On June 3, 2010 The Usual Suspects, a group of professional therapists and part-time musicians from England, Bermuda, and the USA will play for the 10th Biennial Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy.

It will be an international group of professionals, psychologists, psychotherapists, and organisational consultants.

On a Thursday night they will gather in a room at the Hilton in Philadelphia, and, with no rehearsals, they will play for a bunch of people who just want to kick up their heels and have some fun.

So, the trick will be to keep a beat, play on key, and just don't stop. The members of The Usual Suspects are e-mailing song lists and figuring out the sets they expect to play.

When they played for the very first time in Manchester, England, in 2007, someone unexpected showed up with his sax and sat in. That was a sweet sound, so they're keeping themselves open and available for a repeat of that experience. I will be part of the group again in Philadelphia, and I expect to play some kind of borrowed guitar.

I'll pack my foot pedal effects processor, and that's it. We're looking to use other people's equipment, sound system, and so forth.

It will be a miracle however this comes off. It will be important to remember that humour is an essential part of life.

I keep thinking back to when I road managed a rock band in the late '70s, and we averaged 25 shows a week. Perspective is a great thing.

At least I will not have to manage the ticket sales and keep track of the stage crew. All we have to do is show up, plug in, and see what happens.

So, I came up with my play list:

'Redneck Friend' by Jackson Browne

'Cinnamon Girl' by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

'Mustang Sally' by Buddy Guy

'Hungry Heart' by Bruce Springsteen

'All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You' by Heart

'Shock the Monkey' by Peter Gabriel

'Johnny B. Goode' by Chuck Berry

'Why Can't This Be Love' by Van Halen

'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley

'Let It Be' by the Beatles

'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' by Bob Dylan

Now, if you were going to play in a band, and it was going to be a mix between air guitar and karaoke, what songs would you pick?

What kind of music would you want to be playing? Keep this in mind: to play in such a situation is an experience somewhere between sheer terror and uninhibited delight.

I once played in a band in which the lead guitarist, a person I had complete confidence in until the moment we stepped out in front of the audience and he turned his back on them and broke out in hives from head to foot.

When the music is working, however, when the music takes off, you lose yourself in it. Then, the music is a ride, and you don't want it to stop. I'm hoping for the ride instead of the hives in Philadelphia. What has all this got to do with psychology or faith?

Frankly, I cannot think of anything more demanding of flexibility and trust than purposefully planning on meeting up with a bunch of guys all coming from different parts of the world, hoping to find instruments and sound equipment waiting for them that belongs to none of them, and then standing up in front of other people to see if a 'happening' might occur in which everyone can become less self-conscious, more spontaneous and exuberant, and in which all might begin to have fun.

It's a positive thing and related to one's psychological health.

According to the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania 'Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive'. The Positive Psychology Center promotes research, training, education, and the dissemination of Positive Psychology.

This field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Positive Psychology has three central concerns: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions. Understanding positive emotions entails the study of contentment with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future. Understanding positive individual traits consists of the study of the strengths and virtues, such as the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion, resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, moderation, self-control, and wisdom.

Understanding positive institutions entails the study of the strengths that foster better communities, such as justice, responsibility, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, purpose and tolerance.

What we, The Usual Suspects, will be doing is conducting an experiment in positive psychology. We will be attempting to play. How do gestalt therapists respond when the need is for play and spontaneity, improvisation, creativity, self-control, courage, and even compassion? What kind of faith is called for in such planned chaos?

I remember what it was like in Manchester in 2007. I expect that things will not go according to plan, and people will have to let go of what they thought 'it' was supposed to be in order to be able to take hold of how 'it' will actually be turning out. The need, as in many aspects of life, will be to plug in, keep the beat, and just don't stop.