing.

The Witnessing Project

Founder and Director:Kaethe Weingarten, Ph.D.
Core Staff:
In the USA: Carol Becker, Ph.D.
In South Africa: Dirk Kotzé, D.D. and Elmarie Kotzé, D.Litt et Phil

The Witnessing Project addresses a major public health problem: witnessing violence and violation. Exposure to violence and violation happens daily to children and adults alike, requiring us to metabolize these daily jolts.

The Witnessing Project has two primary goals:

To make people aware of the themselves as everyday witnesses to violence and violation, and
To provide people with the tools to cope with the biological, psychological, interpersonal and societal effects of witnessing.

How we respond to what we witness not only has significant effects on our own lives, but our individual responses have ramifications for our families and the society as a whole. Since very few people are aware of the chronic debilitating effects of witnessing everyday violence, few people know how to deal with it themselves or help others do so.

Witnessing is like a two-sided coin. It can be toxic or beneficial to us. The Witnessing Project aims to help people flip the witnessing coin from the harmful to the healing side.
For a description of The Witnessing Project, see our web site at www.witnessingproject.org.

Action Methods and Video Feedback Interest Group

Members: Ildri L. Bie Ginn, MA, TEP; Richard H. (Rick) Lee, Ph.D.; Janet Meakin, MA, TEP; Jody Scheier, MSW, LICSW

Role reversal, doubling, enactment of desired futures and video feedback are long established as effective practices of therapy, consultation and conflict resolution. The practice of seeing interpersonal situations from multiple points of view enhances mutual respect, collaboration and social justice. This ongoing interest group at the Family Institute of Cambridge gathers people from a variety of professional backgrounds who share an interest in psychodrama, video feedback, sociometry and related action techniques. Sociometry offers insights into group structure based on exchanges of invitations into valued roles. Video feedback enhances the practice of seeing inter-personal situations from multiple points of view including those in which we see ourselves in interaction with others important to us.

We come together to pool our skills and resources to offer diverse groups opportunity to experience, practice, and benefit from consultation in the use of these techniques. These groups include, but are not limited to, the psychotherapy community, negotiation trainers and non-profit human service organizations. For more information please see http://actionmethods.org or send e-mail to actionmethods@pobox.com

Center for Women's Empowerment

The Center for Women's Empowerment, led by Claire Willis, LICSW, and Caroline Marvin, PhD., was formed in 1992, to provide both training and support for women who are exploring what it means to live from their fullest power, and cultivate their deepest unencumbered voice. They offer four core programs.

Training and Group Work:

Empowerment and Post Graduate Training Group: a nine month program designed for women who have a primary interest in coming more deeply into their own personal power and for therapists who are interested in learning a model of group work which is organic, self organizing and self empowering.
Long Term Lesbian Couples Group: 9 month bi-weekly groups to provide support in dealing with issues which are unique to lesbian coupling.

Yoga (Classes and Therapy)

Classes: Small weekly classes in asana, pranayama and meditation with emphasis on self awareness, mindfulness and embodiment.
Yoga Therapy: Using posture, breath, meditation and prayer, practices are created to suit the needs of the individual within the context of her life.

Psychotherapy:

Clinical Services exploring authenticity, empowerment and intimate relationships.

Retreats:

Women: Weekend retreats emphasizing yoga and group experience. Themes of creativity, embodiment, authenticity and empowerment are explored.
Lesbian Couples: weekend retreats for lesbian couples in which intimacy and the obstructions to intimacy are considered as the primary impetus for personal change.
Women and Cancer: Weekend retreats for women healing from cancer.

Theatre for Social Healing

Theatre for Social Healing uses improvisational games, exercises, and techniques drawn from Boal and Moreno style sociodrama. Workshops held monthly are open for any and all interested in expressing social concerns as well as gaining individual and community empowerment through drama and movement. This work may also be useful for people generating performance material around social issues. No experience in theater or the arts is necessary to participate; only a willingness to be present and a desire to explore change.

If you are interested in participating, please see our webpage at http://t4sh.org and send e-mail to t4sh@pobox.com.

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