1. Historical background

Rooted in two main schools the history of Hungarian psychodrama  goes back to more than 40 years. In the early 70s it was Ferenc Mérei, the famous Hungarian social and clinical  psychologist who initiated psychodrama  (based on Moreno but also relying on his own creativity) in clinical psychology and psychiatry. His drama was group-centered. He and his students established the first official Psychodrama Working Group in the framework of the Hungarian Psychological Association in 1975.  The original protagonist-centered psychodrama first came to Hungary in 1981 with the mediation and in the framework of Moreno Institut Überlingen (Germany) by trainers Eszter Bánffy and  Ildikó  Mävers. For the students of Mérei and others an additional course of protagonist-centered psychodrama training was provided by Judith Teszáry, Sweden (the professional leader of the PERFORMERS project). The Hungarian Psychodrama Association was established through the collaboration of the two “schools” almost 30 years ago, in 1989.

 

2. Institutional status and structure of the organization

Hungarian Psychodrama Association is a professionally recognized national-level VET (Vocational Education and Training) organization. The main goals of the association are the representation of psychodrama in Hungary, assuring its working conditions, promoting training programs, and facilitating international contacts. MPE is the only organization in Hungary providing psychodrama and psychodrama training. It works at the level of medical and psychological education as a method-specific training center. Its certifications are accepted in the Hungarian psychotherapeutic vocational education. where MPE is an accredited organization.

The MPE is a non-profit organization. The minimum degree for the ordinary membership is the "psychodrama assistant" qualification. The leaders of the organization are elected every 3 years. A board of 10 members governs the organization including the president: Gábor Baják and vice-president: Béla Fedor (leader of the PERFORMERS project). The most determining committee is the training committee with 7 senior trainers (lead by Gábor Pintér, official supervisor of local trainings in Hungary of the PERFORMERS project). Members of the association are forming different working groups, like Psychodrama for Children wg., Clinical wg., Research wg., Monodrama wg,  Sociodrama wg.  Sociodrama is officially present in the work of the organization at this level.

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4.  International relations

The Hungarian Association is member of the IAGP (International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes  - founded by Moreno in 1954) and also one of the founder members of FEPTO (The Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organizations  -  founded by, European psychodramatists  in 1993). Besides these international memberships MPE has its accreditation as a European psychotherapy training center by EAPTI - European Association for Psychotherapy Training Institutions.

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5. Sociodrama in Hungary

Mérei’s tradition

Mérei’s group centered psychodrama is very close to sociodrama experience although their connection is not yet explored and describing this connection still remains an important mission for Hungarian dramatists. Mérei’s basic methodological concepts, like his idea about the common topic of the group, his techniques to reveal it and playing with it in a fictional framework can be easily related to some forms of sociodrama.

 

Morenian sociodrama initiatives

For decades the Morenian sociodrama was present only occasionally in the professional work of some dedicated psychodrama leader who included sociodrama techniques as part of their training and organized method specific workshops. MPE has also invited acknowledged psycho- and sociodramatists from abroad regularly to improve the methodological skills of Hungarian experts. A few sociodramatic events to mention from last years’ programs: 2012: Dr. Jörg Burmeister’s sociodramatic workshop entitled Creation from crises; 2014: Chantal Neve Hanquet and Bernard Robinson ’s sociodrama, entitled Do we belong to the same country?

In 2010 a sociodrama working group was founded in the association by Veronika Kökény. This working group organized a long series workshops to explore and present different forms of sociodrama.  Over the last years, with the financial support of the EEA/Norway Grants NGO Fund the Sociodrama Working Group organized training courses for Hungarian nonprofit organizations. This work is documented on the  http://enazohelyukben.blogspot.hu/ webpage.

The working group regularly organizes public events professional workshops and performance-like public sociodrama happenings about for example social disadvantages (2015) and migration (2016).

 

For more information please visit our homepage: www.pszichodrama.hu