PSYCHODRAMA RETREAT (SUMMER 2026)
A Psychodrama Weekend Retreat (1.5 hours from Portland, OR)
Thursday Aug 6 - Sunday Aug 9 2026
A private home 10 minutes from Carson WA
A private home 10 minutes from Carson WA
Join for a weekend devoted to exploring the depths of psyche. Together with a community of curious & open-hearted people we’ll awakening into a fluid expression of body, mind, and spirit. And then dive into psychodramatic work — powerfully transformative methods for bringing our inner conflicts, relationships, and processes into living form.
Psychodrama is one of the original western methods of drama therapy. The founder of psychodrama, Jacob Moreno in Vienna in the 1920s defined it as, “the science which explores the truth by dramatic methods.” Psychodrama is practiced as a director guides a participant (or “protagonist”) through a dramatic exploration of their psyche. Scenes of the past, present or future, conflicts and resolutions, and/or dynamics between inner parts, are all expressed through gesture, sound, movement and words and then mapped in physical space as participants (or “auxiliaries”) stand-in for parts or internalized others. The core method of psychodrama involves role reversals, whereby the protagonist oscillates dynamically between the roles in whatever scene they are exploring, enabling empathy towards our dynamic self through dialogue. Directors typically guide a scene to not only repeat and reveal dynamics, but also modify them, allowing trauma to be re-negotiated through the power of our collective imaginations. A typical psychodrama lasts anywhere from 30-120 minutes.
Our practice will include warm-ups, sociometry (to explore group dynamics), small group exercises, and full psychodramas. The weekend begins Thursday evening with gentle openings, gradually building toward full-length psychodramas, which most participants will have the opportunity to enact if they choose. Along the way, we’ll also break the practice into its core techniques—role reversals, doubling, empty chair, and more—so participants can engage both as protagonists and as auxiliary roles, learning and practicing the essential tools of psychodrama. The weekend may also include a few adjacent psychodramatic techniques designed for exploring inner parts.
Our collective intention is that this weekend will provide us with a greater capacity to hold, nourish and beautify our psyches (the rich and dynamic breadth of images, voices, parts, internalized others, complexes, and archetypes) and provide renewed creative vitality and agency to play with these inner worlds together towards the collective goal of healing and self expression. This workshop is for all levels of experience: those who have never heard of psychodrama, those who are novices in dramatic-authentic expression, and those who are deeply familiar and experienced with these things. It is designed for therapists, or healing arts practitioners who want to learn new techniques to add to their repertoire. And it is designed for those who want to transform, expand, and deepen their self expression (and who may have a career totally unrelated to the therapeutic arts). Our weekend will be more experiential than theoretical. Please come with an open mind and heart.
–🌾— PRACTICALS DETAILS —🌾–
Structure & Rough Schedule:
Thursday
3-6pm Arrivals
7pm Dinner and Authentic Relating Games
Friday & Saturday
8-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-1pm Psychodramatic Practice
1-3pm Lunch and Rest
3-6pm Psychodramatic Practice
6-7:30pm Break & Collective Dinner Prep
7:30pm Dinner
Sunday
8-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-1pm Psychodramatic Practice & Closing Circle
1-3pm Lunch and Goodbyes
4pm Departure
Accommodations & Transportation: The retreat will take place at a private residence just five minutes from Carson, WA. This is a residential retreat, and all participants will stay on the property as we live, work, and play together for the full length of the weekend. Most participants will camp, but there are also a few private rooms available for an additional fee. The property includes a large open living room, a spacious and comfortable basement, and expansive grounds for camping, including access to a beautiful, secluded creek. Participants camping should bring their own supplies (tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc.). We will provide simple breakfasts and lunches, as well as the Thursday evening opening dinner. Participants are asked to bring ingredients for Friday and Saturday dinners, as we will create a collective “stone soup” together, sharing in the preparation and the meal as a group. We are not responsible for transportation to the retreat, but a rideshare document will be provided to help participants coordinate travel and assist those without cars.
Costs: Price is tiered based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who needs it.
EARLY BIRD (prior to May 1st): Financially Abundant $500 / Financially Secure 2 $400 / Financially Strained $300 / BIPOC $300
REGULAR PRICE (after May 1st): Financially Abundant $550 / Financially Secure 2 $450 / Financially Strained $350 / BIPOC $350
CAMPING: free
SINGLE ROOM ACCOMMODATIONS (limited): $50/night
Partial Attendance: All participants are required to arrive by 7pm on Friday for the opening dinner. We encourage participants plan to stay for the entire time, however leaving early (if necessary) is possible.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event - minus a $20 processing fee. After this time we are unable to provide a refund for the event.
Any questions? Please email: [email protected]
Maximum # of Participants for the retreat is 15
NOTE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION: This intensive will involve the exploration of diverse emotional landscapes that unfold within and among our psyches. Many of the practices we explore are designed to cultivate vulnerability, with its pleasures and hardships, and might be compared to the way one's deepest romantic relationships sometimes surface one's most challenging psychological material. Conflict and hurt may arise that might conventionally be quieted or minimized. It is not uncommon for participants to encounter triggers of psychological wounds within these practices, and this should be considered a possibility. The facilitators will use techniques to contain and care for what arises, but will not be able to provide ongoing care for emotional fallout. We invite you to be watchful of one's own safety and opt out in little and big ways as needed, and to have emotional processing methods in place (such as therapy, meditation, journaling, processing with friends, etc) that can help you learn with and from what happens at the intensive. Additionally, we ask that you have some inner settledness and calm available so we can play deeply together. If at this moment in your life you find you are highly activated by something you cannot set down, it may be best not to participate at this time. We understand that therapy can be very expensive and trusted therapists are hard to find, and there might be some temptation to come to this group for that kind of care, but it is not designed for that kind of individual attention.
Psychodrama is one of the original western methods of drama therapy. The founder of psychodrama, Jacob Moreno in Vienna in the 1920s defined it as, “the science which explores the truth by dramatic methods.” Psychodrama is practiced as a director guides a participant (or “protagonist”) through a dramatic exploration of their psyche. Scenes of the past, present or future, conflicts and resolutions, and/or dynamics between inner parts, are all expressed through gesture, sound, movement and words and then mapped in physical space as participants (or “auxiliaries”) stand-in for parts or internalized others. The core method of psychodrama involves role reversals, whereby the protagonist oscillates dynamically between the roles in whatever scene they are exploring, enabling empathy towards our dynamic self through dialogue. Directors typically guide a scene to not only repeat and reveal dynamics, but also modify them, allowing trauma to be re-negotiated through the power of our collective imaginations. A typical psychodrama lasts anywhere from 30-120 minutes.
Our practice will include warm-ups, sociometry (to explore group dynamics), small group exercises, and full psychodramas. The weekend begins Thursday evening with gentle openings, gradually building toward full-length psychodramas, which most participants will have the opportunity to enact if they choose. Along the way, we’ll also break the practice into its core techniques—role reversals, doubling, empty chair, and more—so participants can engage both as protagonists and as auxiliary roles, learning and practicing the essential tools of psychodrama. The weekend may also include a few adjacent psychodramatic techniques designed for exploring inner parts.
Our collective intention is that this weekend will provide us with a greater capacity to hold, nourish and beautify our psyches (the rich and dynamic breadth of images, voices, parts, internalized others, complexes, and archetypes) and provide renewed creative vitality and agency to play with these inner worlds together towards the collective goal of healing and self expression. This workshop is for all levels of experience: those who have never heard of psychodrama, those who are novices in dramatic-authentic expression, and those who are deeply familiar and experienced with these things. It is designed for therapists, or healing arts practitioners who want to learn new techniques to add to their repertoire. And it is designed for those who want to transform, expand, and deepen their self expression (and who may have a career totally unrelated to the therapeutic arts). Our weekend will be more experiential than theoretical. Please come with an open mind and heart.
–🌾— PRACTICALS DETAILS —🌾–
Structure & Rough Schedule:
Thursday
3-6pm Arrivals
7pm Dinner and Authentic Relating Games
Friday & Saturday
8-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-1pm Psychodramatic Practice
1-3pm Lunch and Rest
3-6pm Psychodramatic Practice
6-7:30pm Break & Collective Dinner Prep
7:30pm Dinner
Sunday
8-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-1pm Psychodramatic Practice & Closing Circle
1-3pm Lunch and Goodbyes
4pm Departure
Accommodations & Transportation: The retreat will take place at a private residence just five minutes from Carson, WA. This is a residential retreat, and all participants will stay on the property as we live, work, and play together for the full length of the weekend. Most participants will camp, but there are also a few private rooms available for an additional fee. The property includes a large open living room, a spacious and comfortable basement, and expansive grounds for camping, including access to a beautiful, secluded creek. Participants camping should bring their own supplies (tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc.). We will provide simple breakfasts and lunches, as well as the Thursday evening opening dinner. Participants are asked to bring ingredients for Friday and Saturday dinners, as we will create a collective “stone soup” together, sharing in the preparation and the meal as a group. We are not responsible for transportation to the retreat, but a rideshare document will be provided to help participants coordinate travel and assist those without cars.
Costs: Price is tiered based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who needs it.
EARLY BIRD (prior to May 1st): Financially Abundant $500 / Financially Secure 2 $400 / Financially Strained $300 / BIPOC $300
REGULAR PRICE (after May 1st): Financially Abundant $550 / Financially Secure 2 $450 / Financially Strained $350 / BIPOC $350
CAMPING: free
SINGLE ROOM ACCOMMODATIONS (limited): $50/night
Partial Attendance: All participants are required to arrive by 7pm on Friday for the opening dinner. We encourage participants plan to stay for the entire time, however leaving early (if necessary) is possible.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event - minus a $20 processing fee. After this time we are unable to provide a refund for the event.
Any questions? Please email: [email protected]
Maximum # of Participants for the retreat is 15
NOTE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION: This intensive will involve the exploration of diverse emotional landscapes that unfold within and among our psyches. Many of the practices we explore are designed to cultivate vulnerability, with its pleasures and hardships, and might be compared to the way one's deepest romantic relationships sometimes surface one's most challenging psychological material. Conflict and hurt may arise that might conventionally be quieted or minimized. It is not uncommon for participants to encounter triggers of psychological wounds within these practices, and this should be considered a possibility. The facilitators will use techniques to contain and care for what arises, but will not be able to provide ongoing care for emotional fallout. We invite you to be watchful of one's own safety and opt out in little and big ways as needed, and to have emotional processing methods in place (such as therapy, meditation, journaling, processing with friends, etc) that can help you learn with and from what happens at the intensive. Additionally, we ask that you have some inner settledness and calm available so we can play deeply together. If at this moment in your life you find you are highly activated by something you cannot set down, it may be best not to participate at this time. We understand that therapy can be very expensive and trusted therapists are hard to find, and there might be some temptation to come to this group for that kind of care, but it is not designed for that kind of individual attention.
TESTIMONIALS
FROM PAST PSYCHODRAMA INTENSIVES
"Aaron and The Deep Play Institute's Psychodrama workshop was a joyous, deep, uplifting experience. I felt both held in safety and able to expand my range."
"Aaron was a skilled facilitator and space holder. I felt myself go from feeling unsure and trepidatious about the weekend to feeling so much love, connection and safety by the end of the weekend. Aaron also taught us skills we can use on our own and with friends so we can integrate some of this work into our lives. I'd definitely recommend this workshop and look forward to attending more events with the Deep Play Institute."
"The facilitator of the Psychodrama Intensive did an excellent job of creating a safe environment to play, explore and dive deep. I learned some valuable tools to help support myself. I experienced a lot of compassion for others as I witnessed their challenges."
"Aaron creates a comfortable container for self and group exploration. He holds space for emergent expression and sensitive exploration. During the weekend intensive, there was a moment when I was in a role, got confused and panicked. I was able to say so and he was right there to help me get my bearings again. So grateful to get to explore my edge and psyche in a low pressure environment."
"This was a fantastic workshop! Seeing internal experiences and dialogues played out physically was revelatory, and showed me how our internal worlds can be powerfully explored in a group."
"Aaron and The Deep Play Institute's Psychodrama workshop was a joyous, deep, uplifting experience. I felt both held in safety and able to expand my range."
"Aaron was a skilled facilitator and space holder. I felt myself go from feeling unsure and trepidatious about the weekend to feeling so much love, connection and safety by the end of the weekend. Aaron also taught us skills we can use on our own and with friends so we can integrate some of this work into our lives. I'd definitely recommend this workshop and look forward to attending more events with the Deep Play Institute."
"The facilitator of the Psychodrama Intensive did an excellent job of creating a safe environment to play, explore and dive deep. I learned some valuable tools to help support myself. I experienced a lot of compassion for others as I witnessed their challenges."
"Aaron creates a comfortable container for self and group exploration. He holds space for emergent expression and sensitive exploration. During the weekend intensive, there was a moment when I was in a role, got confused and panicked. I was able to say so and he was right there to help me get my bearings again. So grateful to get to explore my edge and psyche in a low pressure environment."
"This was a fantastic workshop! Seeing internal experiences and dialogues played out physically was revelatory, and showed me how our internal worlds can be powerfully explored in a group."
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
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Aaron Finbloom is a philosopher, artist, therapist, and educator whose work aims to expand transformative inquiry through relational games, role play, performance art, and conversation scores. He co-founded The School of Making Thinking (SMT) and is the founder and director of The Deep Play Institute (DPI). His projects have been featured internationally at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Gallery 151 in New York, Maschinenhaus Kulturbrauerei in Berlin, UNAM in Mexico City, Performance Works Northwest in Portland, and MainLine Theatre in Montreal. Trained in Circling, Psychodrama, Buddhist Meditation, and Processwork, Aaron holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Concordia University in Montreal and teaches philosophy at the City College of New York. www.finblooming.com.
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