Uploaded: December 2016, Issue 30
 

Peter Lang

Co Principal Kensington Consultation Centre (1994)

Elspeth McAdam

Child and Family Psychiatrist and systemic therapist, elspethmcadam@doctors.net.uk

Abstract

In a recent workshop the authors invited the participants to observe, in silence,what happened in the room for the next five to ten minutes. We, the authors, then proceeded to wander around the room, giving each other glances of various sorts,bending down, looking intently at something imagined on the floor, simulating picking up something precious, examining it, throwing it to each other, gazing out of the window. None of the details was prearranged. We felt our way, following and leading each other in a series of mimed gestures. We had no particular story which we were enacting, as one might in the game of charades. We simply moved. After some minutes we ended this miming play. We then proceeded to invite the workshop participants, in small groups, to create their stories of their observations of what had occurred in the room.