UPCOMING TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS

Psychodrama is a creative and experiential approach that uses guided dramatic enactment (role-playing) to explore and gain insight into personal and interpersonal issues. Psychodrama allows participants to enact internal conflicts and external situations in a supportive setting, promoting emotional healing and personal empowerment. 

This workshop is designed for you if you would like a space to do your personal work in a caring and encouraging environment and/or are looking to incorporate innovative methods into your practice. If you are new to psychodrama or to my work, this will be the perfect opportunity to experience a psychodrama weekend. You will learn about or deepen your knowledge of psychodrama. All levels of experience with psychodrama are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Sylvia Israel Board Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama and Registered Drama Therapist/Board Certified Trainer, is adjunct faculty at CA Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and Kansas State University. Sylvia is cofounder of Bay Area Moreno Institute, IMAGINE! Center for Creativity & Healing and Bay Area Playback Theatre and is a past Board Member and Officer of the American Board of Examiners of Psychodrama. She is also a Certified Trainer in the Therapeutic Spiral Model of working with trauma, and a national and international presenter and trainer. Sylvia also uses psychodrama to help civil and criminal lawyers with trial preparation. She enjoys supporting clients in practicing self-compassion, awakening to their spontaneity and creativity, and living more fully in the present moment. Her work blends verbal and somatic therapy with drama, sandtray and other expressive arts. Sylvia has maintained a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area working with individuals, couples, families and groups for 30 years.

The role of the psychodrama director is complex, requiring the director to draw upon many different skills. In this workshop we will co-create a comfortable learning environment where students can direct at their level of experience in the full group and/or in smaller break-out sessions. Action structures will be demonstrated and practiced. Written instructions/guidelines will be distributed. Advanced trainees and those preparing to take their certification exam will have an opportunity to direct a full drama. 

We will learn the four roles of the director (Peter Kellerman, 1992) as a framework to guide our learning. Each student will have the opportunity to be in the role of director and/or protagonist numerous times, as well as auxiliary and audience.  

Before each weekend there will be an additional 2-hour Zoom meeting at a mutually agreed upon time. This warm-up and Q&A session will allow us more time for in-person practice. 

Set your calendars to attend both the January and March 2025. The two-weekend commitment will allow for enhanced time to learn, practice and experience psychodrama with a cohesive cohort. A discounted fee is available to those who sign up for both weekends by 1/2/2025