Game developer Christian Telesmar, creator of 'Disparity Trap', joins Amy, Kevin, and Don Griffin, Jr. in a crossover episode with "My Racist Friend" to discuss Christian's board game about the game of real life. Christian explains the origins of the game, and Amy highlights two new RCT concepts: Desire for More and Strategies of Disconnection.

Christian Telesmar will provide the keynote presentation on Friday, September 6 as part of the upcoming 2024 Relational Summit on Playful Connection. Don will be on a panel playing Disparity Trap during that session.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

Disparity Trap board game

"Disparity Trap Board Game" (Kickstarter video)

Share the Flame consulting

My Racist Friend (podcast)

2024 Relational Summit

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Christian Telesmar attended college at the University of Washington (UW) with the intent of pursuing medical school but fell in love with theatre and knew that’s where he was meant to be. After graduating from the University of Washington’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Acting program, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he resides today. His performance work includes appearances on FOX’s Bones, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and The Young and the Restless. While in Los Angeles, Christian earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Purdue University Global and holds a Qualified Administrator license for the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI) from IDI, LLC. He is excited to be fusing his many passions, combining his love of art, business, and education in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion space with his board game, Disparity Trap.

Donald Griffin Jr. is a Bloomington native, former Deputy Mayor for Bloomington, and a real estate broker, proudly serving his community for the past three decades. Since opening Griffin Realty in 2003, Don's dedication to excellence has helped to guide his company to be among the top producers in Indiana with nearly a half billion in individual lifetime sales.

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

Jonathan H. Liu, a writer for the GeekDad blog and board game enthusiast, joins Amy and Kevin for a discussion of considerations when starting, playing, and ending a gaming session. We revisit some of the How to Play guidelines gleaned from an interview a decade ago. Jonathan will join us again on Friday, September 6 for a panel discussion on play as part of the upcoming Relational Summit on Playful Connection.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

Play and Connection (BCC)

The Ultimate Session Zero Checklist (Level 1 Geek)

OT: Alternate Candyland Rules (Baby Center)

X Card by John Stavropoulos (Google Doc) 

What’s unsettling about Catan: How board games uphold colonial narratives (The Conversation)

The Cultural Background of Ticket to Ride Legacy, pt. 2 - Native Erasure (BoardGame Geek)

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

In this conversation, Amy and Kevin explore the benefits of remembering and recalling connecting moments in past play, by intentionally cultivating a repository of positive relational moments.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

"Dave's Mad Monkey Tea Party" (video)

"Wired to Connect" (book)

"Frederick" (book)

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

In this conversation, Amy and Kevin explore playful ways to healthy conflict, identifying the conditions for tension and how play can help keep us engaged with others long enough to help us move to new understanding together.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

Positive Discipline

Playful Parenting

"Let the Playing Commence: A tribute to Bev Boy" (article)

Know Your Memes: Defeat Tom Nook

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

In this conversation, Megan Clendening joins Amy and Kevin to recap the latest session of the Relational Cadre with a follow-up discussion of the importance of open spaces for making mistakes, embracing uncertainty, and the transformative power of metaphors that can help us view the world differently.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

"A Personal Reflection: The Power of Code Switching" (blog post}

"Darmok, under 8 minutes" (YouTube)

"Extremely Stupid - Saturday Night Live" (YouTube)

Dr. Amy Banks

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Megan Clending is an educator and principal of Walter L. Newberry

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

In this conversation, Amy and Kevin preview the next session of the Relational Cadre with a discussion of metaphors, memes, and the need to understand each other in order to invite each other into a playful space.

Some resources mentioned in this episode:

"The Selfish Gene" (Wikipedia)

Empire Carpets commercial (YouTube)

Kilroy Was Here (Wikipedia)

Yes Yes No segments (ReplyAll podcast)

"Darmok, under 8 minutes" (YouTube)

Therapy Metaphors (PDF)

"Harriet interviews RCT scholar Maureen Walker, discussing race, power, & RCT" (website)

"Loss" - Know Your Meme (website)

"Comedy is Tragedy Plus Time" (video)

When Getting Along Is Not Enough (website)

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking 

In a conversation taking place after the second Relational Cadre session of 2024, Amy and Kevin reflect on the discussions and playful activity of the group around the topic of Imagining Together, part of the year-long focus on Playful Connections. They talk about some insights and questions that arose from the session, and try to connect play to serious benefits in other areas of life.

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking

In advance of the second Relational Cadre session, Amy and Kevin dive into another topic in the Playful Connections theme for 2024 ... Imagining Together. 

When we imagine together, we have to hold two things in our heads at once: Play is purposeless, and the purpose of play is to connect. Play can use accessible activities like improv, storytelling, and role playing to help us link our imaginations with the possibility for co-creating connection. We can hold a space together where we can be vulnerable with each other and seek mutuality as we try new things, changing each other through our play.

Fostering collaboration and empathy is a team activity, and curiosity is essential. No previous experience or skills are required to imagine; just a willingness to play with someone.

Some resources on this topic include:

Laughing your way to better parenting through playful parenting (article)

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory that started with Jean Baker Miller, and grew through collaboration and connection in places like the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the idea that people grow through and towards relationships, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create. Culture often creates challenges to connection through inequity and hierarchies.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking

Amy and Kevin dive into the first topic in the Playful Connections theme for 2024 ... Worldbuilding: Co-creating Context. 

We use worldbuilding to connect in many ways, from our pretend play as kids or adults to conversations with friends in which we imagine our futures together and apart. Worldbuilding is a symbolic creation for healing and growth.

The scope and process of constructing an imaginary world varies greatly and often includes consideration of how we might be impacted by geographies, lore, sociopolitical structures, cultures, and technology. It's a fundamental aspect of many creative endeavors such as literature, film, video games, and tabletop role-playing games. It is also a crucial part of play that allows people to co-create imaginary and possible worlds together. 

Some resources on this topic include:

Imaginary Worlds (podcast)

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking

Amy and Kevin introduce the theme for the 2024 Relational Cadre and Summit hosted by the Bloomington Center For Connection. Playful Connections is an examination of play as a creative process of transformative connection. Play includes engaging in activities out of curiosity, and helps us develop clarity about ourselves and others and build stronger, more authentic relationships. It's a key component of growth, resiliency, and joy.

This episode reflects on some of the ideas that came from the first Cadre session in January 2024.

"The Fun Habit" by Mike Rucker

"Wired to Connect" by Amy Banks

"Connected Teaching" by Harriet Schwartz

Register for the 2024 Relational Cadre 

Cadre is a podcast that explores concepts from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), a psychological theory developed by Jean Baker Miller and her colleagues at the Stone Center at Wellesley College. RCT is built on the premise that, throughout our lifespans, human beings grow through and toward connection, and that those relationships shape and are shaped by the cultures we co-create.

Each year, the Bloomington Center for Connection selects a guiding theme for monthly small-group discussions of RCT concepts. 

Amy Makice is the founder of Bloomington Center for Connection and a licensed psychotherapist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy offers individual therapy and parent support for people in the Bloomington area, workshops for parents and caregivers, and training on Relational Cultural theory.

Kevin Makice is a user experience designer and enthusiastic gamer who has been steeping in RCT for three decades.

Theme music created by Vlad Gluschenko ("Positive Thinking" and "Serpantine") and downloaded from Soundcloud through Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

https://soundcloud.com/vgl9/positive-thinking