Psychodrama group

Dear fellow forum members!

I am writing to inform you all that a colleague and I will soon be launching a new experiential psychodrama therapy group in Washington, D.C.
These psychodrama groups are highly recommended for anyone looking to engage in deep self-work and explore their own psychological processes. This applies regardless of age, gender, profession, or educational background; however, it is particularly suited for individuals who possess the capacity for self-observation, emotional responsiveness, and a strong sense of empathy.

For further details, please feel free to reach out via example@gmail.com or jagaric@yahoo.com

What exactly is psychodrama? It is an action-oriented form of group psychotherapy where life situations or an individual's inner world are staged on a "set" with the help of group members and leaders, played out exactly as that person experiences them. In this way, we don't just rely on mere words; through body language, movement, and the physical distance between characters, we explore human relationships and achieve deeper self-awareness. Through this staged enactment, the protagonist can perform or complete things they couldn't, didn't know how to, or perhaps weren't allowed to do in real life—thereby uncovering their own limitations and learning how to express thoughts and feelings freely through behavior. In psychodrama, anything is possible: you can step into the role of a professor, a mother, or even God; you can speak with those who have passed away, love someone or something that is otherwise forbidden, or travel into worlds born of pure imagination. We explore the "what ifs," encounters with those who are no longer present, projections of the future, and entirely different perspectives on the past and the present.

......... A surrealist poem
Eye to eye
Face to face
And when you are near
I will tear out your eyes
And place them instead of mine
And you will tear out my eyes
And place them instead of yours
Then I will look at you
With your eyes
And you will look at me
With mine.........

Jacob Levi Moreno, creator of psychodrama

Could you guys walk us through how you’re planning to organize the 😕? I honestly think it would be much easier if you shared all those details right here in one go, rather than having to reply to everyone individually.

Thank you for your suggestion.
In my experience, experiential therapy groups can
bring together individuals from all walks of life—regardless of age, profession, or personal beliefs. This diversity is precisely what allows for exposure to a vast spectrum of experiences, which in turn broadens our
capacity to understand one another and build healthier relationships across generations. Therefore, the primary criterion for forming our groups is an individual's genuine desire for self-improvement and personal growth, provided there is an absence of clinical or psychiatric diagnoses involving severe mental health disorders.

The group will meet once a week for two hours in the evening at
an association's facility located in downtown Washington, D.C.
The exact schedule will be determined later in coordination with all
group members, following the completion of
preliminary interviews with all potential
participants over the next 15 days.

If you have any questions, or if you decide to participate (with no obligation to join the full therapeutic group) in the introductory workshop, where you can see exactly how this process works and determine if it resonates with you, please feel free to contact me via email at: example@gmail.com so that I may
schedule an introductory meeting for us. There is no charge for the introductory workshop.🙂
I hope I have managed to address at least some of your questions; please do not hesitate to ask if I have overlooked anything.
Best regards,
Rosa Luxemburg

Introduction to Psychodrama🤔
It sounds pretty interesting, though I’m still trying to wrap my head around the specifics... who exactly is this designed for? Does anyone here have actual experience with it? Any reviews or critiques... maybe a bit of honest feedback?
Thanks 🙂

Lisa Martinez3 said:Introduction to Psychodrama🤔
It sounds pretty interesting, though I’m still trying to wrap my head around the specifics... who exactly is this designed for? Does anyone here have actual experience with it? Any reviews or critiques... maybe a bit of honest feedback?
Thanks 🙂

I've heard bits and pieces about it—one group ran an experimental session once and the results were honestly incredible. If someone runs a solid session, I’d definitely be down to jump in.

Registration stays open until October 14th 😉
I was wondering what kind of issues people typically bring to the table there... if you happen to know which specific cases come up most often...
I'm genuinely curious...

Lisa Martinez3 said:Registration stays open until October 14th 😉
I was wondering what kind of issues people typically bring to the table there... if you happen to know which specific cases come up most often...
I'm genuinely curious...

I used to go to this youth group at the new hospital where most kids were struggling with depression. It was every Wednesday, except during the summer break.

Since we have successfully finalized all the arrangements and logistics for our introductory workshop, I am pleased to bring you the latest updates:

*The scheduled workshop will take place on October 17, 2007, at 7:00 PM;
Location: You will be notified upon registration.

*This will be an exceptional opportunity to become acquainted with psychodrama: an interactive, action-oriented approach to psychotherapy.👍

Please note: While the workshop is free of charge, space is limited, so advanced registration is required.

Workshop Facilitators:
Rosa Luxemburg – psychodrama co-therapist
Sanja Jagarić Nola – psychodrama co-therapist; members of the American Society of Psychodrama and Sociometry

Our psychodrama experiential therapy groups are recommended for anyone looking to work on themselves and their own psychological processes—regardless of age, gender, profession, or educational background. This is especially beneficial for those who wish to:
increase their spontaneity
release anxiety
let go of depression, low moods, worries, or guilt...
enhance their positive potential and address negative patterns
gain a deeper understanding of themselves through contact with others, thereby reducing the likelihood of interpersonal, professional, and personal misunderstandings
improve their ability to observe their own issues and react emotionally in an appropriate manner, while also increasing their capacity for empathy
IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE

No prior acting experience, therapeutic training, or theoretical knowledge is necessary to participate in psychodrama, as its techniques are rooted in "here and now" spontaneity.

Psychodrama is an action-based form of group psychotherapy where life situations or an individual's inner world are enacted on stage with the assistance of group members and leaders, reflecting how that individual experiences them. In this way, participants explore human relationships and self-awareness not just through words, but through body language, movement, and the physical distance between characters. This staged enactment allows the protagonist to perform or complete what they could not, did not know how to, or perhaps were not allowed to do in real life, thereby uncovering their own limitations and learning how to express thoughts and feelings freely through their behavior.

For registrations and further information, please contact:
Rosa Luxemburg, example@gmail.com or
Sanja Jagarić Nola, jagaric@yahoo.com
psihodrama.blog.hr and soon at www.psihodrama.org

Best regards!!

A colleague and I are hosting an introductory workshop this Wednesday (10/17/2007), offering you a firsthand experience of what 👍 is all about. The session is free of charge, though we do have to limit the number of participants. Best regards.

To register, please email: example@example.com
EDIT MS: Please refrain from posting email addresses directly in the threads. It goes against our community guidelines.
For any coordination or further details, please utilize Private Messages.
If you would like to sign up for the workshop, simply send a private message to the original poster.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Mad Scientist

Following the successful completion of our Introduction to Psychodrama workshop, we are delighted to 😉 announce the official launch of our experiential therapy group.
Group sessions will be held every Wednesday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Psychological Center.
Our inaugural session is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7th, 2007.

A few spots are still available for those interested. For registration or further details, please reach out via email at:
example@gmail.com or jagaric@yagoo.com

Best regards!!

Open psychodrama workshop titled Psychodrama meeting is happening this Saturday, May 9th, at the Youth Center from 9 AM to 2 PM. Come through and learn how to actually express yourself in a crowd!

So, what is psychodrama? It’s basically action-based psychotherapy where you act out real-life situations on a "stage" with help from a therapist and the rest of the group. Instead of just sitting there talking, we use stage expression, drama techniques, group dynamics, and sociometry to get things moving.

The whole vibe is based on the "here and now." We aren't interested in just rehashing old stories or talking about stuff that happened "back then" somewhere else. We play it out right here, right now, to actually relive those moments, refresh the experience, and face those heavy feelings from the past situations that actually mattered.

Acting things out lets the protagonist perform—or finally finish—what they couldn't, didn't know how to, or maybe weren't allowed to do in real life. It’s a way to see your own limits and figure out how to stop bottling things up and start acting on your thoughts and feelings. And don't worry, you don't need to be an actor or have some fancy degree to join; the whole thing is built on being spontaneous.

Psychodrama helps you beef up your personal capacity, fix up your relationships, level up your communication, and finally learn how to say what you want and feel when you're around others.

It helps us learn how to stand up for ourselves, handle life's messiness better, ditch the feelings that hold us back, and just... be more spontaneous and creative.

This workshop is open to any adult who wants to work on themselves and unlock their potential, regardless of age, gender, job, or how much schooling you have.

Want the lowdown on the psychodrama workshop?
Just hit me up via private message
Thanks.

Think you guys might find this interesting

Psychodrama Basics

Psychodrama is a psychotherapy method that hit the scene back in the 1920s. The guy who founded both psychodrama and sociometry—basically the godfather of group therapy—was
Jacob Levy Moreno.

Here’s how psychodrama is defined:

"A psychotherapeutic method where clients are encouraged to carry out and complete their actions through dramatization, role-playing, and dramatic self-presentation. It uses both verbal and nonverbal communication. Various scenes are played out—describing, say, memories of past events, unfinished business, internal dramas, fantasies, dreams, or even rehearsing for future high-stakes situations. These scenes happen right here, right now, and they’re either close to real-life situations or an externalization of internal mental processes. If needed, other group members can step into roles or even inanimate objects can be used. A bunch of techniques come into play, like role reversal, doubling, mirroring, concretization, amplification, and monologue. Usually, you'll see these stages: warm-up, action, (working through, closing), and sharing (feedback)."

Elements and Session Flow

The psychodramatic process happens within a group. The group is huge because it provides that supportive vibe members need to actually open up and work on their stuff. Plus, the group acts as a field where different interpersonal relationships play out, letting people identify and understand how they relate to others in real life. It's also a space to build new, high-quality, authentic connections.
The ground rules for working with a group are pretty simple: discretion, confidentiality, and being well-intentioned toward yourself and everyone else in the process.

Phases of Psychodrama

A psychodramatic session breaks down into three phases.
First is the warm-up. Second is the psychodramatic action itself. Third is the sharing phase, aka the "sharing."
The golden rule in psychodrama? Don't just talk about it—show me!
During the psychodramatic action, the protagonist reenacts a specific scene from their life. They aren't just retelling a story; they are actually stepping back into the moment as if it were happening in real-time. This lets the protagonist make their full, authentic experiences, thoughts, feelings, and reactions available for real work. You get raw material that hits the core of the conflict, which is incredibly valuable for working through and resolving things.

So, what makes psychodrama better than other schools or approaches?

Most psychotherapeutic schools rely solely on verbal interaction between the client and the therapist. They just sit across from each other and talk. Psychodrama is way more dynamic and alive; it puts a massive emphasis on nonverbal behavior. Sure, talking can lead to significant insights, but the process of getting to the heart of the problem is much faster in psychodrama because it’s built on action. A protagonist might not be able to put their inner world into words, but their body is in direct contact with those preconscious or even unconscious psychological processes.
Compared to individual therapy, psychodrama enriches the therapeutic process since more people are involved. The mix of personalities and the variety of issues brought up gives a much more realistic picture of actual life, making the whole thing more interesting and high-energy. There's also this "normalization effect"—every member gets a chance to feel that sense of relief. You can learn a ton from the other group members, and honestly, it feels great knowing you helped someone out just by being empathetic and participating in their psychodrama.

SO, WHAT'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PSYCHODRAMA AND THE THEATER?

Psychodrama is basically this type of psychotherapy where you use stage elements to work through stuff with clients. A ton of the terminology used in psychodrama actually comes straight from the theater world. But look, you’ve gotta draw a hard line between psychodrama and actual theater. Even if a psychodramatic session looks like a play, it’s nothing like one. Just because someone takes on a role on the psychodrama stage doesn't mean they're acting. It isn't a performance. It's just raw, personal work being done by one group member who decided to step up as the protagonist that day.

Telos Psychodrama Center

Organizing an experiential psychology workshop titled...

"Psychodrama and Creativity"

At this workshop, you'll have the chance to tap into your creativity, spontaneity, and imagination. Through our "Psychodrama and Creativity" session, you’re going to pick up some fresh insights into psychodramatic psychotherapy and various other expressive techniques—all while doing some personal work on the topics that actually matter to you.

Psychodrama is essentially a group psychotherapy method centered on action. Instead of just sitting around talking, the therapeutic process relies heavily on stage expression, utilizing dramatic techniques and group dynamics to get things moving. The founder of this method, Jacob Levy Moreno, viewed psychodrama as a highly specific and unique way of both thinking and acting. It’s designed to explore a participant's psychological "truth," diving into everything from interpersonal relationships to their own private, lived experiences. If you want to dig deeper into psychodrama or see what the Telos Psychodrama Center has going on, you can find all the details on our website. www.telospsychodramacenter.com

What exactly do you get out of participating in this workshop?

You’ll pick up the fundamentals of psychodrama and learn how to actually apply its most effective tools—things like role-playing, role reversal, mirroring, doubling, and so on.
You’ll get hands-on experience with a wide range of creative and expressive techniques used in both workshop settings and psychotherapy. We're talking about methods built around various forms of artistic expression—everything from drawing and music to movement and physical improvisation.
You’ll finally have the space to just be who you actually are—or even explore the person you wish you were—without anyone sitting in judgment or passing a verdict on you.
You’re going to get a one-of-a-kind experience exploring the intersection of imagination and reality through psychodrama.
• .....

The workshop is set for Saturday, May 30th. We’ll kick things off at 10:00 AM over at the Youth Movement community center, located at 11 Youth Movement Way. The schedule is split into morning and afternoon sessions, with a quick break for lunch in between, wrapping everything up by 7:00 PM.
.
Everyone participating gets a certificate from the Telos Psychodrama Center.
The full-day workshop is going for $250.
Regular workshop attendees get a discount—it's only $20 per session for them!
Everyone's welcome to join in.
The workshop will be led by Ana Genc and Jana Damjanov, both of whom are certified psychodrama therapists.
If you’re looking to snag a spot in our "Psychodrama and Creativity" workshop, just shoot over the completed registration form (attached here) to our email address.
psychodrama@TelosPsychodramaCenter.com
Or just give us a call at one of these numbers:
Jana
Jana
Registration is open until May 28th. Space is limited, so you might want to move fast if you actually want in.
Everyone who signs up will get a confirmation sent straight to their inbox.
Ana Genc holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and carries national certification in psychotherapy, along with specialized training from the Institute for Psychodrama. She currently serves as an assistant within the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. Beyond her academic role, she helps facilitate various mental health courses. Her training is quite diverse—covering Transactional Analysis and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy during her graduate studies, supplemented by foundational coursework in EMDR and somatic psychodrama. Alongside Jana Damjanov, she has organized numerous psychodramatic sessions and led the very first experiential therapeutic psychodrama groups in the area. When she isn't practicing psychotherapy, she stays busy with scientific research. Her primary interests include group therapy, grief and loss, stress management, and positive psychology.
Jana Damjanov is a licensed psychologist currently finishing her Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She holds a national psychotherapy certification along with a specialized psychoanalytic certificate from the Institute for Psychodrama. Her training is quite diverse—she’s been educated in Transactional Analysis and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through her graduate studies, and she has also completed introductory courses in EMDR, somatic psychodrama, and art therapy. In her private practice, she focuses on individual and group psychotherapy, as well as psychological diagnostics. Working alongside Ana Genc, she has organized numerous psychodramatic workshops and co-led the very first experiential psychodrama groups in the area. Beyond clinical work, she stays active in scientific research. Her specific areas of interest include health psychology, working with terminally ill patients, psycho-oncology, supporting marginalized communities, and gender equality.
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT WORKSHOP
Coming this July to Chicago...
A one-of-a-kind experience: a two-day workshop focused on classical psychodramatic dream analysis.
The sessions will be led by Peter Hawworth, a renowned trainer from the British Psychodrama Association, a psychotherapist, and an educator with decades of clinical and training expertise under his belt.
Stay tuned—we'll be dropping more details about this workshop very soon!

New experiential-educational psychodrama group forming

Anyone can join—doesn't matter your age, gender, job, or what degree you're holding.

We’re looking at groups of 5 to 15 people. It’s a semi-open setup: if someone moves on, a new member steps in. We meet once a week or every two weeks for about 2 to 3 hours per session.

Forget just sitting around talking about your feelings, fears, or dreams. That's not this. In psychodrama, we actually act them out on an improvised stage with the help of the group and the leader.

It's for anyone wanting to dig deep, explore themselves, and fix their relationships with others. Just know that joining means committing to showing up, keeping things confidential, and being decent to one another.

Seriously, we don't just sit there venting about our problems or emotions. We play them out. We show them through action, reliving them or seeing them for the first time. Moreno believed that physical movement and the actual space between people on stage tells you way more about human struggle than just talking ever could.

During a psychodramatic session, whatever is going on inside a person's head gets played out on stage like a real drama. While that's happening, the rest of the group is basically watching a movie of that person's internal dead ends and breakthroughs playing out right in front of them.

The leader is called the "director," and the person working through their stuff on the improvised "stage" is the "protagonist." The rest of the group sits facing the stage like an audience, but unlike a theater crowd, they aren't passive. They jump in whenever the protagonist picks them to play an "auxiliary ego"—which could be someone important from their life, a fictional character, or even an object that matters to them.

The core technique—which even Gestalt and integrative therapists borrowed—is role reversal. You step into someone else's shoes to actually see yourself. Seeing yourself through someone else's eyes is how you get to that real understanding and finally deal with those painful, stuck processes.

Every session follows a pattern: first, there's "warm-up"—exercises and games to get everyone ready and pick the protagonist. Then comes the heavy lifting, the drama itself, lasting about an hour and a half. Finally, we have "sharing." Everyone sits in a circle and shares what they felt or experienced during the protagonist's work. No analyzing, no judging, no critiques allowed. You just share a piece of yourself.
And honestly? I won't waste words on how healing a real, raw human connection can be.

Interested? Before you dive in, you'll need to do an initial interview with the leader.
Signups are handled via private message.
You can also hit me up via private message if you need any other info.

Applications are still open for the new experiential psychodrama training group

Thinking about joining? You'll need to do an initial interview with the facilitator first.
If you want my cell number, just hit me up via private message.

Open psychodrama workshop titled "How good...",
going down Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the small hall center for young fishpond, fishpond 1, Chicago

Starts at 9:00 AM, wrapping up around 3:00 PM (breaks included).

Who can join? Anyone 18+ looking to level up their potential and work on themselves—doesn't matter your age, gender, job, or what degree you're holding.

Need more details? Just hit me up via private message

IMPORTANT!!!

You can still sign up for the new experiential psychodrama training group.

If you're interested, there’s an initial interview with the facilitator before joining,
and you can grab my number via private messages.

So, let me break down why psychodrama actually beats out all those other schools and approaches.

Most therapy styles are just people sitting across from each other, talking. You know the drill—just endless verbal back-and-forth. Psychodrama? It’s way more high-energy and alive. We focus heavily on non-verbal stuff. Sure, you can talk your way toward some insights, but psychodrama speeds up that whole "finding the root of the problem" thing because it’s action-based. A protagonist might not be able to put their inner chaos into words, but their body is totally tuned into those preconscious or even unconscious vibes.
Compared to one-on-one sessions, psychodrama is a group method, which makes things way richer since there are more people involved. The mix of personalities and the sheer variety of issues being brought up gives you a much more realistic look at real life. Plus, it's way less boring. There's also this "normalization effect"—everyone gets to realize they aren't alone, which is huge. You learn a ton from others, and honestly, it feels great knowing you helped someone out just by showing empathy and jumping into their scene.
And compared to other group therapies? Psychodrama is unique because the whole group is hands-on the entire time. When someone is working through something, the rest of us aren't just sitting there like bored spectators watching someone else's drama unfold. We’re fully in it, stepping into roles as important figures from the protagonist's life, and at the end, everyone gets a chance to give feedback.

A psychodrama session breaks down into three parts:

First, we have the warm-up phase.
Then comes the actual psychodramatic action, and third, the sharing phase.
The golden rule here is simple: Don't just tell me about it, show me!
During the action, the protagonist reenacts a specific moment from their life. They aren't just recounting a story; they are living it exactly how it happened. This pulls everything—the raw experiences, thoughts, feelings, and reactions—right out into the open so we can actually work on them. We get to the absolute core of the conflict. You'll often hear a trainer shout, "This is psychodrama, anything is possible!" And it's true. Thanks to the "as-if" technique, you can pick whoever you want to work with, grab something you never had, or live out a dream or fantasy as if it's happening right here, right now.
All of this serves one big goal: getting that deep, actionable insight. It’s about understanding your own needs and feelings better, figuring out your relationships, fixing emotional patterns, and boosting your spontaneity so you can actually take charge of your life. It helps you finally live in sync with yourself and the world.

I'm still taking sign-ups for the group via Direct Messages
.