Posted by Judy Weiser, Administrator I apologize for the delay in responding to your message but this past month has been extremely busy, with a lot of unexpected crises... I hope that by now, both Oliviero Rossi and also Carmine Parrella, have started communication with you (?) A third person I think would be EXTREMELY important to you is: Craig Steinberg, who already is doing many videotherapy groups with young people with various problems. You can find his name and many of his messages on this Discussion Group page and all of them mention video with youth. Also see his information on the "Who is Doing What, Where" page also: I think he is someone you definitely must also contact if you are doing something about the use of video with youth.... he is located in the U.S. Regarding the mix-up in your message on my Discussion Group, yes I thought this was the problem that happened to you. It's easy to make this mistake due to some messages having the same title in more than one place... As for being interested in "being involved" in your project, I can say that yes, I am interested to learn more about your Project, and -- possibly -- be involved, once I know more about it. In one of your messages you offered to translate into English, a summary of your goals and how you plan to accomplish them -- and yes I would like to know more about this. Please do not send the entire proposal -- just perhaps one or two pages explaining it, so that I can determine if I am interested to continue. Also please explain exactly what you would want from me -- just an interview or (??) Just a small word of caution here: I think it will be important for you to be very very clear about whether you are doing "VideoTherapy" (using video DURING therapy), or whether you are doing "Therapeutic Video" (using video-based activities AS the healing process itself). The difference is that the first requires that a therapist be leading the process (and taking care of any emotional issues that arise during this), while the second is done by people for themselves, AS ACTIVITIES that are self-initiated and there is no need for any therapist to be part of it (although sometimes they participate). one is therapy (done in the "intention" of formal therapy "framework"), while the second is a collection of activities that prove to be very helpful in assisting people to learn more about themselves (but they do not need a therapist, or formal therapy counselling sessions, for this to happen in). For a longer and deeper explanation and comparison about these differences, please see my webpage "Compared with Other Fields", at: which explains the exact parallel between "PhotoTherapy" and "Therapeutic Photography" (and there is also a similar difference between "Art Therapy" / "Therapeutic Art") NOW: having told you this is a big difference, let me explain that the difference (the need to clarify which is which) is more important in some countries than others... And sometimes the boundary between them is blurred... This is more of a "continuum" between the two, and not so much "opposites". But it will be important theoretically, for your project to show that it understands this, and that it knows which kind(s) it is about. Next point: you say you are not therapists, and then you write: "make use of the video camera in self therapy (Gestalt Therapy)". I am curious to know more about what you are calling "self therapy" and also would appreciate if you could now explain to me how it is the same (in your opinion) as Gestalt Therapy??? re: "We hold PhotoTherapy Centre a milestone in our field and of course we would be delighted to involve you in this project", I will need to know a lot more about what you are planning, and how you would want to involve me. You need to know that the PhotoTherapy Centre is not funded (there are no financial grants supporting it), and therefore that I do not have a regular income other than what I earn from Consulting and Training. What this means is: I do not get any monthly "salary" that permits me to donate large amounts of time for free. I occasionally help people for short discussions of less than an hour, from time to time, but if you mean something more time-consuming than this, then we have to figure out a) do I want to be part of this (i.e. tell me more information) and b) can I afford to be part of this (how much time do you think my involvement would require). Once I know more about these two answers, I am better prepared to given you an answer about whether or not I might want to be involved. So yes I thank you for your offer to "start translating into English the presentation we have submitted and send it to you to your email address" But just the summary of the plans please -- I do not have time to read an entire document of many pages!! I want to be clear here that I am not saying "no" -- I am just being honest about all the many things I am involved in, and how I must make choices because I cannot do everything I want to, regardless of how much it interests me!! One thing you might want to know about (this is not fully public yet, but Carmine Parrella will always be able to give you the current information): in June of next year (2008) there will be an "International Symposium on PhotoTherapy and Therapeutic Photography", in Finland. There is not (yet?) any Section of this about VideoTherapy but perhaps there can be some interest if you make a proposal to share your information. And, even if you do not make a presentation there, I think it would be very valuable for you and your husband to attend that conference, in order to meet all the "major people" in the field of PhotoTherapy (many of whom also do VideoTherapy, although I think I am the only one who has ever formally taught it!). AND, if your husband is a documentary filmmaker, perhaps this international gathering is something that he would himself want to make a film about?? It will be the first time in over twenty years that all the pioneers (and "next generation" practitioners) will ALL be in the same place at the same time... and unlike other professions where there is big ego and people arguing about "who did what first", the people involved in PhotoTherapy are more like a large family and are very much looking forward to being together again. The conference will be three days but there are also two or three days of "pre-conference" intensive workshops preceding it.. Are you aware that there are several books (beginning in the 1960's) and many articles about Video-in-Therapy (and some also about "Video-as-Therapy" (the second kind mentioned above)?? If you have not already done this, please now go to the "recommended readings" list of my website and you will find a list (it is the third list of readings there). **** MORE IMPORTANTLY: Please go see the "Related Links" page of my website: And pay special attention to the website "PhotoVoice" (which has projects all over the world). Before you begin to activate your project it would be useful for you to know about all these other ones, because even if those are primarily using photography, some are also using videography and also, even if they do not use videography, the concepts and processes are often very similar. All these other projects does not mean you have no reason to continue with your own ideas, but rather can mean that perhaps the sharing of ideas will be good for all involved. This is why I do not always have a lot of time for writing lengthy messages -- so perhaps in the future if you wish more discussion, you could arrange an appointment time to speak with me on the phone (or via "SkypeChat" -- see www.skype.com -- it works in Italy). Best regards, and once you are more clear about what you would want me to actually DO in your project, please tell me more information. Judy
Link: Recommended Readings in VideoTherapy (and Therapeutic Videography)
on 4/15/2007, 10:31 am, in reply to "Re: new email address for Carmine Parrella (message above)"
207.216.241.253
Hello Chiara,
http://www.phototherapy-centre.com/widww.htm
http://www.phototherapy-centre.com/comparisons.htm
http://www.phototherapy-centre.com/links.htm
and read the section that begins 'Sites re: Therapeutic Photography" a few paragraphs down the page from the top. There are over 35 different websites about projects that give people voice and power by having THEM tell their own stories themselves, using photographic images to do so.
I think this is all the information I needed you to have. This typing, now, has already consumed 30 minutes of my time.