Re: Photo Therapy in Germany

Posted by Judy Weiser, R.Psych., A.T.R. on 6/9/2011, 8:18 pm, in reply to "Photo Therapy in Germany"

IMPORTANT: The original message that this reply is in response to, was originally posted on May 8, as a reply under a thread about a completely different topic. Since this topic (about PhotoTherapy in Germany is a "new" one -- and of importance, I think -- I (as manager of this Discussion Group) have chosen to move it "up" to the top of the page as if it is a new message -- and having now explained this reason for its "re-location" I provide below my very long and detailed response (written several weeks later, sorry!). -- Judy Weiser, Group Administrator ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Carina, I know we have been corresponding privately, and that you will now be coming to my 3-day Training Workshop in Italy in September - but I just realized that I did not ever respond to your message on this Discussion Group -- and I apologize for forgetting to do that!! You are at the beginning of all your discoveries and searches, and so finding others in your country might appear impossible at first.. But I have surprising (and good!) news for you: some of the earliest practitioners and authors about both PhotoTherapy AND Therapeutic Photography (and also for VideoTherapy they are nearly the very earliest!), live(d) in Germany!! Not all the people "name" it by those titles (and rarely will they refer to themselves as a "phototherapist"** (see more about this word below) -- but all of them have been very actively using photo-based therapy methods in many different ways... Some people have even been visitors to do research at my Centre and then returned. Some were students at the time and there was a funny "accident' many years ago of two students writing me from the same University, asking about PhotoTherapy, but they did not know each other (until I introduced them!) Also there have been several student Theses written in German! ! Go now to the "Theses and Dissertations" page of my website and do a page search for the word "Germany" and you will find one from 2003 by Ivona Durovic ( Fachhochschule Ottersberg, Bremen): Photography in therapy (I don't have the German title, sorry)... and one from 2002 by Tanja Tummeley (Hamburg University): Fotografie in beratung und therapie ["Photography in counseling and therapy"] [and another one by Ivona from 2002 that is a Class Paper (not a Thesis) from Ottersberg] -- simply named "Fototherapie" AND: If you go to the "Recommended Readings" page of my website, you will find these books (in German): Schafiyha, L. (1997). Fotopädagogik und Fototherapie. Theorie, Methoden, Praxisbeispiele (Photo Pedagogy and PhotoTherapy: Theory, Methods, and Practice"). Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Verlag. Schuster, M. (1996). Fotopsychologie: Lächeln für die ewigkeit ("Photo-psychology: Smile for eternity"). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. AND more re: Therapeutic Photography: There is also this one (look how long ago this work was done!) by Karen Güenther-Thoma (who lives in Frankfurt) even presented about her work at the very first PhotoTherapy Conference in 1979!!: Güenther-Thoma, K. & Katz, H. (1986). Fotografie hinter gittern ["Photography behind bars"]. Frankfurt: Dezernat Schule und Bildung. And also: In the field of VideoTherapy there was, beginning in the 1980's, a Journal called "Video-Informationen" (I know because they published a translation of mine in 1986 and that was in their 9th issue!). There is (was?) a Professor/Doctor(?) named Peter Hartwick, who I believe has published a LOT on this topic... Perhaps you can find him... ** Next, about the term "Photo Therapist" -- most of us do not like this word, as it seems very restrictive (a word that ends in "ist" means that is who the person is -- that what they do is all encompassed by that word; for example, "dentist" ONLY does work about teeth.... So regarding the use of PhotoTherapy techniques by therapists, art therapists, psychologists, family therapists -- as well as by activity workers, photographers, etc... -- indicates a very limited collection of techniques used to help people.... Since most people who use these techniques professionally, in an intentional therapeutic framework of application, are mental health professionals who have learned a wide range of "helping techniques", to name them as "Photo Therapists" means that this would be the only thing they do all the time with all their clients... And not even I myself do that!!! With some clients use one technique and with others, all of them -- and with the occasional rare one, NONE AT ALL! The goal is therapeutic change and I will use ALL the techniques I am trained to use, in order to help them -- yes, certainly PhotoTherapy techniques -- but also, for example, clinical hypnosis, gestalt work, family "sculpting" work, art therapy (I am both a psychologist AND art therapist), sometimes journaling, sometimes dreamwork review -- i.e., what, in my own professional opinion, would best help the person... ALL THIS TO SAY: I, and many other therapists using PhotoTherapy Techniques, find the word "Phototherapist' very very limiting -- as well as often mis-used by photographers and activity workers who are not therapists at all!! So, lastly, re: your asking: "If you know anything about Photo Therapy in Germany please let me know", I hope this gives you some answers!! Feel free to write again if you have more questions, and I very much look forward to meeting you in September! Judy